An American Girl In Paris Part Deux

Sheena Goldblatt, author of “Flirt Like A French Girl” dines at a Parisian bistro.

Paris – Sheena Goldblatt, the editor of Flirt Like A French Girl, has more to share on her amazing life in Paris. In part un of An American Girl In Paris, she shared with us her inspiration for launching her blog, regaled us on some of her French favorites, and shared a few style dos and don’ts. In part deux, Sheena dishes on being out and about in the city of lights and the it places to dine and party. She even shares a few tips on French men, too!

French girls always want to appear to be ‘bien dans sa peau’ (comfortable in their own skin), so wearing the latest trendy clothes that don’t look good on them or hiding behind too much makeup is, for them, a desperate act of ostentatiousness.

TCS: For all of us eager to visit France, complete this sentence: When I step off Air France, the first place I must visit is …?

Sheena: Your hotel room! Paris is not a place to be seen with a rollaboard or a backpack. Drop all your baggage and take a taxi straight to Rue Cler (yes, a taxi, so you can see the city). Shop for cheese at the fromagerie and buy a 30-month Comté, a Pont L’Eveque and a variety of chèvres. Grab a baguette from the boulangerie across the street, as well as some fresh figs or pears from Top Halles − they will ask when you plan to eat it, so tell them “tout de suite” (right away). Then, find the Rue de Grenelle and head either east toward Les Invalides, where you can walk across the Esplanade and cross the Pont Alexandre III (my favorite place in Paris) to picnic by the Seine, or west to the Champ de Mars and spread out on the lawn while looking up at the Eiffel Tower.

Sheena Goldbatt gets makeup before photoshoot near Eiffel Tower.

TCS: Where is your favorite place to dine and party in Paris?

Dine – Being a vegetarian, French restaurants are a bit wasted on me. I suggest reading David Leibovitz and Patricia Wells‘ blogs for a list of great restaurants in Paris, but I will tell you two of my personal favorite outings.

First, go to Le Grande Epicerie and grab a picnic lunch, then walk around the corner to one of the loveliest, hidden gardens in Paris, the Jardin Catherine Labouré on 29 rue de Babylone. You can picnic under the grapevines or sit by the fruit trees and afterwards have the best coffee in Paris at Café Coutume on 47 rue de Babylone, 7eme.

The second is to start out with an authentic absinthe at La Fée Verte on 108 rue de la Roquette, 11eme, then walk to Bistro Paul Bert  on 18 rue Paul Bert, 11eme, for dinner. If you’re up for dancing the night away, Barrio Latino, a rocking hot Latin dance club on 46/48 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine,12eme, is not far away.

Bistro Paul Bert (Photo credit: thestylesaloniste.com)

Partying:  For the best drinks in Paris, I head to Le Bar 228 in the Meurice Hotel on 228 rue de Rivoli, 1ere. To flirt like a French girl, my favorite place is Le Fumoir on 6 rue de l’Amiral de Coligny, 1ere.  If you sit at the bar, before the night is over, you will have met at least three sexy French men and have a date lined up for the next night.

TCS: Speaking of French men, what are three words you would use to describe them?

Sheena: Distinguished, debonair, deliberate.

Three tips for flirting like a French girl:

Don’t ever look like you’re trying too hard – French girls always want to appear to be “bien dans sa peau” (comfortable in their own skin), so wearing the latest trendy clothes that don’t look good on them or hiding behind too much makeup is, for them, a desperate act of ostentatiousness.

Charm a man with equal parts intelligence, confidence, and reserve – Up your intelligence by reading literary classics and international news like The Economist and the Financial Times. If your confidence is wavering, fake it till you make it, if need be. Be reserved in your appearance, speech, and manners.

Flirt enough with others to show he could lose you, but flirt enough with him to show he never will -Studies have shown that men are attracted to women who could have other men but choose instead to shower their attention on him.