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.