Paris Guide

Click here for a map that includes all of our picks.

The 1st arrondissement, with its wide boulevards and impressive buildings (including the Louvre and the Palais-Royal) encapsulates the French grandeur of the city.

Restaurants

This perfect little restaurant on the triangular place Dauphine is full of locals rather than cathedral tourists. The duck confit is especially delicious.
17 place Dauphine, 01-43-54-4595

Stop by the gilded and silver-mirrored restaurant in the morning for the best chocolat in Paris and a fantastic omelet. At teatime, the café can become a bit of a madhouse.
226 rue de Rivoli, 01-42-60-8200

Perhaps the easiest way to see the Louvre with a family is from the outside, while enjoying a croque monsieur and a coffee on what used to be Louis XIII's terrace.
93 rue de Rivoli, 01-49-26-0660

Owner Philippe Gosselin is the Grand Prix winner for Paris's best baguette. Be sure to try the ham and Gruyère on a baguette at lunchtime.
125 rue Saint-Honoré, 01-45-08-0359

This friendly restaurant has great Vietnamese and Cambodian food, with lots of options for kids.
38 rue Mont Thabor, 01-42-60-7979

Exactly what you want from a classic Parisian café: perfect roasted chicken with fries, hot dogs covered in cheese, and croque madams.
330 rue Saint-Honoré, 01-42-60-4326

The self-service setup is great for hungry kids, and all of the food (three-cheese quiche, chicken with prunes and polenta) is organic and from the Île-de-France region (the farmland closest to the city).
55-57 rue Saint-Roch, 01-40-20-1212

Housed in the Museum of Decorative Arts, this place has food that's a bit fussy, but it will accommodate children's tastes. It also has great views of the Tuileries, the carousel, and the Eiffel Tower.
107 rue de Rivoli, 01-42-25-4955

Normandy-raised owner Jacques Godin will transport you to the Brittany coast in his casual seafood joint, which feels a bit like a glorified fish shack. Try the oysters and the beautiful plateau de fruits de mer.
6 rue du Marché-Saint Honoré, 01-42-61-9387

The boisterous brasserie has a sweet kid-loving staff and lots of locals. Go for dinner and get the mussels or the duck confit.
2 rue Vivienne, 01-42-86-8238

Kids will be mesmerized by the boat of fresh (and delicious) sushi as it moves around the restaurant on a conveyor belt.
36 rue de Richelieu, 01-42-61-0573

The cafe has great glace (ice cream) and strong espresso, along with soups, salads, and a variety of desserts.
154 rue Saint-Honoré, 01-42-60-3184

Shops

The mama of all design shops, with funky, stylish gadgets, toys, furniture, and apparel, is also kid-friendly—its café has crayons, organic food, and even groovy high chairs.
213 rue Saint-Honoré, 01-55-35-3390

This restaurant-supply shop has every kind of pepper grinder, wine pull, and more. It's absolutely the place in Paris for professional-grade copper pots, high-quality utensils, and beautiful tableware.
18-20 rue Coquillière, 01-42-36-5313.

This nature store in a mall beneath the Louvre has unusual toys, like a beautiful mini-globe that swivels in every direction, plus great books and music.
Carrousel du Louvre, 01-39-56-0147

The stylish dress shop has eight locations in Paris, featuring beautiful, wearable cuts in muted colors. Some locations also offer its girls' collection.
1 rue du 29 Juillet, 01-40-15-6178; check the website for additional locations.

Come here for children's clothes that are equal parts boho and classic. (Zef has four locations around Paris.)
32 rue de Richelieu, 01-42-60-6104; check the website for additional locations.

Activities

Built in the early 14th century, La Conciergerie became Paris's first prison in 1931. Marie Antoinette was perhaps the most famous inmate of all, and her cell looks just as it did then. This is a great way to give older kids a history lesson about the French Revolution. Open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. March to October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. November to February; 6.50 euros per adult, 4.50 euros per child.
Boulevard du Palais, 01-53-40-6093

With two rooms containing eight Monets, this jewel-box museum is a small and manageable place to take in art with the kids. Open 12:30 to 7 p.m. every day except Tuesday, 12:30 to 9 p.m. on Fridays; 6.50 euros per person.
Tuileries Gardens, 01-42-97-4816

The north wing of the Louvre, the palace now houses government offices, but its courtyard is a grand place to play among the colonnes de Burens, striped columns of all different heights. Have a coffee at one of the cafés lining the square.
6 rue Valois, 01-42-61-3551

Built in the 16th century, the "New Bridge" is in fact the oldest one spanning the Seine. Set at the western edge of the Île de la Cité, it's also where Madeline fell into the river. The lovely, quiet park below, surrounded by water on three sides, is a prime location for watching the boats go by.
Connecting rue Dauphine and souterrain du Pont Neuf

This park is known for its formal landscaping and people watching—but who knew it also had a Ferris wheel? (Rides are 3 euros each.)
Between the place de la Concorde and the Louvre, 01-40-20-9043

Next Page:  Paris Guide: 3rd and 4th Arrondissements