{"id":32482,"date":"2026-06-08T12:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/32482\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T12:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T12:15:13","slug":"what-to-do-in-paris-according-to-antoni-porowski","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/32482\/","title":{"rendered":"What to do in Paris, according to Antoni Porowski"},"content":{"rendered":"

Layered with history, Paris<\/a> exerts a magnetic pull on millions visitors each year. Yet the culture-crammed French capital is more than its monuments and museums. Home to an electrifying arts, fashion, and food scene, the city takes time for beauty, paying tribute to the past through enduring craftsmanship.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder why Paris gets the star treatment on National Geographic\u2019s\u00a0series Best of the World with Antoni Porowski, the travel docuseries that brings the bestselling book and\u00a0annual list<\/a>\u00a0to the screen.<\/p>\n

Best of the World with Antoni Porowski premieres June 7 at 9\/8c on National Geographic and streams next day on Disney+<\/a> and Hulu.<\/p>\n

As a culinary expert and bon vivant, host Antoni Porowski<\/a> explores the city with gusto and Parisian-style\u00a0joie de vivre. Slip into his orbit and uncover Paris\u2019s secrets with these insider experiences and a few accessible alternatives.<\/p>\n

1. Swim in the legendary pool where the bikini debuted<\/p>\n

Un, deux, trois\u2026 partez! Porowski dives into the day with a swim at the mythical\u00a0Molitor<\/a>. The Art Deco pool was inaugurated in 1929 by three Olympic swimmers, including Johnny Weissmuller, who later snagged the film lead in\u00a0Tarzan. In 1946, the Molitor morphed into a catwalk for the debut of the first bikini. A multi-million-euro investment\u00a0\u00a0in 2014\u00a0transformed the complex into a hotel, spa, and urban hot spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking at Molitor isn’t quite like watching over a pool,\u201d says Valentin, one of the 23 lifeguards on staff. \u201cIt’s watching over a living place, carrying nearly a century of history: somewhere people come as much to feel something as to swim.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0Access to the swimming pools (one outdoor and one indoor)\u00a0is\u00a0reserved exclusively for hotel guests and sports\u00a0club members. Spa clients get access to the indoor pool with the \u201cEvasion Molitor\u201d package.<\/p>\n

Like that? Try this. Swimming is part of the Parisian DNA. Public pools abound, from the Piscine Pontoise, an Art Deco jewel in the Latin Quarter, to the outdoor \u201cNordic\u201d pool in the hilltop Butte-aux-Cailles district. The pool is heated year-round with the energy captured from data centers. (Entrance price between $2 and $6.) Or take a summer dip in the Seine.\u00a0After a massive river clean-up project\u00a0<\/a>was\u00a0completed in time for the Summer Olympics, Paris City Hall opened three swimming spots in 2025,\u00a0open seasonally in July and August.<\/p>\n

2. Splurge on butler service at the\u00a0H\u00f4tel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel<\/p>\n

Reigning over the Place de la Concorde since 1758, this show-stopping grande dame has witnessed momentous events in French history, including Queen Marie Antoinette\u2019s execution by guillotine outside on the square. A four-year restoration completed in 2017 imbued the landmark with chic, contemporary style, while preserving original features such as the staircase, 73 chandeliers, and 40 types of marble. Some 500 artisans and staff work with the Palace hotel\u2014each of the 124 guest rooms comes with butler service. On Porowski\u2019s tour with head butler Elsa, he sees the team in action and lingers in the salon where the ill-fated queen had piano lessons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a city renowned for exceptional hospitality, H\u00f4tel de Crillon <\/a>distinguishes itself through its rare balance of historic grandeur and personalized service,\u201d says\u00a0Alexandre Germain, director of rooms. \u201cThe hotel offers the privilege of staying in a living monument that feels unmistakably residential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like that? Try this. Tucked away on a quiet street in the Saint-Germain-des-Pr\u00e8s district, the\u00a0H\u00f4tel des Saints P\u00e8res<\/a>\u00a0is a four-star hideaway that\u2019s steeped in history. The stone building was constructed in 1658 by\u00a0Louis XIV\u2019s royal architect. It\u2019s part of Esprit de France, a hotel collection dedicated to preserving heritage, and the 38 rooms, clustered around a courtyard, feature timber beams and antiques. The cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me is the majestic suite that Reception Manager\u00a0Christian Winasis\u00a0likens to \u201ca museum\u201d because of its ceiling fresco, created by the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Versailles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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3. Bike up the Butte Montmartre<\/p>\n

For village vibes and the city\u2019s best views, Porowski takes off on two wheels in the company of the\u00a0Montmartre V\u00e9lo Club<\/a>. It\u2019s full-speed ahead on the cobblestoned route tackled during the Summer Olympics, then repeated by the Tour de France race in 2025. Launched during the Covid confinement when local cyclists looked to train close to home, the\u00a0Montmartre V\u00e9lo Club\u00a0is now 80 members strong, with more than 1,500 followers on Strava. Outings go beyond the neighborhood to areas like the hilly Vexin, passing the Van Gogh village of Auvers-sur-Oise.<\/p>\n

\"Antoni<\/p>\n

Antoni Porowski chats with members of the Montmartre Velo Club after cycling through the streets of Paris.<\/p>\n

National Geographic\/Puxan Photo<\/p>\n

Paris has transformed into a cycling city<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019s been a big evolution on the streets with more biking lanes and less cars and scooters,\u201d explains Jean-Christophe\u00a0Baille Cros, a club board member. Visitors can get a bike through V\u00e9lib’, the city\u2019s bike-sharing program, or rent a road bike at the\u00a0Peloton Caf\u00e9<\/a>. Before or after your ride, Montmartre is bicycle-friendly neighborhood. V\u00e9ronique Baille, the club’s treasurer, recommends the\u00a0Caf\u00e9 du Cycliste<\/a>, a boutique that sells cycling apparel, including the club jerseys, and doubles as a cafe organizing social rides. She also recommends the legendary bistro\u00a0Au\u00a0R\u00eave\u00a0<\/a>(\u201cperfect for coffee, a drink, or lunch, with award-winning eggs mayonnaise\u201d),\u00a0La Chance\u00a0Caf\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0(\u201cin a pedestrian street away from tourists\u201d), and\u00a0Le Nazir\u00a0<\/a>(\u201cthe manager is a member of the Montmartre V\u00e9lo Club\u201d).<\/p>\n

4. Feast on French-only ingredients at FIEF<\/p>\n

When it comes to food, France has a formidable reputation. The restaurant concept originated in Paris, and today, 127 Michelin-starred establishments twinkle in the gastronomic firmament. Chef Victor Mercier stands out with a unique concept at\u00a0FIEF\u00a0<\/a>(\u201cFait Ici en France,\u201d or \u201cmade in France\u201d). He only cooks with French-grown ingredients to show off the country\u2019s sublime agricultural bounty. Though there are challenges\u2014no coffee or chocolate, for example\u2014the mission inspires creative discoveries, such as the vanilla grown in Brittany, sake made in Burgundy, and Sichuan pepper cultivated in Normandy. Helping out in the kitchen, Porowski calls it a \u201cTour de France\u201d of regional dishes, prepared with a twist (multi-course menu, dinner only, starting around $130).<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Chef and owner of FIEF (Fait Ici en France or Made in France), Victor Mercier, explains to Antoni Porowski how he only cooks with French-grown ingredients to showcase the country\u2019s agricultural bounty.<\/p>\n

National Geographic\/Amy Browning<\/p>\n

Like that? Try this. Lunch can be a great value in Paris, with many restaurants offering a daily special on a fixed-price menu. Feast on classic dishes like\u00a0b\u0153uf bourguignon\u00a0at the authentic bistros\u00a0Au Moulin \u00e0 Vent<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Bistrot des Fables<\/a>.\u00a0Elsass<\/a>\u00a0offers a refined take on Alsatian cuisine from a chef who trained with top talents Eric Fr\u00e9chon\u00a0and\u00a0Yannick All\u00e9no.\u00a0Restaurateur Florent Piard, the Slow Food champion behind\u00a0Les R\u00e9sistants\u00a0group<\/a>, sources organic ingredients from a network of 150 small producers across France. La Table offers a gourmet expression of this cornucopia. Lunch is consistently delicious at Left-Bank standouts\u00a0Narro<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Calice<\/a>, overseen by chef Kazuma Chikuda. The 20-euro lunch menu at\u00a0Le Cornichon<\/a>, a hip cafe housed inside a PMU bar on rue des Goncourt, is a steal. The waiters swear they serve the best frites in Paris, alongside \u201cfish sticks\u201d on Friday.<\/p>\n

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5. Admire the vast French furniture collection at the Mobilier National<\/p>\n

Originally created under King Louis XIV, the\u00a0Mobilier National\u00a0<\/a>is a sprawling furniture repository whose collection outfits French government institutions, including the\u00a0Elys\u00e9e presidential palace and embassies around the world. Porowski walks through centuries of French heritage, admiring textiles, objets d\u2019art, and antiques such as gold-accented Napoleonic thrones and modernist chairs.\u00a0Guided visits are offered three times a week<\/a>. The site is also home to the\u00a0Gobelins\u00a0tapestry factory, where artisans create new masterpieces using centuries-old techniques.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the adjacent Galerie des Gobelins, temporary exhibitions run the gamut from Notre Dame\u2019s monumental paintings to the current stunner on S\u00e8vres\u00a0porcelain collected by the famous\u00a0Rothschild\u00a0family. \u201cTaste for the exceptional was transmitted between generations,\u201d explains co-curator\u00a0Viviane Mesqui, pointing out the \u201cdaring artisanal techniques\u201d in rare masterpieces like the \u201cmasted ship\u201d potpourri vessel. (Adult tickets are around $15.)<\/p>\n

6. Devour diverse cheeses at Fromagerie Quatrehomme<\/p>\n

The French reverence for craft is also found in food, as Porowski professes at\u00a0Fromagerie Quatrehomme<\/a>, a place of pilgrimage for cheese lovers. Founded on the Left Bank in 1953, the family-owned shop sells more than 250 varieties of cheese and has an aging cellar built with the same quarried stones used to construct Notre Dame. There are a few Quatrehomme outposts across Paris, but the original location on\u00a0rue de S\u00e8vres\u00a0is where you\u2019ll find the most tantalizing seasonal selection: truffled-stuffed Brillat-Savarin, Calvados-infused Camembert, and wood-smoked goat\u2019s cheese. Behind a facade decorated with an old-fashioned shop sign, some 18 employees share their passion with clients, patiently explaining the nuances of each\u00a0fromage. They will customize cheese platters for your evening soir\u00e9e. Pop by a nearby boulangerie like\u00a0Secco\u00a0<\/a>or\u00a0The French Bastards<\/a>\u00a0to pick up a baguette, and you\u2019ve got the perfect picnic.<\/p>\n

(8 of the best things to do in Mexico City<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

7. Catch a cabaret show at the Moulin Rouge<\/p>\n

Instantly recognizable by its red windmill,\u00a0the cabaret at the foot of Montmartre<\/a>\u00a0has been going strong since the\u00a0Belle\u00c9poque\u00a0(1889), when riveted regulars like artist\u00a0Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec\u00a0sat in the audience. He painted the dancers and also created promotional posters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe perform six nights a week, with two shows every night, and even though it seems like a hectic schedule, it doesn\u2019t feel like work,\u201d says\u00a0Allie Goodbun<\/a>, who\u2019s danced at the Moulin Rouge since 2021. \u201cWhen you start to think about its history and the icons who have shared the same stage over the past 135-plus years, it\u2019s a surreal feeling.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The decadent decor is almost one-upped by the costumes, crafted as haute couture by 90-year-old designer\u00a0Mine Verg\u00e8s, a showbiz legend who once dressed stars like\u00a0Juliette Gr\u00e9co\u00a0and Josephine Baker. Invited into her studio, Porowski marvels at the feathers, gold thread, and Swarovski crystals used to stitch each costume by hand\u2014some of which require two years of work and weigh 13 pounds. Helping out behind the scenes, he dresses the dancers backstage during a performance. \u201cThe wardrobe department, along with the stagehands and technicians, are the ones that make the show go on,\u201d explains Goodbun. \u201cWhen a single costume piece breaks, rips, or needs fixing, the dressers are always ready to repair on the spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Applaud the extravagant costumes during a nightly show (tickets start around $100). Get an inside peek at the Atelier de Creation in April when it opens its doors to the public during the European Days of Crafts.<\/p>\n

How to get around ParisEasily walkable, Paris is also well connected by bike lanes and public transportation<\/a> (metro, buses, and RER suburban trains). But perhaps the most delightful way to get around is on the Seine. Porowski cruises the river in an elegant Corto boat. Operators like\u00a0Le Bateau Fran\u00e7ais<\/a>\u00a0offer private excursions. Other options include the hop-on, hop-off\u00a0Batobus<\/a>, Michelin-starred dinner cruises aboard the\u00a0Don Jun II<\/a>, and guided one-hour sightseeing trips on the\u00a0Vedettes du Pont Neuf<\/a>.