Coqueliquot et Paprika
There are so many things I would like to write about for Babyccino and just don’t find the time! I have been wanting to write about the great children’s clothes shop Coqueliquot et Paprika for ages and ages.
The lovely boutique is nestled between the gorgeous shops on the rue du Bac in the 7th arrondissement in Pars. It was founded by Olivia Farkas when she first had children and realised how much she enjoyed making clothes for her little ones.
Her style is contemporary and simple with a few classic touches. I love the fact that the clothes are infinitely wearable for all occasions. Apart from her own collection the shop also stocks little toys and accessories which have been chosen to fit in with the Coqueliquot et Paprika style. In French we would say this boutique is “incontournable” (no idea on how to translate that)… (more…)
Les 400 Coups
There has been a revolution in the Parisien café scene! Les 400 Coups, a family café, has recently opened its doors! When I heard about this phenomenon I just had to pack up my kids, jump on the metro and experience this place in person. Here in Paris, cafés with play areas are virtually nonexistent — my kids have gotten used to sitting at a table and amusing themselves with a silver spoon and a sugar packet; though after a while they do get a wee bit bored.
So off we went to Les 400 Coups and it was fantastic. The food might not be haute cuisine but the coffee was great and the moment we got to the café, the kids started playing in the play area and I did not hear from them for a good hour. And for you moms who cannot be separated from your laptop there is even wifi. (more…)
Chez Bogato, a patisserie just for kids
You would think that in a city like Paris the patisserie market would be saturated. But there was one thing missing — a patisserie specializing in kid’s cakes! Now we have Chez Bogato, a fabulous kids bakery that makes the best birthday cakes ever! Castles, crowns, tigers and shoes…there is nothing they cannot make into a cake.
If your little one is such a cooking enthusiast that only a cake he has made himself will do, you can throw the birthday party at the Bogato atelier where the kids get to decorate their own cakes. Another option is to have the team come to you with all the equipment needed and throw a party in the comfort of your own home. (more…)
Firmaman
I have been trying to travel a bit further a field, leaving my usual habitat of North-Eastern Paris, to try and discover new places for Babyccino. On one of my trips I met up with Estelle from the lovely e-shop Nordinary and she took me on a whistle-stop tour of the 17th arrondissement.
One particular shop deserves its very own Babyccino post: the fabulous maternity shop Firmaman, Paris’ first concept store for pregnant ladies.
I had been looking for a place just like this during my pregnancy in Paris and never found one. It is a lovely boutique, full of great clothes — some of which are maternity clothes, some of which are not, but all of which will look great on a pregnant woman. You can find great coats, jeans and dresses. There is also a great newborn baby section, a gift section and a lingerie section with some beautiful nursing bras. (more…)
Neuilly Swimming Pool
The summer is almost over, and we are trying to use every available ray of sunshine before the leaves start falling off the trees and the cool weather starts creeping up on us. Last weekend we headed off to the swimming pool and the aim was to go swimming outside and nothing was going to stop us!
Turns out swimming outside in Paris is actually not that difficult. All we had to do is jump on the line 1 metro (the fastest metro in Paris) and jump out in the very chic Parisian suburb of Neuilly. The public pool there has an outdoor area, a sun lawn, a toddler paddling pool and, to everyone’s great excitement: a big waterslide. It is great to go with kids — enough to keep them entertained for a few hours and not too much to bring on a sensory overload. The swimming pool does tend to get a bit crowed so I would recommend going earlier rather than later in the day. (more…)
Eating out in France
Michela and I are often asked about family-friendly restaurants in our respective cities. Try as we might, we are hard pressed to come up with good suggestions. There is a huge North/South divide in Europe regarding the obvious signs of child friendliness in restaurants.
In Northern Europe you will more often than not be offered a highchair when you enter a restaurant with your kids. Often you find changing tables in the bathrooms and kids menus, and many places even have special toys they bring out. In Southern Europe it is rare to find this kind of service, BUT this does not mean that children are not welcome. In fact, they are almost always welcome, but are expected to fit around the adults. (more…)
Native Kingdom
I have fallen back in love with second-hand clothes, a passion I had when I was a poor student. Now a mother of two growing girls, I have decided that second-hand is back in vogue. There is so much stuff out there at a fraction of the original price.
Second-hand can mean a lot of things and often you need to sort through a lot of stuff before you find a little gem…. This is where Native Kingdom comes in: a new second-hand (otherwise known as vintage) children’s boutique here in Paris.
The clothes rock: vintage printed T-shirts, printed skirts, little leather jackets and jeans, mostly from the ‘70-80s era… The clothes are reasonably priced and absolutely fabulous. Unfortunately there is no website, but once there is I will add it on to the post. In the meantime, here are the details…
Native Kingdom
24 rue du Poitou
75003 Paris
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11.30-19.30
- Emilie
Paris Plage
It is that time of year again here in Paris: the right bank of the Seine has been taken over by lounge chairs, palm trees, sun and sand.
If you happen to be in Paris for the month of August (most Parisians have left for the country and the city is spookily quiet) Paris Plage is the place to be. It has something for everyone: bars, a swimming pool and a great play area.
If you go in the mornings the “beach” is relatively quiet, even on the weekends, and it is a perfect place for kids to get rid of some excess energy. This year the place to be for kids is the area around the pont de Sully at the eastern edge of the beach.
The other area of Paris Plage around the basin de la Villette is great too, there is even a sailboat you can rent! I loved the idea of sailing around a canal in the middle of Paris, but so apparently do a lot of people so it is completely overbooked. If you have kids from 6 years upwards, there are some fantastic little pedalos that they can peddle around in, in a supervised area of the canal.
All of this has been sponsored by the Mairie of Paris so almost all the attractions are free!
- Emilie
Marché des Enfants Rouge
Courtney and her family were over in Paris visiting from London and we wandered around the North Marais, doing a bit of shopping, people watching and coffee drinking. It really reminded me about how much I love this little area. I want to write a thousand and one posts on all the lovely little places you can find around here…
I cannot believe I have not written a post about the Marché des Enfants Rouge yet. It is one of the oldest markets of Paris, founded in 1647 and has been converted into a fabulous market/food hall.
Food from all over the world is available… from Morocco, the Caribbean and Japan and it all gets consumed on big communal tables outside the food stalls. There is also a great organic fruit and vegetable stall and a beautiful flower stall. (more…)
L’Isle-Adam
I have always wanted to live by the beach but have actually never succeeded. I think I am destined to beach holiday destinations as opposed to being able to live close to it.
My kids seem to love the beach as much as I do, so we were all very, very excited to discover a beach about one hour away from Paris in the middle of the country!
The river beach in the picturesque little town of Ville d’Adam actually doubles up as the local community pool and is a perfect escape from a hot and sticky day in Paris. You can jump on a direct train from the gare du Nord and be in the water approx. 50 mins later, as the beach is about a 5 minute walk from the station.
The girls had a ball — there is a pretty big sandy area, and we put our towels down by a massive kid’s paddling pool. There is a huge Olympic sized swimming pool built in the ’20s for more ambitious parents, but, for my part, I was very happy building sand castles and splashing around in the shallow pool. If your kids do get bored of playing in the sand, there is a huge bouncy castle area for all ages and two big water slides. (more…)
Chouquette
Since we have been living in Paris I have discovered a new addiction to baked goods. Obviously I the love croissants, the tarts and the bread, but my ultimate favourite are these little puff balls called choquettes. They are light and fluffy as they are filled with pure, sugar scented air and they are so completely moreish that it is easy to devour a whole bag of them in a couple of minutes. You find them in most bakeries but real chouquette connaisseurs will each have a favourite bakery that they will swear makes the best chouquettes. It’s interesting that these little puff balls have not reached the international recognition of their fellow baked goods, but if I had anything to do with it they would become a staple snack in every country.
As you might not be able to find chouqettes at your local bakery, here is a recipe for them. It is from one of my favourite food blogs: Chocolate and Zucchini.
There should be a warning on this recipe: Seriously Addictive.
- Emilie
Bookbinders Design
I’m not sure if I became an architect because I love paper and pens, or if I love paper and pens because I became an architect… Fact is, the Swedish company Bookbinders Design makes my tummy ache with excitement and I can easily spend over an hour inside one of their shops (much to my children’s and husband’s chagrin)! The most beautiful photo albums, binders, books and boxes, not to mention the writing paper and envelopes — all are equally attractive. The colours of the paper are stunning, and the quality and feel of it exquisite. Oh, the joy. (more…)
Soeur
The concept of being chic starts early in Paris. As you can imagine even little girls have an innate sense of style, so their older sisters are off the chart!
Luckily enough there is now a shop just catering to the 10-14 bracket. Soeur was opened by two sisters, one, the co-founder of Bonton and an ex-designer for Bonpoint, the other a child psychologist. As you can imagine from two ladies with such a background, the designs are right on the mark. Tunics, skinny jeans, little skirts and shorts; they have completely managed to capture the style of the Parisian teenagers.
They have a great sale on now, if you happen to be down in St Germain….
- Emilie
Cinema Festival
Sometimes I get fed up of living in the centre of a big city.
The traffic, the pollution the lack of green space, and space in general seems so much more oppressing in the summer time. But then I get reminded of the big advantages of city life: the huge range of cultural events right at my fingertips. From the 2nd to the 14th of July the Paris Film Festival is on and part of the festival is a great children’s program.
This year the focus is on my favourite pet subject, animation. Lots of things are on offer: workshops, lectures and, of course film screenings. The first public screening in France of the new Pixar 3D extravaganza “Up” is on offer, as are modern day classics like Wallace and Gromit and Disney’s 1963 “The Swords in the Stone”. The films are for kids aged 3 and up, and there are so many choices that it should satisfy all tastes. You can check out the program here.
I guess city life is not so bad after all….
Parc de la Villette
It is finally warm here in Paris and we are all loving getting out there amongst the action and not being cooped up inside. This is the first year that I have two mobile children who both want to explore the world, so I am getting to know the parks in Paris better and better.
I have just discovered the great outside play park at La Villette. La Villette is the place you can find the fantastic Science Museum for kids (I still have not been, but I need to go, so I can let you guys know my verdict on it). There are more than 10 different themed gardens at La Villette — the one my kids loved is called “Jardin des Dunes et des Vents”. (more…)
Moi et ma fille
Receiving packages in Paris is a nightmare! The post is notorious for losing most packages. The other option is private delivery companies, but the delivery times are often between 8 am and 6 pm. There is no way that I can stay in my flat for a full 10 hours, so I always miss the delivery and spend hours on the phone trying to rearrange redelivery.
Now, there is another option… which is to have your package delivered to a shop near your home so you can drop by and go pick it up. Normally that means turning up at some dodgy mobile phone shop! But I was very, very agreeably surprised the other day when I went to pick up my package at the most lovely little boutique just up the road from me: Moi et ma Fille.
It is so nice to discover little gems in your neighbourhood. Moi et ma Fille (Me and my Daughter) was started by the Taiwanese designer Yafei Tsai after the birth of her little girl. She has created some lovely pieces both for mothers and daughters, and sometimes you find a adult and a children’s version of the same design. The collections are fresh, quirky and affordable.
I am certainly not going to wait for another delivery to visit her boutique again!
- Emilie
La Maison des Petits at 104
I have received several emails from you guys asking if I know of a good indoor play area for toddlers… and I didn’t! There is a serious lack of them here in Paris. That is… until now. On Saturday I took my girls to the brand new play area called “la maison des enfants” in an amazing new arts centre in the 19th arrondissement of Paris called 104. Granted, it is a bit off the beaten track in a residential part of Paris, but it is worth visiting if you need your little one to get rid of some surplus energy on a rainy day.
All the equipment is brand new and fantastically well designed. There are drawing pods for older kids, a soft play area for smaller ones, dolls, tea sets… The centre is free, though they do limit the amount of kids coming in, so that it doesn’t turn into complete madness. The “maison des petits” is also planning to host ateliers lead by the artists in residence of 104.
On the same premises there is a great bookshop with a huge kid’s section and reading area, and out in the courtyard there is a pizza van and a café. As of yet, most of the centre is still empty and undeveloped but I reckon that in a few months it is going to be buzzing and full of life.
- Emilie
Jardin de L’acclimatation
Imagine a tiny Disneyland on the outskirts of Paris, but run by the city and founded a good one hundred years ago. So, actually not like Disneyland at all!
The Jardin de l’Acclimatation in the Bois de Bologne is Paris’ own kiddie fun park, and it is great. My eldest daughter is finally old enough to enjoy it, so this past weekend we headed off for a day of fun-filled activities. I really recommend a visit if you ever happen to be in Paris with kids.
I will say it has the most random mix of attractions I have ever seen, but who I am to complain? The kids loved it.
These are my top tips to visiting the park: (more…)
Velib’
Though this is not strictly something you can do in Paris with small kids, I do have to sing the praises of something that has very quickly become a Parisian institution: The Velib‘.
You see, all over this wonderful town you can find bicycles belonging to the city council. With a swipe of a card that costs me all of 25 euros a year, I can jump onto an elegant grey bike and cycle (in my case kamikaze style) to my destination. There I find the nearest point and drop off the bike. Nothing could be easier.
The Velib is now as much a mode of transport as the metro and the bus. It is really interesting to see how every Parisian from every walk of life has taken too it. (more…)
Du Pain et Des Idées
I stumbled across the Michelin’s top ten bakeries in Paris report recently and was almost disappointed to see my favourite bakery in Paris listed as the first of the top ten. I thought it was my little secret that no one knew about! Though Du Pain et Des Idées is a tiny, unassuming bakery, the bread and patisseries are out of this world. I found it purely by chance: I was working in a studio on the same street and was looking for the local bakery to take home a baguette one evening… and I was in for a surprise. The baguette had a wonderfully crisp, but not hard, crust and the inside was so delicate!
Christophe Vasseur, the owner of Du Pain et Des Idées started off as a fashion house sales executive when he had a change of heart at the age of 30 (as you do) and decided to become one of the top bakers in the capital. He has more than succeeded. Voted best baker of Paris by Gault and Millau (a famous food magazine) last year, this year he was voted one of the 10 ten bakers in Paris by the Michelin guide.
If you are ever in the area I personally recommend the baguette, the orange blossom brioche called a ‘mouna’, or the apple turnover with a whole baked half-apple in it.
I can only repeat — out of this world!
- Emilie
