Every year this time around my birthday, the wind comes and the leaves begin to fall. I walk out in my boots and scarves and just can't help but feel a tingle of warmth inside me. There's something words can't describe about the beauty of this season, about the moment you step outside into the crisp autumn air, and discover, that almost over night, life around you has turned into these fabulous shades of reddish golden brown. And that those beautiful leaves around you, even in their parting, bid farewell in such splendid fashion, choosing not to mourn the end of their time, but rather celebrate the beginning of something fresh and new ahead.
And so Fall is a time of gathering of friends and family. In New York, it would have been over coffee at the latest coffee shop or perhaps a stroll on the High Line before seeing the view of the Brooklyn Bridge at nightfall. But in Paris, it's about secret places and intimate ambiances, either below in a cave or up on a rooftop.
1) Nanashi
Tucked away at the back of a posh children's clothing boutique in Saint Germain des Prés, this Modern Japanese European restaurant is the perfect spot for brunching on weekends or just an afternoon tea or coffee.
Inside, soft pillows and wooden chairs provides an atmosphere of comfort and intimacy. Outside, the charming private terrace allows a quiet backdrop for long conversations.
All foods are fresh and organic. The brunch bento box mixes the perfect blend of meats, starch and veggies that leaves you feeling healthy and refreshed.
2) Le Perchoir Rooftop
A random queue in front of a no-name entrance, before you're ushered up a small elevator to this gorgeous rooftop. Although Le Perchoir may not be as much of a secret as it used to be, it still remains one of the most intimate Parisian spots for drinks before sundown. Share a bottle of rosé with a whole new view of the Parisian landscape before you.
bhv.fr
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Finally, a little update about me:
My weeks have been flying by since classes began in September, front-loaded with 6 hours of class per day (!!!) first half of the week, then followed by a long busy weekend of engagements. I've been living this sort of double life, a student on campus turned grown up when back in Paris, getting my fair dose of HEC campus parties and events (more on that later) all the while doing such things like...visiting new born babies, inviting future parent-in-laws over for dinner, going to apartment warming crémaillères, receiving friends from Hong Kong, Singapore, Atlanta and New York, and of course dinners and soirées that is just...that...no more clubbing (oh la la). So I apologize for disappearing off the internet for a month without notice. Alas, I am alive and well, and missing, of course, blogging. :p