We feel this piece of writing is a long overdue one, as what you are reading happened right at the beginning of the summer 2022. In July, we joined a walking tour organised by Netflix to stroll around Paris visiting some of the most iconic sites filmed in Emily in Paris and Lupin. The guided tour lasted about 3 hours and we were taken to the Luxembourg Gardens, Panthéon, Notre-Dame, and of course where Emily lives and works in Paris as well as Gabriel’s restaurant. Here are some behind the scenes and history that we would like to share with you.
THE EMILY IN PARIS SCENES
We started at the Luxembourg Gardens (one of the scenes in which Assane Diop was chased in Lupin) and walked towards the Panthéon to reach Place de l'Estrapade in the 5th arrondissement, where Emily's apartment is located in the Netflix series. In fact, her apartment should be a “chambre de bonne”, a little bedroom on the top floor of a bourgeois apartment building. In the past, these types of rooms were intended for servants and can only be accessible by a staircase. With the cost of living in Paris nowadays, these rooms are most popular among students and people with modest income. Emily’s apartment, though a “chambre de bonne” on the outside, is actually too big to be one on the inside. By the way, do you see the little fountain? Behind it is the open space where Emily was confronted by Camille in a dinner party. Just nearby, you can also find Gabriel’s restaurant where Emily loves to frequent. In reality, it is an Italian restaurant.
LE CHAMPO & FRENCH CINEMA HISTORY
Before heading to Emily’s office, we arrived at Le Champo. In the series, it was Emilly’s Savoir colleague Luc who brought her to this arthouse movie theatre in Paris. This cinema is very popular among students (due to its proximity to Sorbonne), so much so that they were the ones who protested and saved the cinema from closure threatened by real estate projects in the 2000s. Because of their effort, it has been registered as a historical monument in France, thus being able to continue playing classic and national films to the public. If you understand French, this is the place to go; and if you don’t, it doesn’t matter. You should go either way to feel that classical/contemporary vibe.
SORBONNE UNIVERSITÉ & THE STATUE OF MONTAIGNE
We passed by the Panthéon and Sorbonne Université. As it was on the eve of Bastille Day, the national day of France, the national flags were all over the front of the famous mausoleum. Close to the Panthéon is Sorbonne Université and at the front you can find the statue of Montaigne made of bronze. Here is a known secret. He was a French Renaissance philosopher and an essay writer, which led to a superstitious belief in the eyes of the Sorbonne students that touching his right foot and greeting him “Salut Montaigne”, which means “Hi Montaigne", before an exam will bring good luck. See his bronze shoe being rubbed through the years by anxious hands? I can only assume the ritual works :D
After 3 hours of city excursion, we were finally at Savoir. Savoir is in a residential building in the courtyard of Palais Royal. This was also where the tour was finished. We weren’t able to get in, but we did go to many places that we don’t normally go. Credit to Netflix and the tour guide who made the city tour interesting. The guide did a wonderful job telling us stories and stories about Paris, Emily in Paris, and Lupin, we can only hope these tours keep on coming :)
P.s. you might like this unusual Parisian spot that attracts lots of visitors every year!
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