Let me start by saying that you won’t see The Louvre or to get to scale the monstrous Eiffel Tower that grazes the skyline of Paris, France. Although, the Paris I’m referring to has a much smaller version of of the famous landmark. The advantages of the town I reference are the people are totally friendly. Odds are, you fluently speak the language. Last but not least, the traffic is perfectly manageable, even at “rush hour.”

Paris, Tennessee is a perfect gem–especially when you spend the day in its quaint downtown. Be prepared to see one adorable shop after another in the court square. If you like Italian food, do I have the place for you!

It began as a simple follow of a gift shop on Instagram amongst my two sisters and I. After seeing their announcement about their Christmas Open House, we knew we had to check out The Iron Place. It’s easy to spot with its cute black and white striped awning and window displays that do not disappoint.

As soon as you walk into the store, you will be surrounded by one adorable display after another. Pillows with fun and unique fabrics. Table settings with gorgeous centerpieces. Shelf after shelf full of everything from Yeti products to Corksicle, tons of amazing candle variations, to Christopher Radko ornaments, to Scout bags, jewelry, clothing, lamps, furniture–and that’s not all.

The owner and staff couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful, and The Iron Gate is quite honestly one of the cutest gift shops I’ve ever encountered. Trust me, you have to check it out! Here’s their Facebook link, https://www.facebook.com/The-Iron-PlaceYoure-Invited-Too-137278349629123/, and look up their Instagram account too for some more gorgeous photos.

Our next stop was Stella Nera Bar & Bistro. Not only did it come highly recommended by a true Parisian, the decor is something out of Architectural Digest. It is absolutely stunning throughout the restaurant from the floors and wallpaper, to the lighting and bar, it looks like a luxurious restaurant you’d find in New York City. The ornate pizza oven, which was custom made in Italy, looks like a beautiful work of art.

You can order everything from gelato to a macchiato, from pizza to a tuna steak or spaghetti with mussels (which I highly recommend). The creme brulee was to die for, and you seriously don’t need to leave until you order one.

The owner, Fay, who is Italian, was so welcoming and friendly and made all her guests feel special. The service was great, as well as the food, and the atmosphere was on point. Upstairs, they have seating as well with a bar and live music on occasion. It has a very upscale club type feel, which is cool to see in small town like Paris. They even host special occasion holiday parties and will be having one soon for Christmas. You have to check them out at https://www.bistrostellanera.com/.

By this point in our afternoon, we had to get back to Cadiz. Doing France and Spain in a day was a lot! Joking, Tennessee and Kentucky are more like it. We all agreed we must do another Saturday soon and check out some of the other shops in Paris that we drove past but didn’t get to go into. Here’s a few that I’ll definitely hit next time–The Toggery at Bo & Co. Boutique, My Favorite Things, Jack Jones Flowers & Gifts, and Guinn’s Factory Outlet Shoes. There’s so many more cute shops that we saw and too many to list so you’ll just have to take my word for it and check them out yourself.

Au revoir and until next time! xo, Christy