This was unfortunately our last full day in Paris, which just felt so sad! It seems like we never quite caught up on sleep this entire trip. Every morning we woke up tired, but somehow still excited to go.

We started the day with brunch at Café de Flore, another historic Parisian spot. We almost didn’t stay because the line looked long, but I’m really glad we did because we were seated pretty quickly. The dining area was so cute. I love the semi outdoor spaces that are enclosed with glass. They feel warm and cozy while still giving you that outdoor café vibe.

We ordered quiche Lorraines and coffee. Unfortunately, they were already out of pastries for the day, but everything we had was still delicious.

Afterward, we went back to Maison Thévenin so I could get my daily pain au chocolat. Jordan ordered a rocher, which was a small hazelnut mousse cake, and it was really good. There is just something about pastries and a cappuccino that makes me so happy.

From there, we took the metro to the Rodin Museum. This is a smaller museum in Paris, and I couldn’t find any guided tours available, so we added the self guided audio tour to our tickets.

We started by seeing The Thinker, which I believe is the original. From there, we wandered through the gardens while listening to the audio guide. There was a temporary Dior exhibit set up in the middle of the garden that took up quite a bit of space, and the line to enter it was very long, so we skipped it.

Before heading inside the museum, we continued the audio tour through the sculpture garden. We saw pieces like the Balzac statue, Victor Hugo’s monument, and The Gates of Hell, which incorporates many of Rodin’s works before they became standalone pieces.

Inside the museum, we continued with the audio guide and explored the rooms at our own pace. One sculpture stood out to me the most, even though I can’t remember the name. The audio guide explained that the woman and her sister had murdered her husband on their wedding night, and the sculpture captures the moment she realizes what she has done. The way her body seemed to melt into the marble was haunting.

There were a lot of interesting works, but overall, this wasn’t one of our favorite museums. I think if we had started here and then worked our way up to places like Versailles and the Louvre, it might have felt different. Also, visiting in the winter meant the gardens were pretty lifeless. Still, it was a nice experience.

Before leaving, we checked restaurant options for our last night. We had heard that reservations were necessary for most places, which was generally true, especially on weekends. Weekdays had been easy for walking in, but since it was Friday night, I wanted to make sure we avoided a tourist trap. I found a restaurant recommended by a local on Reddit and booked a 9 PM reservation.

After the Rodin Museum, we headed straight to Montmartre. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica is known for its incredible views over Paris, and we really wanted to see it before leaving. As soon as we exited the metro, we were hit with crowds. This was easily the busiest place we visited on the entire trip. In hindsight, we probably should have gone on a weekday. It was also the only metro stop where they made an announcement warning about pickpockets, which made a lot of sense given the crowds.

We pushed on and climbed the stairs toward the viewpoint. Before long, we started getting glimpses of the city below. While walking up, we realized this was where one of the main scenes from Amélie was filmed, which made it even more special.

We stopped several times to take photos as we climbed higher, and eventually reached the top to take in the view. We had planned to go inside the basilica, but the line was incredibly long and we were already getting hungry, so we decided to skip it.

After taking in the view, we debated where to eat. It was already around 5 PM, and since we had a late dinner planned, we didn’t want anything too heavy. After a lot of indecision and quite a bit of back and forth across the street, we settled on Le Progrès. Someone had just left an outdoor bistro table, and that sealed the deal.

We shared a French onion soup and a crêpe and sat outside watching the city move around us. It was the perfect small bite.

From there, we took the metro back toward the city but didn’t get off at our hotel. Instead, we decided to do a Seine walk from Notre Dame to the Louvre, this time on the opposite side of the river from where we had walked before. That side is supposed to be prettier, and it definitely was. The shops were lit up, and seeing the Louvre illuminated at night was really special.

We didn’t walk too long, though, since we had our late dinner coming up. We headed back to the hotel to pack a bit so we wouldn’t be up too late afterward.

The restaurant we had booked was only about a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It was very unique because there is no set menu. Everything changes based on what fresh local ingredients are available, which made it really exciting going in.

The dining room was intimate and cozy, with a very natural, relaxed vibe. The tasting menu was four courses total: a soup, a main dish, cheese, and dessert. The waiter was incredibly passionate while describing each course, and while I don’t remember every detail he shared, I do remember how amazing everything tasted. The wine recommendations were also excellent.

The first course was a sweet potato soup. It was served with a bowl that you poured over a sweet potato purée, along with croutons and other ingredients I can no longer name. It was absolutely incredible, and I was obsessed from the first bite.

The main course was a chicken dish cooked in a white wine reduction with fresh vegetables like potatoes, carrots, thyme, and red bell peppers. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and you could really taste how fresh everything was.

Next was the cheese course, a blue cheese served with a date and a red wine sauce. We didn’t have high expectations for this one and thought it might be just okay, but it completely blew us away. It was tangy, salty, and one of the best cheeses I’ve ever had.

Dessert was the perfect ending: a panna cotta topped with mango. It balanced the saltiness of the cheese beautifully.

I love tasting menus because they push you to try things you wouldn’t normally order, and when we travel, we really try to experience local cuisine. This meal did that perfectly.

I’m so glad we chose this restaurant for our last dinner. We didn’t want to put too much pressure on the last meal since we had so many incredible dining experiences throughout the trip, but this really was the perfect way to end it.

Unfortunately, our flight left at 9 AM the next morning, so we didn’t really get to enjoy a full Saturday night in Paris. Next time, we’ll definitely plan to fly out on a Monday. One thing that really surprised us was how kind everyone was the entire trip, completely providing the stereotype that French people are rude is false! Overall, it was such an unforgettable experience… even if I’m a little scared to check my bank statement, because Paris was definitely more expensive than the cities we visited in Italy.

Until next time!