Paris: going deep in the 7th and 3rd arr.
Victoire de Taillac-Touhami shares her favorites in the neighborhoods where she lives and works
Our friend Victoire de Taillac-Touhami and her husband, Ramdane Touhami, co-founded Officine Universelle Buly—the most beautiful products, packaging, and apothecary shops, based in Paris. Besides having impeccable taste, Victoire is also one of the most down-to-earth people I know. I asked her for some of her favorite neighborhood spots, and she gave me this amazing list of addresses in the arrondissements where she lives and works. I’m so grateful to have these, and happy to share them with you!
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The charm of the 7th is that it’s classical, patrimonial (full of ministers and embassies in historical buildings) and very family oriented. It’s all about the lifestyle—having friends and family over for lunch or dinner at home, buying pastries and wines.
My morning starts with a café and sometimes tartine (baguette with butter) at Cafe Varenne (36 rue de Varenne), where I run into friends and neighbors. It’s most popular at lunch, which is good too; the haddock with lentils or tartare are my favorites.
The biggest attraction, of course, is Le Bon Marché (24 rue de Sèvres), where I somehow end up every week. My favorite sections are the lingerie and hosiery, the beauty section and the bookstore. In front of the department store is Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse (140 rue du Bac), a 19th-century chapel where you can go to pray and buy the medal, which is a very popular «porte-bonheur ».