DAILY DISPATCH 004 (PARIS)

Valentine’s Day weekend in the City of Love

Feb 22, 2026

Last weekend, I could feel the Saint-Valentin vibes everywhere from boulangeries to bookstores. There were heart-shaped cheeses at the fromageries and heart-topped cappuccinos at the cafés. I saw a woman carrying a bunch of roses as she stood in line at Notre Dame. I spotted a man transporting a bouquet on the metro. It was Valentine’s Day in Paris, and love was in the air.

FRIDAY

I was so excited when I found out that my friend Michael—who has been living in Paris for the month of February (and was the impetus for me going to visit)—organized a food tour with Lindsey Tramuta.

In addition to being a star journalist, Lindsey is an expert in all things Paris food. I’ve been following her for years, and whenever I’m in Paris, I look at her Instagram for inspiration on where to eat.

Lindsey caters her tours to each group, and ours consisted of four stops around the Marais: for coffee, for pastries, for chocolate, and for cheese. Lindsey took us to places I wouldn’t otherwise know to go to, which meant that I got to taste things I wouldn’t otherwise have tried. It was as fun as I knew it would be.

Thank you Lindsey for such a special afternoon, and thank you Michael for making it happen 🥰 !

After the food tour, Valentine’s Eve was a mix of smash burgers from Dumbo and nightcaps at Nonsense, a jazz club in Montmartre.

SATURDAY

My morning began with a chocolate and raspberry madeleine from Ritz Le Comptoir. I simply couldn’t resist the little heart!!!!

I ❤️ VALENTINE’S DAY.

On our tour with Lindsey, we learned that the chocolatier Jacques Genin makes a handful of desserts on weekends, so we popped into his Left Bank shop to try our luck. We snagged two lemon tarts, and everyone got a bite.

For the rest of the afternoon, we wandered into cheese shops.

And bread shops.

And pastry shops.

There were art shops.

And vintage shops.

And even ice cream shops.

Later, we had dinner at La Boule Rouge and then watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle.

It was cold. It was rainy. But that didn’t stop anyone from celebrating.

SUNDAY

Another rainy day in Paris. But somehow, the mist made the city even more romantic.

I love having lunch at Café de l'Esplanade, where I met my friend Chloe for big green salads and crusty bread with Very Good Butter.

Later that afternoon—after a random run-in with the fashion icon Michèle Lamy and a quick coffee at Bonjour Jacob—I met more friends for pastries at Utopie.

We reconvened with the rest of the group for drinks at Mesures, a cocktail bar and jazz kissa in the Marais. I unknowingly ordered a drink that was actually a scoop of ice cream with liquid poured on top. It was coconutty and citrusy—surprising and delightful. I forgot to take a photo.

And then, the main event, RAYE!

She’s such a star, omg. The concert had me singing, “WHERE THE HELL IS MY HUSBAND?” at the top of my lungs, which felt like the perfect way to end Valentine’s Day weekend.

MONDAY

Classic Parisian balcony breakfast.

Classic sun deciding to come out on the day everyone leaves.

My train to London was canceled, so I found myself with a bit of extra time. I hightailed it to Pleincœur, the most charming bakery in Batignolles, for tarte au sucre and a Bag Baguette. (A Bag-uette?)