CHRISTMAS IN PARIS

The best shops, patisseries, and cafes in the city of lights, from stylist Jenn Elliott Blake

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Hello!

It’s time for part two of our mini European holiday tour. Top on my list of places to spend Christmas, when it feels right to be away from family—is Vienna (more on that soon), London, the South of Spain, and Paris.

Paris in summer is nice (if a bit sweaty) but it’s the off-season that does it for me. Windows dripping with garlands and the fog that sets itself around the le tour Eiffel are impossibly romantic, and people-watching from an outdoor bistro table—even wrapped in seven scarves—is my love language.

I lived in Paris for one glorious summer, and have visited since in both Spring and Fall (highly recommend!), but my Paris list is rusty, at best. So today we’re hearing from Seattle-based stylist Jenn Elliott Blake—who landed in Paris, just two weeks shy of Christmas.

You’ll see Jen’s work in numerous books and catalogs—West Elm, Anthropologie, Sunset Magazine, Kinfolk, and Sur La Table among others. She works magic with linens and flowers, and I’ve never seen a still life she created that I didn’t want to live in. When it comes to matters of style, I trust her.

Jenn travels often for work, pleasure, and inspiration (and prop sourcing, of course!)—a restorative form of self-care that I deeply relate to. Her photos from Paris are gift enough (included here, and more on her Instagram stories), but her must-see spots are definitely worth tucking in your pocket for a future trip to the city of lights.

Dive in, below—plus more readings on Paris at Christmas, and my favorite Paris-based food writers to follow (Reminder that paid subscribers have full access to all travel posts and archives).

See you back here later this week, for Christmas eve, in Bavaria.

xo

Sarah

7 SHOPS TO VISIT IN PARIS:

MERCI // 111 Bd Beaumarchais, 75003

Merci is hands down my favorite place to shop in all of Paris. They have so many amazing home decor and kitchen items at reasonable prices, beautiful clothes, and gifts for all. They are always decorated so beautifully for Christmas, and they have a fantastic used book cafe open every day at the front of the shop, as well as a full cafe downstairs. They also open a special Christmas shop next door during the holiday season.

BOOT CAFE// 19 Rue du Pont aux Choux, 75003

Tucked deep inside Le Marais neighborhood, this is my preferred place to stop for a fantastic cup of warm coffee after a morning of exploring the Marche des Enfants Rouges nearby. The inside of the cafe is very small, so expect to take your coffee to go on most occasions.

LADUREE // 21 Rue Bonaparte, 75006

A Paris staple, this well-known bakery is one of the most charming stops during the holiday season. My favorite of their stores is located in Saint Germain des Pres, but their most decked-out location is their shop on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees. The perfect place to grab macarons to take home, although their pistachio croissant is by far my most treasured of their offerings.