7 Essential French Words and Phrases for Travelers
In a major tourist city like Paris, you’ll find many people speak English. Servers at restaurants, shop attendants, front desk staff at hotels,…
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While Los Angeles is the obvious destination for celebrity sightings, Paris can be as much of a hotspot for seeing your favorite stars, especially during swanky events like Paris Fashion Week.
So if you’re visiting Paris and also hoping to see a few celebs, this guide on where to meet them is for you. I’ll give you tips on the best spots and times to meet celebrities in the City of Light. Plus, I’ll suggest some nearby tours and attractions you won’t want to miss.
Chic neighborhoods
It’s safe to say that you’re more likely to find your favorite celebrities staying in only the chicest Parisian neighborhoods. They also happen to have the best restaurants, hotels, and views the city has to offer. So why wouldn’t you want to check them out, too?
Le Marais
Celebrities love to visit Le Marais for the shops, cafes (French actress Marion Cotillard owns two), and nightlife, but many of them also have homes here.
Johnny Depp and Scarlett Johansson are known to have apartments in this hip neighborhood, and both have been spotted walking around. Who can blame them for choosing to live here part of the year?
This quartier is gorgeous, dotted with boutiques and restaurants that attract people from all over the world, so you can easily run into someone well-known.
Montmartre
Located in the northern part of the city, Montmartre was once a haven to the artists Van Gogh and Picasso. Today, you might see movie stars like Brad Pitt walking out of the luxurious L’Hôtel Particulier or Matt Damon strolling the streets of this bohemian heart of Paris.
Don’t miss: The Sacré-Cœur Basilica and the art-filled Place du Tertre are two must-sees, both included on our Montmarte Walking Tour.
Left Bank
Fans of Ina Garten and her cooking show “The Barefoot Contessa” know all about her home in the Hamptons, but Garten and her husband, Jeffrey, also own a pied-à-terre on the top of a Haussmann building in the 7th Arrondissement.
Comfortably situated between her favorite bakery Poilâne, the cheese shop Fromagerie Barthélemy, and a specialty food store called Bon Marché, it’s not out of the question that you’ll catch a glimpse of the TV cook shopping at a street market and doing other everyday things.
While you’re in the Left Bank, take our Seine River Walking Tour that includes a visit to the Musée d’Orsay and other popular landmarks.
Looking for more to do on the river? Check out our blog for five things to do along the Seine.
Outside fancy hotels
From the five-star Four Seasons George V to the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, the City of Light is home to extremely fancy and exclusive hotels — just the places where the hottest celebrities like to stay.
Model and actress Cara Delevigne and singer and actress Rita Ora are known to stay at the Hotel George V in the 8th Arrondissement, which is famous for its views of the Eiffel Tower, Michelin Star restaurants, and luxurious amenities.
Love Ariana Grande? She’s stayed at the Park Hyatt in the past, so it’s a great place to try to see her if you know she’s in town during your stay.
Celebrity sighting tip: While we don’t know which celebrities have stayed at the Ritz in Place Vendôme, we can tell you from experience that they don’t let just anyone wearing Adidas sneakers get past the lobby. Don’t leave this fancy hotel off your list of celebrity hotspots.
Where the stars dine
We can’t all afford to dine like Beyoncé and Jay Z, but the elegant L’Avenue restaurant in the 8th Arrondissement is reportedly one of their favorite restaurants.
That means you may at least spot the couple going in or leaving after you’ve had dinner at one of the more budget-friendly restaurants around the Champs-Élysées.
In the 18th Arrondissement, stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and French singer Vanessa Paradis have been spotted dining at the upscale Vietnamese restaurant Le Sourire de Saïgon.
Celebrity sighting tip: Parisian film actress Marion Cotillard has been spotted at the restaurant at the Pershing Hall Hotel. Even if you don’t see her (or don’t know her), consider this a local dining tip for some great lunch and dinner menus with set prices.
During Paris Fashion Week
Held semiannually in the French capital, Fashion Week is a true who’s who of haute couture that attracts famous people from around the world.
Stake out a position at Opéra Garnier, the Grand and Petit Palais, or the Louvre Museum, all ideal spots to see celebrities walking in and out of Paris Fashion Week events.
The Champs-Élysées at night
Whether you can afford to get into exclusive nightclubs like Le Baron and L’Arc — both of which are favorites among celebrities — or just plan to hang around outside to see if you can get a glimpse of Kirsten Dunst, Sofia Coppola, or Lenny Kravitz, nightlife around the Champs-Élysées is where you want to be.
Clubs in this area feature some of the hottest DJs, which is why they attract so many famous stars. Many of the clubs are selective and expensive, but you can find tickets to venues like Le Duplex, which is much more affordable for young tourists who want to party but aren’t Hollywood A-listers.
Bonus: Film locations
If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris during a film or TV shoot, you’ll probably see celebrities walking around near the film set or hanging out around the city on their days off. The Netflix phenomenon “Emily in Paris,” for example, filmed scenes at many real-life locations across the arrondissements.
Our tour follows in the footsteps of Emily (played by Lily Collins) and gives you behind-the-scenes information about the best filming locations from the series.
You can enjoy a pain au chocolat at “La Boulangerie Moderne” — just like Emily! — and see other Paris landmarks through the character’s eyes.
7 Essential French Words and Phrases for Travelers
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