There's no denying that Paris is one of the world’s prettiest cities, and its romantic waterfront and famous landmarks have taken center stage in dozens of TV shows and movies over the decades. Here are 11 of the city’s must-visit filming locations.
LessThere’s no shortage of swoon-worthy Parisian backdrops to enjoy in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, from the Palais Garnier, where she goes to the opera in Season 1, to the Pont Alexandre III where they shoot that perfume ad. (Sexy or sexist? You decide!) However, one of the most picture-perfect filming locations in the show is Montmartre’s pastel-pink La Maison Rose, a cabaret-turned-restaurant.
If there’s an Emily that should have been in Paris, it’s Miranda Priestly’s no-nonsense assistant, Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt). Alas, as The Devil Wears Prada fans will know, that wasn’t to be, and it’s actually Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs who makes the trip across the pond to beau Paris. There, she finally waves goodbye to her job, throwing her phone into the ornate Fontaine des Fleuves on the beautiful Place de la Concorde.
Before Emily in Paris inspired whimsical women the world over to move to France, we had Amélie, the film that introduced French actress Audrey Tautou to international audiences. Amélie was critically acclaimed at the time and has since become a staple of French cinema. In this charming romcom, Tautou’s Amélie Poulain works as a waitress at the Café des Deux Moulins, a real-life location in Montmartre. We recommend the crème brulée.
A longtime favorite of English-language readers in Paris, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore is already a must-visit for many in the City of Love. Situated on the Left Bank of the Seine, just a stone’s throw from Notre Dame, this beautiful book emporium also served as the location for the opening scene of Before Sunset, the 2004 romance starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Inception introduced us all to the concept of dreams within dreams and gave ol’ wooden spinning tops a real profile boost. While the movie Inception was shot in Tokyo, the UK, LA, and even Morocco, one of the most instantly recognizable scenes took place in Paris, beneath the architecturally impressive Bir-Hakeim Bridge. There, Leonardo DiCaprio and Elliot Page discover Page’s character, Ariadne, can manipulate dreams.
Sofia Coppola was granted unparallelled access to the sumptuous Palace of Versailles—former home of French royalty—to shoot her highly-stylized interpretation of Marie Antoinette back in 2005. Particularly notable is the ball which takes place in the famed Hall of Mirrors after Marie Antoinette’s wedding to Louis XVI. Of course this is far from the only cinematic masterpiece that’s used Versailles as a sweeping backdrop—Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Funny Face (1957) were also filmed here.
Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as Sebastian the jazz musician, and Mia the aspiring actress respectively, La La Land is perhaps best remembered for that Best Picture Oscar gaffe. But eagle-eyed viewers may also recall the scene where Sebastian and Mia are listening to live music in Le Caveau du la Huchette, a real-life jazz club in Paris’ Latin Quarter that’s known for great tunes and even better cocktails.
Art deco details and glorious stained glass have made Bistrot La Renaissance a filming location favorite for decades, but it’s perhaps best known for its role in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Not only can you visit the spot where Zoller shows up as Shoshanna’s smoking a cigarette, but you can also have lunch there—this popular Parisian place serves up traditional French food daily.
New York City may have been the famed fifth character in late nineties–early aughts favorite Sex and the City, but the shadow of Paris looms large in the fashion-forward series. Not only did Big meet Natasha there in Season 2, but Carrie finally moves to the French capital with Aleksandr in Season 6 and is seen wandering the Place Dauphine with him in a few scenes. However, it’s the Pont des Arts that true SATC fans will want to visit—it was there that Big finally declared his love for Carrie.
So, obviously Ratatouille is an animated flick about a culinarily-minded rat called Remy, so there are no actual filming locations to speak of. However, the popular Pixar film’s fictional Gusteau’s was most definitely inspired in part by Paris’ Michelin-starred La Tour d’Argent. (Not because they have rats in the kitchen though, thankfully.)