At Michelin-starred chef Bertrand Grébaut’s unique restaurant venture in Faubourg Saint-Antoine, you have the choice of two tasting menus (one a little more extravagant than the other). This is a dining experience for a special occasion. Interiors feature antique ornaments, huge mirrors and bare wood, and the food is delicate, fresh, and expertly balanced. It can get booked up a year in advance. If you can’t get a table, try Septime La Cave next door.

Palais de Tokyo combines installations, videos and new-age icons, cementing its status as a temple of contemporary art. Grab a bite at Monsieur Bleu, the Palais de Tokyo restaurant.

A historic flytrap for Parisian cinephiles, the 5th and 6th arrondissements of Paris's Latin Quarter are still full of independent cinemas, most notably Le Champo on Rue des Écoles, where many of the Nouvelle Vague directors hung about in the ’50s and ’60s.

A former coal station turned live music hotspot, the MU collective has made the most of the spot's architectural quirks and turned it into an events space reminiscent of underground Berlin. Explore its three rooms, an outdoor stage, and two indoor stages, playing everything from hardcore punk to pure techno.

The thing Paris is known for, this spectacular glass pyramid has been around since 1983, when it was commissioned by Mitterrand. You could spend hours wandering around the outside of it with a coffee, but the inside is a never-ending treasure trove of cultural artefacts, from the likes of the ancient Greeks to the Egyptians. And yes, the Mona Lisa is in there too, but there’s also a ‘feminist tour’ you can take, for something a bit different.

This iconic theatre in Nanterre (the western suburbs of Paris) which has been around since 1976. Positioned as a major player in French theatre in the ‘80s by Patrice Chéreau, elevated by Philippe Quesne, and now under the direction of Christophe Rauck, the theatre hosts the crème de la crème of today's actors, choreographers, and directors. Our top tip? The bar and restaurant area offers seasonal dishes to recharge before heading back to the bits.

This historic Parisian market takes its name from the Enfants Rouges (Red Children) orphanage, which was built in the 16th century and closed down just before the revolution. Saturdays are when the market is at its liveliest, but expect a hard time choosing between the different stalls: Moroccan, Italian, Lebanese, or a refined blowout at the Enfants du Marché. Try it all if you can.

Behind Richard Rogers’ and Renzo Piano’s piping and air ducts lies one of the richest collections of modern art in the world. Step inside the Centre Pompidou to fall under the spell of Picasso, Magritte, Duchamp, Pollock, Warhol and Tinguely. Head to the top floor for a truly eye-popping view.

Fréquence is run by Matthieu Biron and Guillaume Quenza, who are equally as passionate about fine drinks as they are about Motown on vinyl. The fruits of their labour have culminated in this delightful bar, where turntables and records share the spotlight with bottles and shakers. The cocktails are as clever as they are slap-you-in-the-face strong, like the doud (salted pine nuts, white Cap Corse, shochu and calvados for €12).

A favourite among Parisians and tourists, the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise allows bookworms to enjoy an intimate moment with some of their literary heroes and learn about the Paris Commune. It is also beautifully picturesque: a vast, shaded labyrinth with snaking hillside paths and pretty stone stairs. Careful not to get lost...

A spectacular building designed by starchitect Frank Gehry hosts the collection of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault. Far out in the western suburbs of Paris, this brand-new stage for contemporary art showcases the biggest names of our time, from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Charlotte Perriand.

This is the best restaurant in the city, according to the editors at Time Out Paris. If you've got enough time to book in advance, this is guaranteed to be an unforgettable meal, cooked by some really brilliant chefs. Le Clarence is incredibly eccentric, impeccably OTT, and certainly not cheap, but to sample veal sweetbread gyoza, ink and cuttlefish tartare and a poached oyster all in a single lunch? That's once-in-a-lifetime stuff. You probably guessed, but it ain't cheap.

This is a gargantuan 10,000-square-metre cultural complex in fast-gentrifying Pantin. Following in the thriving footsteps of Ground Control and Grands Voisins, the Cité Fertile is the latest multidisciplinary cultural pop-up to pull in the summer crowds. Opened in a former train depot in August 2018, it’s got a three-year licence from national train firm SNCF and, like its predecessors, has a wide array of food offerings, a rich cultural programme and a vast 800-square-metre urban farming lab.

This homey cocktail bar run by Elena Schmitt and Margot Lecarpentier (formerly of Experimental Cocktail Club) is perched atop Belleville hill. Combat’s cocktails are punchy and well-balanced. We also like their bar snacks, especially the terrine, prepared by Repaire de Cartouche chef Rodolphe Paquin and served with pickles and pain de campagne. Don’t miss the Parc de Belleville across the road. Those views are unbeatable.

Spread out over 35 hectares, this is the largest of Paris’s parks, and from mid-July, it hosts the annual open-air cinema festival. There’s always a good vibe, and we’ve even witnessed a crowd of more than 2,000 get up and dance beneath the stars at the end of ‘Grease’. It was a moment, to say the least.

In a light-filled building at the end of a courtyard on the Rue Beaumarchais, Merci brings together a collection of influential stylists and designers, from Isabel Marant to Stella McCartney. There’s also an array of luxury stationery, homeware and accessories. It’s hard to know where to look. Enter via the ‘literary’ cafe for a break, order a fresh OJ and let your eyes wander around the book-lined walls. Why not read one if you have time?

This beautiful reading room has over 20,000 books, 9,000 comics and 160 cosy reading spots. For its300thanniversary, the historic site of the National Library fully reopened its shelves in September 2022. Besides a new museum, its astonishing Ovale room, with 18 metres high and crowned by a glass roof, is now accessible to all. The best part? It's totally free.

The best Italian restaurant outside Italy? We think so. Since ex-Rino chef Giovanni Passerini opened this eponymous Italian restaurant in 2015, it has been one of our favourites for a simple, traditional Italian meal among friends. Nothing beats their cult pasta all’amatriciana, and don't miss the top-notch menu of sulphite-free French and Italian wines.

This museum is as grand and central as it gets, fully restored from floor to dome by Tadao Ando with a nine-metre-high concrete cylinder right in the middle. It took something this impressive to house François Pinault's private collection of 10,000 artworks. Within the 7,000 square meters of the Bourse, you'll find 24 creations by Bertrand Lavier, feminist photographs by Cindy Sherman, and a wonderful collection of African and African-American figurative paintings.

This bopping bar is found at the very top of Paris's largest park, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. It's one of the most vibrant hangouts in the capital. Run by Mimi and Zouzou, former owners of iconic noughties lesbian club Pulp, this riverside bar hosts some of the wildest queer nights in the city. Come on a Sunday when the tracks get especially wild. It's legendary.

Built 150 years ago, La Petite Ceinture is almost 32km long. A public transport network until 1934, it was then used to transport goods until the late 1970s. Untouched for years, it has been cut up and transformed into various distinct sections, much like New York’s High Line. The Petite Ceinture’s best-known part begins in the 12th, a bucolic vision of plants and trees, but stretches across the 15th, 16th and 18th arrondissements, too.

After a first year of testing the waters, this electronic hub tucked beneath the ring road hit full speed in 2023. Led by Rag, Benjamin Charvet, and Samy Znimi, who respectively head up Barbi(e)turix, Badaboum and Panic Room, the lineup – gender-balanced and inclusive – takes the plunge into the realm of cutting-edge electronic music. From headliners to emerging gems, must-know labels and collectives of the moment, it's all about techno, house, and disco here.

In the old Gare d’Orsay, you’ll find one of the finest collections of 19th-century art. It’s got Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Pointillism and all the other great ‘isms’ that appeared between 1848 and the beginning of the 20th century. Our top tip? Savour a coffee in the fantastic coffee shop nestled behind the clock, designed by the Campana brothers in tribute to Jules Verne’s ‘Nautilus’.

Dizonord is a pan-genre record shop that hosts dangerously good DJ sets. From New Orleans jazz to Japanese ambient, the racks overflow with deep cuts. And prices aren’t bad, either. Finally, north Paris has the record store it deserves.

Every year since 2002, Nuit Blanche has illuminated Paris with its artistic brilliance. And here's the new twist: since 2023, the event has ditched the autumn gloom and moved to the summer. What hasn't changed is that, for one night, a multitude of artists from all stylistic backgrounds descend upon the capital, turning it into an immense open-air museum with a flurry of creations and unprecedented openings. If you can make it down in the summer, it's a must.

While its new little big brother in the Latin Quarter has reigned over the Left Bank since the summer of 2023, Franck Audoux's original establishment remains a safe bet (if not the only one) for cocktail enthusiasts in this neighbourhood. In a fully Art Nouveau setting from floor to ceiling, you can sample drinks that are all about simplicity; few ingredients, no garnish, and a very delicate balance.

Paris’s ultra-modern temple to classical music, near the gently flourishing Pantin area. The Philharmonie, which forms part of the Cité de la Musique, has a rich and abundant live music programme. In addition to its impressive concert hall, the Philharmonie has an exciting exhibition space and an educational centre like its neighbour, the Cité des Sciences. The prices are super-accessible, so you can experiment without breaking the bank.

At this excellent Right Bank old-school bistro, the charismatic maître d’ perches behind a bar and advises punters on the best red to enjoy with their confit beef cheeks (or whatever else they order). It’s perfect for Sunday lunch, a boozy dinner with mates, or even a solo trip. However you do it, you’ll savour every single bite. You won’t find sausage and mash like this anywhere else.