How to be a Parisienne: Margot's 10 Golden Rules

As promised in yesterday's post, here are Margot's humorous (but true!) "10 Golden Rules for Being a Parisian":
  1. Complain about your country and the weather of Paris (every Parisian does this but at the end of the day we all stay here...)
  2. Go for brunch every Sunday
  3. Try the new designed-by-a-famous-designer restaurant on Saturday evening
  4. Visit the latest temporary exhibition at Beaubourg or Le Grand Palais or... 
  5. Watch the television program "Top Chef" on Monday evening 
  6. Prefer the "Vélib" to the taxi - taxis are old fashioned, although some people will not agree with me ... :)
  7. Have an apéritif with your friends in a nice wine bar
  8. Get invitations for private sales - never go shopping during the official sales dates
  9. Do some sport, but not too much - body building is really not trendy
  10. Look "nonchalant" 
Margot's favorite:

French movies - La Piscine (The Swimming Pool) with Alain Delon and Romy Schneider,  Nos Jours Heureux and Jeux d'enfants (Love Me If You Dare)

Music - Jenifer Bartoli, a French singer who got her start on the television show Star Academy and classical music.

Apps - OuBruncheran app that lists all the best places to have brunch, Le Monde for news750 grammes for 77,000 recipes and le Tournedisque for music.


  1. Ha ha, "look nonchalant" - I'll have to work on that! Apparently I look annoyed or upset by default if I'm just walking around the place, I always have people saying "hey I saw you walking down Rue Nationale the other day, you looked pissed off" (my mum claims this is genetic).

    1. Sorry Gwan "stone face" family trait....
      You could develop a vague half smile at all times maybe?

  2. Margot's top 10 have some remarkable similarities to a 'smart' life in Melbourne Mary Kay...particularly Numbers 1, 2 and 7. I have tried to look nonchalant but more often than not, look vague!!

  3. How cute is she? I love her chic rules!! Good to know Margot, merci. : )

    'Love Me If You Dare' is one of my favorite movies too. Such a sweet love story!

  4. I knew complaining would be in there, but didn't realize it would be number one! It's hard to look nonchalant when we try so hard to look like we blend in... : /

  5. I am still trying to wrap my head around the French brunch thing. It simply does not want to compute. I just don't see young French people getting up and out early on the weekend--what about the long slow weekend? sleeping in with a lover? And what dishes are they enjoying at this brunch? Eggs Benedict? Waffles? Maybe, maybe I've been missing something?

  6. Haha, I love these rules! So much of the are so apparent, too ;)

  7. The brunch thing has me stumped too Joseph.

    I used to live in Brisbane Australia, where Sunday brunch is at its best. I think sitting outside in the sun is part of the necessary brunch experience, but I have to say even the indoors brunches of Dublin where quite impressive if you knew where to go.

    The problem I have with French brunches is the food served. For me, brunch = class. So if you haven't got a select range of unique, stylish and high quality dishes on offer, then what's the point when you could just make better at home!

    I admit I haven't done extensive research in the area so if anyone has some recommendations for restaurants around Paris that does a remarkable brunch, I'd love to hear!


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