Edouard Barbesol’s Hidden City Guide to Paris

Paris has been written about so many times that even the pigeons probably have memoir deals. However, few people see the city the way Barbesol does.

Edouard Barbesol sees it through the double-lens of a model and a filmmaker, someone who knows both how to be seen and how to see.

He’s spent the last five years in the 16th arrondissement, a neighborhood he describes as “quiet elegance tucked into the city’s rhythm”. Before Paris, there was Nice. Before that… well, pretty much everywhere. Modeling has taken him across continents, time zones, call sheets, and airport lounges. This has shaped the way he sees not just fashion, but people, light, silence, and the little narratives that happen when no one is posing for anything. Between flights, castings, and cinematic experiments, Edouard has slowly become the kind of person who knows exactly where to eat, where to wander, and where to hide if he was out too late in Pigalle the night before.

This is his version of the city, unfiltered and with just the right amount of chaos.

Paris, One Bite and One Sunset at a Time

Forget Michelin stars. Edouard says the real heartbeat of Paris is Bouillon Chartier. This buzzing belle époque canteen has waiters who move faster than existential dread. He says it’s his favorite spot in the city because it’s loud, overflowing with life, and completely unpretentious. “I’ve had some of my best nights here with friends with long dinners, laughter, stories flowing as easily as the wine” he says. Not fancy nights. Good nights. The kind where a stranger at the next table becomes your accidental dinner companion. Also, the wine tastes better simply because it costs less than your bus ticket home. “It’s the kind of place that reminds you how simple moments can feel timeless”

Then there are the moments that feel almost cinematic, like that date night on the rooftop of the Moulin Rouge. He recalls, “just after sunset, with golden light and music in the distance, a glass of wine and laughter made it feel like time had paused. It wasn’t planned, just perfect.”

For quick bites, he swears by the falafel on Rue des Rosiers. It’s best eaten on the go, walking through the Marais. For drinks, he always points people to The Bedford Arms in the 5th. He insists you simply stroll in and ask for a Marie Galante, no explanation needed. These places aren’t just recommendations; they’re scenes from his life. They are scattered across Paris like familiar landmarks in his own personal map of the city.

Where He Wanders for Art, Books, and a Bit of Peace

When he’s not filming or modeling, he loves wandering back into the Art Museum of Nice, his unofficial “comfort place.” He says he’s been so many times he could practically give tours. That’s part of the charm: “At the end of the visit you have this really beautiful view from the top. You can see the entire city,” he says. This view alone keeps pulling him back every time.

In Paris, his quieter rituals unfold around Librairie Galerie Louis Rozen at 8 Rue Lacépède. Here, books and art mingle the way he likes them: gently, unexpectedly, without fuss. When he needs to exhale, he drifts toward Île Saint-Louis. Its gentle quiet, small-village charm, and the sense that time runs a little slower there make it one of his most cherished corners of the city.

Where Paris Finds Edouard Barbesol (And Where He Finds Himself)

When it comes to Paris after dark, he admits Pigalle is his go-to playground. “I love this area to go out, there are so many bars,” he says. The neighborhood’s neon pulse is impossible to resist. Sundays, however, tell a very different story. If the night before in Pigalle wasn’t too wild, you’ll find him doing sports with friends in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Otherwise, he might bike or wander his way to the Bois de Boulogne to reset.

When he needs true quiet (not the soft hum of a park or the leftovers of a party) he slips away to a tiny studio he keeps in the 7th arrondissement. It’s a former chambre de bonne, a classic French single-room space historically built on the top floor for household maids. He rents it as an atelier where he paints or practices stained glass. Small, sunlit, and deeply peaceful, it’s the place he says he goes when his mind needs stillness. Also, his creativity needs room to breathe.

Edouard’s Takeaway: How to Enjoy Paris Fully

Edouard’s Paris tip? Don’t even try to pick a single must-do activity. You’ll fail. As cliché as it sounds, start with a stroll along the Seine, admiring monuments like a true tourist (or secretly like a local). Then wander the charming streets of Le Marais, stopping wherever your curiosity leads. When the lights come on, head to Pigalle and Montmartre to see the city’s nightlife in full swing. Paris is a playground, and Edouard’s advice is simple: explore everything, laugh at the little surprises, and never rush. This city deserves your time.

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Edouard Barbesol website