Ellen Hardy

If your idea of fun isn’t queuing for hours only to be ushered inside a cattle pen metres away from a glass box with a small woman in it, good news – Paris is overflowing with other masterpieces that every visitor to the city should see. There are so many excellent temporary exhibitions on here at any one time that it’s easy to rush past the extensive permanent collections at the Louvre, Orsay and Pompidou without paying them a second thought. That’s why we thought we’d pay homage to the objectively brilliant (but sometimes underappreciated) artworks that you can see in Paris museums and galleries all year round. These are the 25 best. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Paris

Paris is fabulous in the winter, when it shivers, but it can only be more fabulous with a warming hearth to return to after a hard day's wandering the freezing streets (a comforting hot chocolate or snifter of something special wouldn't go amiss, either). The bars and restaurants below will all welcome you around a cosy, flickering flame – and feed and water you to boot. So grab a good book or a good friend and get ready to go from 'brrr' to 'aahh'...Think we've missed a great fireplace in Paris? Let us know in the comments box below.Click on the arrows below to discover all the venues, or scroll down for the full list.

The Hippodrome racecourse at Longchamp, originally inaugurated by Napoléon III in 1857, has survived closure, war and bombings followed by a renaissance and total redevelopment in the 1960s. Through it all, the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe has captured the hearts of race-lovers in France and worldwide, and these days the full-on racing weekend just keeps getting bigger.Named for victorious soldiers walking under the Arc de Triomphe after WW1, the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe is the main event of a huge annual international racing weekend, certainly the most important in France. 17 races will take place in 2016 to audiences of 60,000 (and a 1 billion TV audience), with prize money across the weekend hitting the €9.2 million mark – €5 million of that for the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe itself, a classic mile-and-a-half race that draws the biggest names in racing from around the world.Naturally, the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe is also a high society event, with serious prizes also awarded to the best-dressed couples at the weekend (the Prix d’Élégance for Beaux Duos). Find a partner and dress your best for a chance to be snapped by the racecourse photographer and be one of the 20 couples presented to Parisian fashion ambassador Alexandra Golovanoff – the three couples chosen get some major prizes.For all the details of the Qatar Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe weekend, click here.  When? Sept. 30 - Oct. 1, 2017What? Paris’s historic, world-famous weekend of horse racing for v

It might not quite have the international clout of London or Berlin, but Paris is no musical slouch: from the legendary jazz clubs to the thriving independent and underground music scenes, plus some seriously sharp record stores, there’s everything here for the connoisseur. In recent years, the number of music festivals has mushroomed too – both French outposts of international big hitters like Pitchfork, and cutting-edge homegrown treats like We Love Green and Weather Festival. Covering almost any genre you like, each one is well worth a look, and perhaps a trip if you’re coming from abroad. Keep up to speed with the Paris music festival calendar and book your tickets below. Think we've missed a great Paris music festival? Let us know in the comments.

The sleek lines, subtle colours and bright, humorous prints associated with the design houses of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have many passionate fans across the world. Mid-century Scandinavian furniture also is very much in vogue, and quality antique pieces can command eye-watering prices (if you’re paying them, the boutiques below will happily oblige). But smaller and contemporary pieces combining beauty and cutting-edge practical design nous are also plentifully available in Paris, particularly at our favourite independent Scandinavian design boutiques listed below. Just don't mention IKEA.Think we've missed a great source of Scandinavian design in Paris? Let us know in the comments box below.

When? February 7 2016What? Thousands fill the streets for music, dancing and food, on the erstwhile Feast of Fools.Where? Various venuesIt’s come and gone from the Parisian calendar since it started in the 16th century to celebrate the Feast of Fools, but right now the Carnaval de Paris is in fine fettle. Relaunched in 1998 after a long hiatus, it takes the ancient ‘Boeuf Gras’ festival – a butcher’s costume parade – as its starting point. Cultural associations, dance troupes and local unions from all over the city don their very finest costumes and take to the streets and celebrate their brilliant multiplicity in the chilly days between Mardi Gras and Easter.Colourful, easy-going and increasingly popular (even if not widely known across Paris), the Carnaval welcomes thousands or participants and spectators and fills the streets for a long day of music, dancing, food and celebrations. The theme of the 2016 Carnaval de Paris will be ‘Le Monde Fantastique Aquatique’, so start sewing sequins to your mermaid costume pronto.For more information on the 2016 Carnaval de Paris, click here.

The massive Salon du Cheval de Paris, now in its 44th edition, is everything a horse lover could wish for and more. From miniature donkeys to the official search for the world’s most beautiful specimen of the Arabian horse, it’s official equine paradise at France's biggest equestrian event from November 26-December 6 2015. Held 25km out of Paris in France’s second-largest exhibition centre, the Parc des Expositions Paris-Nord Villepinte (30 minutes by RER, line B, direction Roissy), the Salon du Cheval de Paris features four major sections. Professional sports and competitions covers dressage, show jumping, those famous Arabs and more. Shows and demonstrations includes performance and theatrics. Health and wellbeing offers everything you could ever need to know about equine care, while training and sales offers education and commercial opportunities. With an action packed schedule across 10 days, that’s a serious amount of events and other horsy goodies to explore. Check out the official website and full program (in French) here. Tickets (from €8 for children to €48 for a family weekend pass) are available here, with places for the famous Nuit du Cheval (featuring some world-famous performing stallions) sold separately here.Click on the arrows below to view images from previous editions of the Salon du Cheval de Paris.

On 13 November 2015, our beloved Paris was viciously attacked, and the city is in mourning. All our thoughts are with the families of the victims, and everyone affected by the atrocities.Time Out’s role has always been to seek out the best of the city’s culture in all its diversity, to encourage people to go out, and to celebrate a joyous life full of music, restaurants, theatre, art, sports and much more. This we will continue to do, with more pride than ever. We join all Parisians in their determination to keep going, bruised but unbowed, and to continue to get the most out of their incomparable city.Bon courage à tout le monde.

’Bio’ produce is unquestionably on the up and up in France, with fashionable menus gasping to emphasise their additive-free meat, locally sourced veg and 'natural' wine lists. You might find that the craze for all things organic hasn't quite filtered down to your local corner shop, though, so in the mean time these lovely markets are a lifeline for ethically conscious cooks.

For a night at the top – both literally and figuratively – the bar of Montmartre’s Terrass" hotel is exceptional even by Paris’s standards. Yes, it’s had a swanky, contemporary new makeover, mixes expensive cocktails, and serves an above-average menu to its extremely well-heeled clientele in an atmosphere of velvet-lined chic. That’s all very nice, but can be found in endless permutations across the city. But nowhere else has this view. From the outdoor terrace to the window tables, the bar takes in the ranks of distinguished gravestones of the Cimetière de Montmartre below, swivelling up over a sea of undulating grey rooftops to the Eiffel Tower on the far left bank of the city, out towards the grassy hills of the Bois du Boulogne, while over your shoulder looms the sugary dome of the Sacré-Coeur. Even a properly blasé Parisian might take a minute up here to raise their glass to the ville lumière.

For a night at the top – both literally and figuratively – the bar of Montmartre’s Terrass" Hotel is exceptional even by Paris’s standards. Yes, it’s had a swanky, contemporary new makeover, mixes expensive cocktails, and serves an above-average menu to its extremely well-heeled clientele in an atmosphere of velvet-lined chic. That’s all very nice, but can be found in endless permutations across the city. But nowhere else has this view. From the outdoor terrace to the window tables, the bar takes in the ranks of distinguished gravestones of the Cimetière de Montmartre below, swivelling up over a sea of undulating grey rooftops to the Eiffel Tower on the far left bank of the city, out towards the grassy hills of the Bois du Boulogne, while over your shoulder looms the sugary dome of the Sacré-Coeur. Even a properly blasé Parisian might take a minute up here to raise their glass to the ville lumière. Elsewhere in the smart neoclassical building, there are gleaming suites done out in strong, clean lines and bright colours, equipped with Hollywood-style bathrooms and most mod cons. Times have no doubt changed slightly since the hotel hosted the likes of Dalì and Edith Piaf back in Montmartre’s artistic heyday, but it still offers the ideal base for exploring the neighbourhood. The white marble lobby is all funky seating and book-lined alcoves and pool tables, with ample room for weary shoppers and business meetings to coexist harmoniously. Overall, it’s a very luxurious propositi

This early 2016 opening from Thomas Loustau (the man behind Chez Graff) brings together his former colleague Guillame Cazier for the wine and chef Koji Tsuchiya (an alumnus of L’Astrance) in the kitchen. The dining room is generously proportioned, done out in dark wood and turquoise with a penchant for ’50s-inspired fittings that call to mind Don Draper’s New York apartment. The menu, however, is a determinedly contemporary set of creations drawing inspiration from multiple cuisines, while the wine list shows a strong interest in on-trend natural vintages.You choose from generous plates of ‘nibbles’ (Cecina charcuterie, perhaps, or luscious charred Padrón peppers), starters and mains, with the option of larger sharing dishes for two. A starter of king prawns and turnips came in a chilled and set savoury custard laced with dashi – both sophisticated and intensely flavoured. Another of octopus with colourful shavings of radish and sorrel leaves was light and bright, the meat tender. Our main dish to share brought a beautifully deboned and perfectly cooked whole pigeon with salsify, spring onions and a powerful hazelnut sauce, the whole artfully arranged around the plate. It’s all precise, intense, showman’s cooking, and there’s a high fashion clientele to match, adding up to a meal that’s guaranteed to impress. Service is competent rather than warm, and the bill can add up quickly – so better for business dinners, hot dates or parents in town than a night out with friends.

A neat cross between a neighbourhood bar and something rather more ambitious, Cazes stands out from the crowd without overdoing it. The welcoming canteen-like dining room around the semi-open kitchen could belong to any Paris café, but look closer – the blond wood bar, voguish lighting and lively wine selections scribbled on the windows suggest there’s something more going on here. And indeed, the daily tapas menu elicits a double-take: beetroot pesto? Dandelion soup? Beef ceviche with kiwi?The food mostly works surprisingly well. The flavours are kept bright, strong and simple, to make the small dishes pop. Caramelised baby turnips on a bed of strongly-flavoured salad greens was intensely dressed, while a warm slab of lamb terrine with a piquant bell pepper chutney tasted like an extra large and lovely meatball. That beef ceviche with kiwi even managed to persuade, the fruitiness and char creating a sort of tropical barbecue feel – a shame the whole was over-salted. Warm fresh bread on the side and a scoop of wild pear ‘tiramisu’ to finish – fruit and cream with a toasted crumb topping – all added up to a fun yet grown-up meal. The crowd is mostly young professional without being pretentious – and a crowd there is, with the one waiter and one chef run off their feet.Wine is mostly regional French, with astute nods to natural vintages, and a good selection by the glass. There’s also a dedicated menu for cheese and charcuterie – so if you don’t fancy kiwi, you can still have a

A porridge bar in Paris? Has Oliver Twist hopped the channel and taken up launching hipster businesses? Even with the vogue for single-dish restaurants and farm-to-table grains, it seems unlikely. And the precedents aren’t encouraging: while London’s hit cereal café started a wave of anti-gentrification protests, its version of a porridge café was short-lived. And that’s in a country that knows and likes the stuff.However, Bol Porridge Bar does something rather different, avoiding the Londoners’ brand of self-consciously ironic nursery food nostalgia altogether. Instead, this pocket-handkerchief-sized space is a dreamy slice of Scandinavian-inspired design, all pastel tones, blond wood, elegant grain-filled glass vessels and piles of interiors magazines. Breakfast porridge flavours are all warming fruit and spice, and can be made with soy, almond or oat milk on request, while jugs of water flavoured with star anise are set on every table. You quickly get the message that here, porridge is a sophisticated lifestyle choice. And you know what? We buy it. We particularly buy it at lunch, where a smooth ceramic bowl of barley cooked with coconut milk and topped with chicken, cashews, carrots and coriander is a comforting, sustaining delight, and a slab of oat-based banana bread comes richly studded with dark chocolate.Other grains featured include wheat and spelt in different savoury dishes, and you can also order to take away. Fresh fruit juices, a daily soup, beer, granola and b