Last month, iTravel iShop headed to Paris for a girls' weekend. Our mission? To shop, shop, shop and eat well. Why Paris? It's one of those cities, like New York or Tokyo, that you never get sick of visiting, no matter how many times you have been there. We accomplished both missions, and found plenty of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants that we fell in love with. Although most of them aren't new, they were new to us, as they were suggestions from in-the-know savvy locals. While it's hard not to have a good time in Paris, these shops and restaurants made the difference between having a good girls' weekend in Paris, and having a great one.

Have you discovered a fabulous shop or restaurant in Paris? Write in and let us know: info at itravel ishop dot com.

Le Mariage Freres
Le Mariage Freres is the oldest tea importer in France and the company's shop and tea room in the Marais is sheer perfection. The décor is old colonial, with potted palms and waiters dressed in crumpled white linen suits. The store sells 500 varieties of tea in an apothecary setting but if you'd rather enjoy your tea at leisurely pace, sit down for brunch or proper tea. I sampled the delicate Sakura 2000 green tea as well as a green tea loaf cake made with mancha green tea. The loose tea leaves packaged in black lacquered boxes make ideal gifts. If you can't make it to France, a small selection of Mariage Freres tea is available at Williams-Sonoma.

Mariage Frères Le Marais
30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg
Paris 4e
Phone:  +33(0)1 42 72 28 11

Hotel de Crillon
The essential ingredients for a fabulous girls' weekend are eating and shopping, but where you stay provides the anchor for the entire experience. Our home base was the fabulous Hotel de la Crillon, one of just six remaining palace hotels in Paris. Its location in the Place de la Concorde provides a picture-perfect view of Paris, with views of the Obelisk, National Assembly, and tomb of Napoleon. The décor is traditional and glamorous without being over the top, and I wish I could steal the bathroom (which was all done in a soothing creamy marble) and install it in my own home.

Hotel de Crillon
10, Place de la Concorde
75008 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 44 71 15 Métro: Concorde

Cojean
After several hours spent prowling Galleries Lafayette, we were hungry and needed to refuel fast (not only because of an impending food emergency, but there was still more shopping to do). Just around the corner we found Cojean, a sleek and stylish little café that can best be described as an upscale Pret a Manger. You can order a custom-made sandwich or grab some pre-packaged but yummy food, such as a lentil salad with carrots and coriander; small curried chicken sandwiches; and ginger and cucumber water. A perfect spot for shoppers on the go.

Cojean
6, rue de Sèze 
75009 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 40 06 08 80 

Jean-Paul Hevin
The ratio of chocolate shops to people seems to be a 3 to 1 in Paris; it seems that every street has a little store selling chocolates. One of my favourite places to buy chocolate in the city is Jean-Paul Hevin. His shop and tea room features sleek display cabinets that would not look out of place in a jewelry store, and his chocolates have an in-store shelf life of just three days before they replaced. Hevin also sells ice cream and macaroons and some of his standout desserts include orange-ginger and fig caramels; dark chocolate ganache Pyramide; and a black currant shortbread biscuit.

Jean-Paul Hevin
231, rue Saint-Honoré
75001 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 55 35 35 96
Metro : Concorde, Tuileries, Opéra.

TooLuxe.com
Tucked in a courtyard near the Opera tube stop is the oddly named TooLuxe.com, formerly known as Le Stock. Think of this little shop as a mini Loehmann's or Century 21. TooLuxe sells men's and women's designer discounted clothes which are usually from a season past. We spotted loads of Moncler down jackets and vests; D&G suits, Valentino red bomber jackets, and stacks Prada sweaters.

TooLuxe.com
9 Rue Scribe
75009 Paris
Metro: Opera

Le Point
This little bistro is located in a charming square chock full of funky looking restaurants. What makes Le Point different is that its the brainchild of Alice Bardet, the daughter of super chef Jean Bardet, one of the top chefs in the Loire Valley. Alice has created a stylish and unpretentious bistro. We ate upstairs and sampled foie gras served with homemade walnut bread, a fig puree and honey; tuna steak in a satay sauce; and roasted figs served with vanilla ice cream and olive oil as well as the mango panna cotta.

Le Point
40, Place du Marche Saint Honore
75001 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 42 61 76 28:
Metro: Tuileries

Yumi Mazao
We stumbled upon this clothing store and was presently surprised with the cut and quality of the clothes- as well as the prices. Yumi Mazao stocks classic with a twist clothing for women. We spotted belted trench coats, knee length sweaters and racks and racks of sharp suits.

Yumi Mazao
7 rue Auber
75009 Paris
Phone: +33 (0) 1 44 56 04 37