The perfect locals guide to discovering Paris

Discover the city's alternative museums

Many who choose to visit Paris make a stop at the city's most famous museum, the Louvre, and spend 20 minutes bustling to see the Mona Lisa. However, those who treat the Louvre as their only museum stop are genuinely missing out on some of the best art and culture this city has to offer.

The city has some of the best art museums globally, and visitors must stop at sites like the spacious and contemporary Palais de Tokyo. This museum not only hosts some of the greatest modern artists in the world but is also home to the world-famous restaurant Monsieur Bleu, where French president Emmanuel Macron often chooses to dine.

For lovers of history rather than art, The Musée Carnavalet is dedicated to the city's history and occupies two neighbouring mansions.

Here you can learn about the history of Paris, beginning in the medieval age and going all the way up to its place as the centre of the Enlightenment Age.

Enjoy a Parisian style night out.

When many visitors to the city think of a night out in Paris, the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret comes to mind. However, the city has so much more to offer for those looking to enjoy the city's varied nightlife. Visit the neighbourhood of Pigalle, where you can find a host of exceptional themed bars such as the New Orleans-inspired Lulu White, which hosts a live jazz lounge.

Other themed bars in the area include the cocktail tiki bar, the Dirty Dick, and the quirky bar Marlusse Et Lapin, which serves out of a backroom designed like an abandoned Paris home.

For visitors looking to enjoy a later type of night out, head to Oberkampf and enjoy one of the most thrilling Parisian neighbourhoods. Here you can enjoy drinks till the early hours at places like Café Charbon, a charming Parisian brasserie-style bar, or dance till the sun comes up at one of the city's best nightclubs, the Nouveau Casino.

Enjoy some of the city's best dining experiences.

Paris is most notable for its wine bars, but Parisians know that wine is perfect when served with food. Visitors to the city can enjoy some of the best eateries in Europe here, especially if they search out some of its many hidden gem restaurants. For those looking for a slice of Americana, head to the PNY restaurant and enjoy the best burgers in Paris.

Why not head to Boulangerie Utopie to enjoy some of the city’s best fresh-baked baguettes, cream eclairs, and other classic French pastries. This family-run business is one of the best lesser-known bakeries in all of Paris.

For those looking to enjoy classic French-style dining, make sure to head to the Michelin-starred Comice.

Here, the team combines traditional French-style cooking with hand-selected wines from the country's Southlands. Enjoy butter-poached lobster with sweet pea and mascarpone ravioli while sipping on a Chateau Mouton Rothschild and taking in the sites of Paris hustling street life.

Discover the lesser-known monuments of Paris.

Many who visit Paris stick to the usual roster of monuments and miss some of its most impressive architectural marvels. Visitors that take the time to discover the more hidden monuments of Paris are sure to be inspired by its many unknown structures.

Rather than heading to the Eiffel tower, make sure to stop by the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, a library built-in 1850 with a cast-iron frame that is considered an engineering marvel. Other classic sites in the Paris skyline include the French Renaissance style Hôtel de Ville, built-in 1533, and the Gothic style Basilique de Saint-Denis.

No matter where you decide to go in Paris, you are sure to find a lively city bustling with activity, sites, and culture. Visitors to Paris are sure to enjoy a unique sense of travellers escapism which is exclusive to this 2000-year-old French capital.