The best places to kiss in Paris

7 February 2004 by BP Editor    2537  
We’ve all heard it before: Paris is the city of lovers. And it’s true. Everywhere you go, you’ll see couples kissing. Any why not? Paris is so beautiful that, well, what else can you do but kiss? Of course, the best smooches are spontaneous, but there’s no harm in a little preparation to make the moment even more memorable. With that in mind, here are some of Paris’s best places to kiss–and more!   Up in the clouds Except for the odd building here and there, Paris is no more than seven stories high. Unless you’re going to spring for a room at the George V or head to the top of the Eiffel tower with 2,000 other people, it’s hard to find a romantic rooftop view of Paris. That’s where the department stores come in handy.   La Samaritaine, on the Quai du Louvre has an entrancing view of the coffee-colored Seine. There’s a small cost to get to the terrace, but it’s well worth it. The best time to go is a Thursday evening in winter when the store is open late. Or, if you want to impress your sweetheart, book a table at Le Toupary (get it? Tout Paris) on the 5th floor of La Samaritaine; dinner for 2 with wine is about €120.   The view is less expensive (make that: free) from Terrasse Flo on the 9th floor of Printemps de la Maison. Go in summer and relax in deck chairs with a glass of wine as you enjoy a vista that stretches from the Eiffel Tower to Sacré-Couer. Play "pick the monument" between kisses. If it’s raining, head to Printemps de la Mode, and cuddle beneath the fabulous Belle Epoque dome of Brasserie Flo on the 6th floor. It’s hard to know what’s more breathtaking: discreet kisses or the thousands of pieces of stained glass that make up the dome. (Although I hope for your sake it’s the kisses!)   La Samaritaine 23, quai du Louvre. 75001 Open Mon-Fri, 9:30am to 7pm, except Thu to 9pm Saturday 9:30am to 8pm métro: Pont Neuf, Louvre-Rivoli, Châtelet   Printemps 64, boulevard Haussmann 75009 Open Monday to Saturday 9:35am to 7pm Thursday night until 10pm Métro: Havre Caumartin; RER A Auber; RER E Haussmann St -Lazare   Quiet mornings Place Dauphine, right in the center of the Seine on the Ile de la Cité, is usually bypassed by the crowds on their way to Notre Dame and other monuments. Which is a good thing, because it means you’ve got this lovely spot all to yourself. This triangle of tranquility was built by Henri IV, whose statue you’ll see nearby. Yves Montand and Simone Signoret lived in apartment overlooking this triangle of peacefulness for many years. Come here on a Sunday morning for coffee and croissants at one of the cafés that line the place.   Special nights I don’t think it’s possible to find a more enchanting spot at night than the Place de Furstemberg, a tiny square tucked back behind Boulevard Saint-Germain where the artist Eugene Delacroix once lived. Any time of year really is beautiful, but it’s best in winter, when the trees’ bare limbs show as stark shadows against the cream buildings. There are no benches here; they were removed to discourage homeless visitors, so you’re just going to have to lean against the square’s solo lamp. With its five lanterns, it’s one of the truly romantic symbols of Paris. If you can’t go, at least catch glimpses of it in "The Age Of Innocence." (Or catch glimpses of Daniel Day-Lewis, whatever takes your fancy!)   You’ll find another lovely place on the Right Bank in the Marais. Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine is a summer spot, mainly because it feels like an Italian piazza–especially with its strands of fairy lights. Cafés and small hotels reign supreme here, only a block or two away from Place Des Vosges, and the atmosphere is lively yet relaxed. For that extra dose of magic, take a drink at Le Double Fond, the magic café. Enjoy card tricks performed by the friendly staff on the terrace, then sneak off into the shadows for some serious snogging.   Place de Furstemberg (approach from Rue l’Abbaye) 75006 métro: Mabillon or St-Germain-des-Prés   Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine Between rues Ormesson and Jarente 75004 Métro: St Paul-le-Marais     Recreate Doisneau Not to get all kinky on you, but you’re going to need 3 people to do this right. For many, Robert Doisneau’s "Le baiser de l’Hôtel de Ville" is the one photograph that precisely captures the spirit of romantic Paris–a couple kissing on a café terrace while people stream around them, the splendid Hôtel de Ville looming grey and black in the background. Unfortunately, the café has long since disappeared, but if you take the métro to the Hôtel de Ville stop, you can line it up. Take a friend or get a local to stop–I dare you!   The Wall of Love Most people flowing in and out of the Abbesses métro station in Montmartre are in search of Sacré-Couer and miss one of the most touching things about this area: the wall of love. Designed by Frédéric Baron, who from a very young age collected the phrase "I love you" in various languages, the wall is ten metres wide by fourmeters high, and is made from 551 square tiles, reminiscent of the notebook in which Frédéric wrote "I love you’ in Portugese, Arabic, and more.   Le mur…
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By BP Editor