Eurostar is running a feature on what to do with one day in Paris, so when they asked me to provide the morning portion of the article, I said, “Bien sûr!”

You won’t be hearing me tell day trippers from London to skip breakfast and head to the Louvre. Skip the Louvre and head to breakfast.

Now, a day tripper from London is a whole other animal than someone with a week or longer in Paris. Normally, I would suggest a leisurely brunch at one of these top Paris brunch spots. But with precious little time in the City of Light (and food, and croissants, and pastries, and chocolate, and cheese, and wine…), I’m suggesting a central place to feel immediately like you’re in Paris, followed by a straight shot to pastry shops and picturesque neighborhoods.

Here’s what I suggested:

Morning Coffee & Croissant

With just one day in Paris, you have to hit the ground running. Head straight to the 6^th where you can grab a terrace table at Les Deux Magots Café. Sure, it’s touristy and overpriced, but it’s steeped in history, oh-so-French, and has great people watching.

It’s a perfect Paris experience. Get a café crème to go with your croissant or a tartine with luscious Échiré butter. No time to linger? Grab a quick croissant au beurre from Gérard Mulot and be on your merry way.

You have two options next: North or south.

Pastries, Macarons, & Bread

For the foodies, heading south will land you at Pierre Hermé (macarons, Ispahan croissant, dessert pastries),

Poilâne (for its signature sourdough loaf), and Patrick Roger (the chocolate master).

A little further west, and you’ve got Jacques Génin (and the best caramels you’ll ever taste).

Wander North: Ladurée Macarons, Notre Dame, & Marais

Or opt to head north: Pass the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church up to Rue Jacob, stopping inside Ladurée for macarons.

Wander the narrow streets, making your way up towards Saint-Michel fountain.

Cross the bridge to Île de la Cité to gaze upon her lady Notre Dame before making your way up into the Marais, where you can wander charming streets and stumble upon stunning buildings, hidden gardens, and colorful cafés.

This should set any day tripper up nicely for the next most exciting parts of their day: lunch, apéro, and dinner.

Check out my part in the article here:

For more on what to eat on a day in Paris, check out the top then things you should eat in Paris.

For lunch and dinner, you can’t go wrong with any of these choices, and of course some of the best spots for eating and drinking are at these great natural wine bars.

Day trip from London? Jolly well.