TALK
Paris City Guide
Ready for a fun-filled city guide? Join content creator Merys Berrada (@merystache) and her daughter for a day of cultural and kid-friendly wandering around Paris, with all the essentials tucked away in their printed bananas and inspired!
What do you particularly like about the Fauna café? Why have breakfast there with your daughter?
The Scandinavian ambience literally takes you on a journey, while at the same time making you feel right at home. The food is tasty and the drinks exquisite. Inaya and I are used to having the cinnamon knot, which is just as good as in Sweden, and a soft-boiled egg each, with of course a babyccino for my daughter - she loves them and you can't find them everywhere - and an oat latte for me. A special mention for the staff, who are always very attentive and efficient.
Café Fauna, 12 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris.
What are your favourite dishes at Bao Express? Do you have a story to tell us about this restaurant?
When I go to Bao Express, my must-tries are the aubergine hong shaho and the shrimp toast - a real treat! Once, for dessert, we ordered a mini chocolate bao, a small steamed brioche usually combined with savoury fillings.
My daughter Dalia eyed the dish with suspicion; she was convinced that it was a savoury dish and categorically refused to taste it, despite my assurances that it was indeed a dessert. After a few minutes of negotiation, her curiosity finally got the better of her. Her reaction was immediate, her eyes wide with pleasure and surprise. Since then, she still hasn't grasped that it's a dessert and orders it as soon as we sit down at a table!
Bao Express, 10 Rue Bréguet, 75011 Paris.
Le sac banane imprimé Paris-Tokyo in Blue Leaves
At first glance, you might not think that the Galerie Perrotin is a particularly kid-friendly venue. So why this gallery rather than another?
I'm often in the neighbourhood, and I usually drop in to the gallery to see the current exhibition (with or without my daughter), I particularly like the selection of artists, the courtyard is sublime and the rooms spacious, you can walk around easily with a pushchair, a real plus for a mum with a young child. There's also a bookshop with children's books, the perfect place to introduce my daughter to contemporary art, both through the works on display and the books available.
Galerie Perrotin, 76 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris.
Do you share your love of flowers and bouquets with your daughters? What do the creations of Atelier Ko inspire in you? Do you always compose your own bouquets?
I've passed on my love of flowers to my daughters from an early age, so I buy some every week and always have some at home! We love going to Atelier Ko because we find flowers that you don't see everywhere and the arrangements are always surprising, a real work of passionate artistry.
When I'm with my daughters, we usually compose our bouquets together, according to our tastes and desires at the time; I like to get them involved and see them select the flowers and colours, the result is always original and successful.
Atelier Ko, 5 Rue Pastourelle, 75003 Paris.
How did you discover the Miyam grocery shop? Why do you like shopping there with the kids in particular?
I discovered Miyam by chance a few years ago, simply by strolling around the neighbourhood. Since then, I've been going back regularly, particularly for the high-quality Savary flan and smoked stracciatella, which I find hard to find elsewhere. My daughters never miss an opportunity to go there, as there are wooden shopping cards available for the children, so they can help with the shopping while playing mum - they love it!
Epicerie Miyam, 82 Rue Beaubourg 75003 Paris.
Maxi sac de la collection Paris-Tokyo in sesame
Le sac cabas imprimé Paris-Tokyo in Blue Leaves
What makes the Square des Batignolles such a great place for a family outing? What are your favourite games and activities there?
This park is a real haven of peace, a perfect place to escape for an afternoon with the family, just a stone's throw from home. It's a popular place to take a stroll whatever the season. There are several play areas for children of different ages and the famous merry-go-round - it's impossible to pass by without taking a ride on it. It's been our little ritual for years with Inaya and more recently with Dalia.
The walk always ends with a little cuckoo for the swans, geese and, of course, ducks, of which there are many around the pond.
Square des Batignolles, 144bis Rue Cardinet, 75017 Paris.
