My Paris: A love letter to the city of light.
Paris in this season feels like it’s moving at its own pace: crisp air, soft light, and a city that suddenly becomes more intimate. Cafés glow a little warmer, and the streets feel perfectly made for long walks. It’s the moment when the city swaps its summer buzz for a slower, more elegant rhythm: exhibitions re-open, new restaurants fill up with locals, and neighborhoods feel wrapped in a subtle, unmistakably Parisian charm.
This Week, KHAMSA take you on a special journey to Paris with Yousra Mohsen (@yousramohsen on Instagram), a Lebanese dancer and creative force whose movement has become a language of its own. Known for blending contemporary technique with street dance influences, she embodies a generation of Arab creatives redefining presence, femininity, and artistic expression on the world stage.
She tells KHAMSA: “Paris has always felt like a whispered promise to me. A place where dreams don’t just grow, they blossom. It’s a city that holds you gently when you’re fragile and celebrates you boldly when you rise. My heart beats in two rhythms: Beirut, fierce and fiery and Paris, soft and luminous. And somewhere between these two heartbeats, I’ve built a life.“
Today, allow me to take you by the hand and guide you through my Paris. The cafés where my mind awakens, the flavors that bring me home, the streets where I fall in love with life over and over again.
Top Must-Visit Food Spots?
Mornings in Paris: Where the Day Unfolds Slowly
Café Pimpin — Montmartre (18ᵉ) 64 Rue Ramey, 75018 Paris
My mornings often begin here, in this quiet corner of Montmartre where the coffee is warm and the world still feels soft. The 18ᵉ has a heartbeat of its own: artistic, bohemian, a little wild and Pimpin lets me breathe it in gently before the day sweeps me away.
Off-Campus Café — Voltaire (11ᵉ) 18 Boulevard Voltaire, 75011 Paris
When I need calm, clarity, or the simple comfort of a good cup, I slip into Off-Campus. Sunlight filters through the windows, conversations melt into the background and my thoughts finally find space to settle. It’s where I write, dream, and plan the beautiful chaos ahead.
Lunch: A Taste of Lebanon, Served with Parisian Sunlight
La Mézéterie — (2ᵉ) 2 Rue des Petits Carreaux, 75002 Paris
This place is my Parisian refuge when nostalgia hits. The casseroles remind me of my mother’s kitchen, of Sundays in Beirut, of warmth and laughter. The street outside is vibrant and alive, but inside, I always find a little piece of home waiting for me.
Sweet Treats: Because Some Joys Are Meant to Be Savored Slowly
Roll in Bakery — Cinnamon Rolls (11e) 62 Rue Du Chemain Vert, 75011 Paris
Soft, warm and sweet like the kind of hug that asks for nothing in return.
Bachir Ice Cream — Montmartre (18ᵉ) 77 Rue Tardieu, 75018 Paris
Ashta, pistachio, rosewater… every bite is a love letter from Beirut tucked into a Parisian afternoon.
Chapon Chocolaterie — Mousse au Chocolat 36 Rue Saint Suplice , 75006 Paris
Here, mousse au chocolat becomes poetry: airy, intense, and undeniably French. A small spoonful of bliss.
Dinner: Evenings Filled with Flavor and Emotion
Em Sherif 134 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008
For the nights when I crave elegance with a heartbeat. The dishes hold the warmth of Lebanon, served with Parisian refinement. It feels like dressing up your memories and giving them a spotlight.
Il Sorrentino 4 Rue de Monttessuy, 75007
Chic Italian dining tucked behind the Eiffel Tower. Truffle pasta that tastes like romance. A place where conversations linger longer than the wine.
Nobi-San 58 Rue de Turenne, 75003
Intimate, soothing, and effortlessly elegant. A sanctuary of flavors: delicate, comforting and beautifully crafted.
Must-Sees: The Corners of Paris That Hold My Heart
Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur — 18ᵉ
Montmartre is where Paris still whispers to the artists, dreamers and lovers. Climbing toward Sacré Cœur feels like ascending into another world. One made of music, colors and old magic.
Les Puces de Saint-Ouen — The Flea Market
A treasure hunt through time. Vintage rings, forgotten letters, porcelain teacups… objects that once belonged to other lives waiting for new stories to join.
My Favorite Romantic Walk
Start at Trocadéro, where the Eiffel Tower rises like a poem against the sky. Walk along the Seine, feel the breeze, cross Pont Alexandre III — the most elegant bridge in the city — and drift into Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
It’s a walk for lovers… even if, sometimes, the lover is simply you.
Institut du Monde Arabe
A place that ties my roots to my reality. The exhibitions pull me in, the architecture inspires me and for a moment, Beirut doesn’t feel so far.
Rest Before the Night Out – Breathing Before the Spark
The Peninsula — 16ᵉ 19 Avenue Kléber, 75016 Paris
A sanctuary in the city. Their spa washes away the noise of the world, and their rooftop views are enough to make your heart sigh. I love getting ready for a night out here… it feels like Paris is putting on her jewelry right beside me.
Paris by Night: Intimate, Mysterious, and Undeniably Seductive
Crazy Horse 12 Avenue George V, 75008
Start your night with a spark. Crazy Horse isn’t just a show it’s a world of shadows, lights, curves, and illusions. Timeless, sensual, hypnotic. A true Parisian ritual.
Spootnik Klub 57 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003
A speakeasy with stories hidden in its corners. Good music, dim lights, cocktails that loosen the soul. Arrive early…magic doesn’t like waiting in line.
YOYO — Palais de Tokyo 13 Avenue du Président Wilson, 75116
When you want to forget time and dance. Every night there feels different: a new mood, a new rhythm, a new memory waiting to be made.
The Morning After: Healing, Paris-Style
Du Pain et des Idées 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010
A croissant that can cure anything … heartbreak, hangovers, homesickness, you name it. Pair it with an acerola berroca boost from the pharmacy, then let a Ban Thai Spa massage bring you back to life.
Before You Pack Your Bags…
- An umbrella (Paris loves its dramatic moods)
- Comfortable shoes (the best discoveries are made on foot)
- And your savoir-vivre, your chic, your quiet elegance. Paris notices these things.
Voilà
Bisous and enjoy Paris !!
A city doesn’t have to be perfect to be unforgettable, it just has to make you feel something. And Paris always, always, does.
