Almost there
Summer's finally here, so I'm sharing some great places to eat with fun vacation vibes that'll quench your thirst for travel, as well as Seine swims and places to see art.
Paris is still buzzing from fashion week - Rihanna just left town, Beyoncé rocked a concert that felt like a citywide celebration, and the Olympic hangover lingers: yes, the cauldron is back and the Tour de France is rolling through Montmartre on the 27th, and if you haven’t heard, some parts of the Seine will be open for swimming. I’m sharing some great spots to beat the heat and catch your breath when the city sizzles. And in true Parisian style, I’ll leave it here until the rentrée, the post-summer back-to-work period, in September! Thank you again for being here. Happy summer! - Roxy x
4 things on my radar this July
Whether you’re here during the next heatwave or not, here are a few things to do that are great for beating the scorching temperatures.
Anti-chain eating. More than just a hangout, Ground Control is a cultural playground with a big outdoor area, tucked behind Gare de Lyon in a former train depot. This season, it’s turning up the flavour with five new food corners - each one independent, passionate, and proudly anti-chain. There’s Bouboule, rolling out crispy, golden bites that remix global classics into snackable spheres like boeuf bougignon. Will’s Deli brings NYC vibes with oozy Reubens and proper pastrami, made with love by a family of deli pros. Little Drop serves up fire-roasted chicken with a Sunday comfort twist, while Chango fires the grill for empanadas and Argentine street food with big, bold flavors. And when it’s time to cool down? Bon Dimanche has you covered with creamy, all-organic ice creams and fruity sorbets, made just outside Paris. Come hungry.
Dipping into nature. The light-filled Fondation Louis Vuitton exhibition centre on the outskirts of the city in the Boulogne woods is always a good bet on a sunny day, and the current show, David Hockney 25 (until 31st August), is a treat. A recap of the British artist’s career beginnings contextualises a focus on the past 25 years, during which the natural environments of his native Yorkshire, England, and Normandy, France, homes provide endless inspiration for painting and digital art. The countryside unfurls beneath his brush, as some of his largest and most arresting works are given due respect, alongside the moving portraiture and vibrant still lifes of one of our greatest living artists. By turns thought-provoking, uplifting and exhilarating, the show is infused with all the joy of Hockney’s vision. After a theatrical finish at the top of the Frank Gehry-designed building, don’t miss the roof terrace, for a view of the woods and peep of the Eiffel Tower. By Kate Matthams
A tear-jerking reopening. The Grand Palais is back. After years wrapped in scaffolding, it reopened fully last month - and stepping inside, seeing those sweeping staircases and oval salons, made my skin tingle. This is the place where I saw shows that blew me away beyond those of the Tate Modern in my native London. As part of the Monumenta series, major artists were invited to create enormous installations under the glass nave, like Boltanski, Kapoor, Huang Yong Ping… whom I was lucky to talk to about their bold reinterpretations for this majestic space in interviews for various stories. Walking past the palatial building during the renovation, staring up at glassless, gaping holes where windows once were, made me wonder if my favorite Paris landmark would ever be the same. Now, seeing the restoration up close, and flipping through the press catalogue, seeing photographs of the renovation stages, moves me. The current Niki de Saint Phalle retrospective is worth a visit, as well as an Ernesto Neto installation under the glass nave. And if you want to treat yourself, there’s Le Grand Café, a new restaurant by the Loulou group with a terrace designed by Joseph Dirand - it’s pricey, but damn, it’s gorgeous.
Swimming in the… Seine? You read right. It’s hot in Paris and getting hotter. The city’s not exactly built for this kind of heat (my fan is working overtime), and every summer I start dreaming of a cold plunge somewhere nearby. This year, though, there might actually be a solution: swimming in the Seine. Yep, it’s really happening. From July 5 to August 31, Paris is opening several official swimming spots along the river. The big one’s at Bercy, with showers and a solarium (very civilised); there’s one near the Eiffel Tower if you want to swim with a view; and a quieter one by Île Saint-Louis. Not sure I’ll do it. But I’m packing a swimsuit just in case.
On the Menu
Call me old fashioned, but there’s nothing I like more in Paris than a bistro with old, old soul packed with locals. However, sometimes I also like to dip into the diverse and growing options that hail from further afield, that set you on track for summer travels - here are a few of those.
Jip is the laid back spot you want to keep coming back to. When my friend Constance (co-owner of the restaurant Native in Perpignan, now beachside in the Asturias), came to town a couple of years back, there was only one place she had to try: Esu Lee’s pop-up at Mokoloco (Paris 11). We go way back (Manchester Uni, early 2000s, bad hair), and she’s always had the best taste in food. So I booked the second she pinged me. I’ve been following the chef since.
Esu, already a name thanks to CAM restaurant (pre-Covid days), is back with his signature style: Korean roots, a wink to fast food, and finesse at a permanent spot, Jip in Voltaire (Paris 11). He' rustles up three tight, soulful courses for an unbeatable €35. Standouts? The Madame Butterfly, which is a cloud-like brioche with fennel and prawn aioli somewhere between a lobster roll and a club sandwich. And the beef tteokbokki noodles? Swimming in a parmesan-radish “green” sauce that tasted like spring in a bowl. And rumour has it he’s got his sights set on a second spot in Paris - I can’t wait.
A slice of Menorcan chic at Casa Pregonda. The candle-lit space is warm and breezy - terracotta tones, white washed walls, the kind of place where time suddenly falls away. But it doesn’t feel like a theme, more like a memory, a memory of all the best holidays you’ve ever had, thanks to co-owner Valentine Dubois’ keen eye for picking up soulful finds she’s scoured flea markets for.
Named after a beach in Menorca, Casa Pregonda’s menu leans into Spanish simplicity with a Parisian twist (think a smattering of buttery sauce and caviar on clams), rustled up by Alexandre Giesbert, founder of pizza and pasta restaurant Daroco a few streets away. After a decade being front of house, he decided to take up his apron again and get back in the kitchen.
Here, a crowd of creative locals in the know (one-star chef of Neso, Guillaume Sanchez, was perched next to us at the counter) tuck into thinly sliced lomo Ibérico de Bellota, tasty gildas and a pan con tomate that I could go back for alone. The aïoli, confit pepper creamy tortilla was delicious too.
As well as tapas, there are proper mains like squid ink rice with carabineros prawns inspired by Valentine’s grandmother’s recipe, as well as beef filet and fish of the day. Everything is rich but not heavy, bringing back holiday moments with each mouthful. The service is also welcoming, thanks to Jonas Ayache’s impeccable manner.
Casa Pregonda is not trying to be a scene, which is rare in this part of Paris. It feels like someone brought back a bit of their summer and decided to share it in this unexpectedly quiet backstreet off seething rue Montorgueil, albeit very quietly.
A tightly curated voyage to Corsica at Atica. Less of a restaurant and more of a staged journey, it all starts in a private jet-style lobby - fluted ceilings, a quiet bar - before you slip downstairs into a dining room wrapped in giant screens (the space use to be a cinema), carefully angled by engineer-owner Ramzi Saade.
Each of Atica’s editions explores a different destination. The first was the Basque Country; when I went, it was Corsica - sea, mountains, maquis - all woven into a five to nine-course meal, with images, sound, and light shifting around you as you eat. It’s immersive, but not over the top. Footage explores the heart and soul of the island, through interviews with artisans in their workshops or simply moving through nature. Everything is carefully sourced: ceramics, produce, soundtrack, all from the island. Local winemakers are well represented too, and the occasional rare mountain cuvée.
The menu goes from sea to land and back again. Stuffed mussels arrived under a cloud of blue spirulina foam, with seaweed, fish eggs, and pink radish - delicate but clearly rooted in the island’s coastline. The dandelion ravioli stood out - unexpected, earthy, and comforting. And the cheese course was exactly what it should be in Corsica: sharp, assertive, and well earned.
I went with my friend Kate and we agreed that time passed more quickly than expected - we left feeling clear-headed. Like a reset. It’s the kind of place where you forget to check your phone. Curious to know what the next journey will be.
Sunny Greek Classics at Ypseli. Greek food is having a moment in Paris, and Ypséli is riding the wave in style. Set inside a former Art Nouveau department store on rue Réaumur, this huge, light-filled spot feels like a summer escape.
We agreed with my friend and fellow writer Annick, that the menu nails all the classics: super fresh Greek salad (exactly what you want when it’s hot outside), pork souvlaki with fluffy pita, and golden, honey-drenched baklava that sticks in the best way. The dining room is lofty with an industrial edge that reminded me of the big, beautiful London restaurants inside former factories or warehouses I love. In the day, there’s lot of light streaming through the wrap-around windows, and at night, the lighting is dimmed, creating a more intimate, buzzy setting.
And it’s not just a restaurant - make time for the shop, where you can pick up handmade olive oil soap, deli treats, and everything you need to recreate a sunny Aegean lunch at home, as well as Greek book of wisdom I regret not buying. Or just swing by whenever the craving hits - they’re open all day.
Dumbo, always smashing good, even in a heatwave. (Excuse the pun). When I landed in Paris 18 about years ago, a decent burger was basically impossible to find. Now? It’s café canon - on every menu, in every arrondissement. And at the top of the burger boom is Dumbo.
What started in 2019 is now four smashburger-slinging spots (in the 4th, 9th, 10th, and 11th), serving up crispy-edged patties, top-quality beef, and double-fried fries dunked in a tangy, fruity sauce. The following is cult-level.
Now they've hit Shoreditch, bringing Paris’ best burger to London’s cool kids, with beef from the legendary HG Walter (supplier to Brat, River Café, Core…). Long live the smash.
Micro-Itinerary: La Fourche
Lace up and get exploring this month’s hood. Tucked between busy Place de Clichy and the quiet Montmartre Cemetery, this overlooked pocket of the 18th hums with local charm and hidden haunts, even locals don’t have on their radar.
Tucked behind Place de Clichy, just a few minutes from métro La Fourche, there’s a little pocket of Paris that feels like a secret. Villa des Arts is the heart of it - a leafy, hidden artists’ enclave that’s been around since the late 1800s, with nearly fifty ateliers still in use today. Cézanne, Signac, Dufy, Picabia… they all passed through here. These days, you can peek behind the gates during the annual open studios in June, but even if you're just wandering, there’s plenty to stumble upon. La Bal gallery, where there’s an exhibition ‘Nous Autres’ on about same-sex relationships, is just around the corner with its café, Le Bal by Le Recho, which is great for a quiet break or brunch at the weekend. There are also a few well loved spots like La Main Noire for good craft coffee, and Le Bouclard - a retro, wood-paneled spot serving staples like escargot and steak-frites, where the owner still greets you like an old friend. Just over the wall is Montmartre Cemetery, where Stendhal, Truffaut, and Degas are buried. Enough to keep you busy for the day - check out the map above with all the recs not to miss ☝️.
That’s it for now. A big merci for reading July’s edit of What’s Up, Paris? See you again soon in September!