Learn how to cook exquisite French pastry with a true
Montmartrois bohemian. This pastry kitchen/thrift shop is so well
hidden that most locals don’t know it’s there. Yohan Kim, aka
Monsieur Caramel, is from Seoul in South Korea, but came to Paris
to study art before retraining in fine pastry (our kind of career
change). After working in some of the city’s most prestigious
kitchens, he opened his own shop, offering made-to-measure pastry
ateliers. He speaks excellent English. Call or email ahead to
arrange a class (minimum two people; maximum four).

The steps in front of the Sacré-Coeur, with their amazing view
over the city, are usually pretty busy, especially in the middle of
the day. As an alternative, take a boulangerie picnic to the
lesser-trodden Square Marcel Bleustein Blanchet, just behind the
basilica. It’s a proper Parisian hangout, and you’ll often find
locals doing tai chi on the lawns, or reading on the benches. For a
hot lunch, grab some gourmet galettes from nearby Grenouilles (55
Rue du Chevalier de la Barre).

This quaint museum was once the studio of Renoir and the home
and studio of post-impressionist painter Suzanne Valadon, a
Montmartre legend whose workspace and apartment have been lovingly
recreated inside. There’s an excellent programme of temporary
exhibitions, usually with a Parisian theme. Make sure you head out
to the gardens, which back onto the famous Montmartre vineyard, for
a moment of bucolic seclusion.