KEY POINTS:
FRANCIS HOOPER
WORLD
Laduree - 16 rue Royale
Once you have landed in Paris, the first place to go to is Laduree for a hot chocolate and cake (or a full meal if you so want). The food is fabulous and it is the campest place on earth! They
have three shops in the city, my favourite is just by La Madeleine. This patisserie and restaurant is legendary, very French, and famous for the cakes they made for Marie Antoinette (I'm not joking!) way back when.
Colette - 213 rue St Honore
If you are under 30 years old, head straight for Colette (it's just around the corner from Chanel on rue Cambon). The place is so hyped by everyone from Vogue to the Bible that sometimes it feels like going to fashion church, but in reality the store is brilliant. The fashion buyer is a genius with balls, and you have to get a CD from the music department. The store is very popular and a great place to watch fashion "bitches" - especially during Fashion Weeks. The basement is a restaurant that just serves water and salad. Sooo fashion!
A short walk around the corner gets you to Marc Jacobs. The shop is in Palais Royal, the most beautiful apartment complex in Paris. MJ has the coolest stuff, his fashion character is irreverent and forward, plus just around the corner in Palais Royal are loads of vintage fashion shops - and Pierre Hardy to boot.
Louis Vuitton - 101 Avenue des Champs Elysees
A fashion trip to Paris cannot go by without a visit to Louis Vuitton's flagship store on the famous Champs Elysees. The brand is so crazy cool, with history, modernity and camp. The shop is a massive 100,000 square foot plus, and has more than 9000 visitors a day. Yet it still is an amazing experience. All those trunks and bags and shoes and collections ... I'm sure all the world's alligators, crocodiles and lizards have died and ended up here. Fabulous.
Le Petit Marche - 9 rue de Bern
After spending too much money, what better thing to do but end the day in a little Parisian bistro. Head straight to Le Petit Marche in the Marais, the tuna is out of this world and everything else is fantastic.
DAYNE JOHNSTON
ZAMBESI MENSWEAR DESIGNER
L'Eclaireur, 3 Rue de Rosiers, Marais
An important fashion store. Stocks the best. The Marais is my fave shopping area and there is an amazing tea house/cafe called Lethoir that Liz [Findlay] and I always visit on the corner of Rue de Rosiers.
Mariage Frere, 30 & 35 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Le Marais
Perfect gifts, beautiful loose-leaf teas, original colonial tea importer. The teas come packaged in beautiful black tins. You must try the Earl Grey tea with French blue flowers, yum!
GEOFF SCOTT
CHEF AND OWNER OF VINNIES
Willi's Wine Bar 13 rue des Petits Champs
Famous framed Willi's Wine Bar art posters, very cool atmosphere at night, gorgeous long bar, serious wine selection, great bistro food.
L'Epi Dupin, 11 rue Dupin
Amazing well-priced bistro food - endive tart, spiced rabbit with pumpkin chips, honey roast peaches - perfect.
Michel Rostang 20 rue Rennequin Paris
Graceful, elegant, true French fine dining, previously a regular haunt of Francois Mitterrand. Superb waiting staff, stylish open kitchen, wicked descent through a glass cellar en route to the toilettes.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, 5-7, rue de Montalembert, Hotel Pont-Royal
A must-visit for serious foodies - a smart casual sit-at-the-kitchen-bar experience. The chefs work silently and the delicious taste experiences just keep coming - it may be seriously expensive but worth every euro.
The best of france in Auckland
La Cigale (69 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell)
Sit in the cafe, read French magazines and nibble on a croissant and cafe au lait or spend up large on the beautiful French fragrances, fashion, Provencal ceramics and food on offer. We particularly love the market every Saturday (8am-1pm) and the mini market on Wednesdays (noon-6.30pm).
French LaBelle (114 The Strand, Parnell)
This tres chic store is overflowing with dreamy antiques from Paris. Think ornate 19th-century Louis XV chairs, elegant armoires, giant gilt mirrors, chandeliers.
Voila (573 Sandringham Rd)
Do Sandringham locals know just how lucky they are to have this fabulous cafe on their doorstep? The french owners are constantly baking a whole range of mouthwatering pastries, strawberry tarts, along with galettes, crepes and much more. Try the lemon and polenta cheesecake or creme brulee.
Boulangerie L'Epi (64 Michaels Ave, Ellerslie)
On a cold Saturday morning the smell wafting down the street from this bakery envelops you like a warm blanket ... It's all organic and produced from a small space in full view of the expectant customer.
C'est Fromage & Maison Vauron (5 McColl St, Newmarket)
This place oozes with tasty delicacies. Cheese lovers will think they have died and gone to heaven, while upstairs in Le Cave, connoisseurs can savour vintage and collectible wines.
Philippe Chocolate (293 Great North Road, Grey Lynn)
French artisan chocolate-maker Philippe Ketfi opened this chocolaterie after selling his divine chocolates at markets around Auckland.
The former Hilton pastry chef creates delectable chocolates filled with flavours including coffee, cinnamon, praline, vanilla and more. Yum.