🇫🇷 💌 The Paris Love Letter #149

Linking You to Paris

➡️ Renoir and Love opens at the Musée d'Orsay, March 17: The first major Renoir retrospective in Paris since 1985, bringing together over 50 masterpieces, including Bal du moulin de la Galette and Luncheon of the Boating Party.

➡️ Bonjour Paris: March 2026 Restaurant Buzz: Covers the early-dining trend sweeping Paris (restaurants now opening at 5:30 pm), the new Paul Bocuse commemorative stamp, and several new openings worth knowing about.

➡️ First Norwegian coffee shop opens near Montmartre: Bonne, the first Norwegian café in Paris, has opened in the 18th arrondissement with Nordic pastries and specialty coffee roasted in Oslo.

➡️ Key Takeaways from Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2026: Fashion Week just wrapped in Paris with sophomore collections from Jonathan Anderson at Dior and Matthieu Blazy at Chanel stealing the show.

THIS WEEK IN PARIS
Buttes-Chaumont When the Sun Shows Up

Last weekend, the sun came out, and Paris remembered how to enjoy its green spaces. We took our little Lion to Buttes-Chaumont, one of our favorite parks in the city, and every grassy hillside was covered with blankets and bottles of wine, with groups of friends who all had the same idea at the same time.

The grey months make everyone interior and reserved, but the moment the light returns, the whole city pours outside. Terraces fill by mid-morning. Strangers share park benches. It feels almost communal.

Our son led us straight to his favorite spot, the hidden waterfall tucked into lush greenery that doesn't feel like it belongs in Paris. He knows the path by heart now. He stands in front of it and just listens. The sound of the water is the most relaxing thing in the city. If you make it to Buttes-Chaumont on a sunny day, find the waterfall. Our Lion recommends it.

📸: If you’re looking for a great quality pocket travel camera, I love my RICOH GR IIIx HDF. I use it for most of the photos you see in this newsletter.

EATING IN PARIS
New Michelin Stars Announced Monday

Every March, the Michelin Guide announces which restaurants in France have earned, kept, or lost their stars. This year's ceremony happens on Monday, March 16, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. It's the first time the announcement has been held there.

If you've ever wondered why a tire company gets to decide who the best chefs in France are, the origin story is worth knowing. In 1889, two brothers, André and Édouard Michelin, started a tire business in Clermont-Ferrand. There were fewer than 3,000 cars in all of France. They needed people to drive more. So in 1900, they published a free pocket guide with maps, fuel stations, mechanics, and places to eat and sleep along the way. The logic was beautifully simple: more driving, more worn tires, more sales.

The restaurant section became so popular that by 1926, they started awarding a single star to the best ones. By 1931, they had the three-star system we still use today. One star means a very good restaurant. Two means worth a detour. Three means worth a special journey. The brothers also hired anonymous inspectors who still operate in secret today.

For Paris, the stakes are real. Restaurants can be booked solid within hours of earning a star, and losing one can be devastating. This year, 10 restaurants in Paris and the surrounding region have already lost stars, and the city is buzzing about which newcomers might earn their first. The ceremony will be broadcast live on Michelin's social channels if you want to follow along. Whether you eat at starred restaurants or not, it's a fascinating window into how serious people can be about food.

VISITING PARIS
How to Spend Your First Morning in Paris

You just landed. You're jet-lagged, excited, and tempted to sprint to the Eiffel Tower. Don't. Your first morning sets the tone for everything that follows, and the best thing you can do is slow down and let the city come to you.

Drop your bags and walk. No route, no Google Maps. Just step outside and go. The goal is to start noticing things. The way light hits the buildings. The smell of bread from a boulangerie you haven't found yet. Paris rewards people who pay attention, and this first walk is how you train your eye.

Find a café that looks alive and sit down. Order an espresso, a noisette, or a cafe creme. Watch the street. Resist the urge to check your phone. This is not wasted time, but rather, this is the trip starting. Then walk to a boulangerie and buy a croissant. A good one is a little crispy on the outside, soft inside, with a buttery flavor that lingers. If it's great, remember that spot. You'll be back.

Now find the Seine and cross it. Any bridge. Stand in the middle and look in both directions. The river is the spine of this city, and once you've crossed it on foot, Paris stops feeling like a map and starts feeling like a place you're in. The Louvre isn't going anywhere. The Eiffel Tower is better at night anyway. This first slow morning is something you only get once. Don't rush it.

FRENCH PHRASE OF THE WEEK
“Ça va pas, non?!"

The Phrase: "Ça va pas, non?!"

Phonetic: [sah vah pah, noh?!]

The Formal & Original Version: "Ça ne va pas, non?!" (But nobody has time for the "ne" when they're annoyed.) You'll also hear the longer version, "Ça va pas la tête?!", which literally translates to "Is your head not right?!" Same energy, just more specific about where the problem is.

The Context: This is the French version of "Are you out of your mind?!" or "What's wrong with you?!" You'll hear it when someone does something reckless, inconsiderate, or just plain stupid. It literally translates to "It's not going, no?!" which makes almost no sense in English, but in French it carries the full weight of disbelief and indignation. It's not a polite phrase. It's the phrase that comes out when politeness has left the building.

How to use it:

• The Crosswalk Close Call: A scooter blows through a red light while you're mid-crosswalk. The Parisian next to you throws up a hand and shouts "Ça va pas, non?!" at the disappearing rider. No one expects a response. It's a declaration, not a question.

• The Line Cutter: Someone slides in front of you at the boulangerie like you're invisible. You can hit them with a firm "Ça va pas, non?!" and the people behind you will silently crown you one of their own.

How I Found This Phrase: I learned this phrase the way most people learn the important things in Paris: by asking friends for help. When I started riding my bike through the city, I asked a few Parisians how to yell back at drivers who cut me off or drifted into the bike lane. The unanimous answer was "Ça va pas, non?!" It's my most-used phrase on two wheels.

FRENCH SONG OF THE WEEK
Benjamin Biolay - Comment est ta peine

Benjamin Biolay sounds like Paris feels on a quiet evening. "Comment est ta peine" (How is your sorrow) is moody, elegant, and unhurried.

His voice sits low and close over a warm arrangement that builds without ever rushing. If you're walking along the Seine at dusk or sitting alone in a café watching the rain, this is the song that should be playing.