The New Paris Podcast

Following weeks of heavy state and police repression, shifting protest routes, and widespread civil unrest across France, the path forward remains deeply uncertain. Journalist and World War II historian Diane de Vignemont joins the show to break down what recent demonstrations reveal about state power, media framing, and the political tactics shaping the country's future. Mentioned: Diane de V...

Fall in Paris has brought a historic wave of youth protests. Starting in Créteil, high schoolers across France have taken to the streets for several weeks over abysmal conditions, overcrowded classrooms, and underpaid and often absent teachers. While mainstream outlets focus on student unrest, they often ignore a crucial component: disproportionate police violence. Joining me to discuss why the mo...

How did Vincent van Gogh become a household name? Enter Jo van Gogh-Bonger—the woman single-handedly responsible for his legacy, and the inspiration behind Jo Piazza’ s latest novel, The Parisian Heist . In this live recording from The Red Wheelbarrow in Paris, we sit down with the bestselling author to unpack her dual-timeline story, the mechanics of crafting a great art heist, her approach to wr...

In August, the cult-popular Parisian brand Sézane announced an aesthetic rebrand, a new direction. The reaction among consumers and critics was fast and fierce, and not overwhelmingly positive. I wondered what it signaled for the future of retail and commercial fashion, especially given my previous work reporting on the brand, so I brought back my former co-host, the fashion journalist Alice Cavan...

Coffee shops in Paris are exploding. In fact, a new one opens in Paris every 3 days, according to a recent study. That's a far cry from 20 years ago, when one cafe roasted and served specialty coffee: Le Caféothèque (which still exists!). What’s going on? Why has it accelerated, and can they all be considered specialty? Coffee roaster Mihaela Iordache , formerly of Belleville Brûlerie, joins m...

After writing the bestselling memoir A Waiter in Paris, Edward Chisholm is back with a much different kind of tale. He joins the show to talk about the fascinating story behind his latest book, 'Murder in Paris 68,' which explores the dark intersections of crime (the Markovic Affair), new wave cinema, and politics in 1960s France. Was superstar Alain Delon involved in one man's demise?...

Should chocolate be an everyday item? How much should it cost? How challenging is it to run a chocolate shop? All of those questions get answers with Jade Genin, chocolatière and daughter of Jacques Genin, whose shop on Avenue de l'Opéra in Paris approaches chocolate a bit differently. Mentioned in this episode: Jade Genin Jacques Genin Xoco   Maxime Frédéric Audio production & editing: Ma...

10 years is almost an eternity in the restaurant world, and it’s a milestone that Pearl Lee reached with her business, The Hood. The Singaporean has run a Southeast Asian, in addition to a bánh mì sandwich and donut shop called Nonette across the street. I recently traveled with her through Singapore, a truly fascinating multiethnic and cultural melting pot, and I finally got to see firsthand how...

By now you’ve been inundated with images and news reports about the record-breaking heat crisis that hit nearly all of Europe last week, impacting France the most. The intensity of that was the cherry on top of a particularly punishing local news cycle in recent months, especially for CNN’s Paris bureau chief Saskya Vandoorne . She joins me to talk about what we can learn from the heat wave about...

Next month marks six years, if you can believe it, since The New Parisienne was released. I’ve kept tabs on all the women I profiled and some have become dear friends. Among them: Ariane Bernard who, at the time of our first interview, was overseeing all things digital at Le Parisien newspaper.  I distinctly remember the moment I met her. I heard her speak with the kind of cultural fluency and hum...

Moving to a new city can be both exciting and daunting, especially when it comes to making new friends. Paris, with its rich culture and vibrant social scene, may seem like the perfect place to forge connections. However, many newcomers often find it challenging to break into established social circles. Jane Bertch, entrepreneur, author, and podcaster at GenerateHER, joins me to talk about how we&...

As you may know, chocolate isn’t created equal, and French style is very different from Belgian and Swiss confections. There are chocolate shops and pastry chefs who dabble in chocolate all over Paris, but within that network, there are clear differences in quality. Lisa Allen, a chocolate educator, pastry chef, and guide who runs Tarts & Truffles , joins me to talk about some of these distinc...

What happens when you trade fifteen years of working in law for a professional kitchen? In the case of today’s guest, you get one of the most flavorful and unique dining experiences in the city. Priscilla Tram , the chef and founder of Trâm 130, has changed the conversation about what 'personal' cooking looks like in Paris today. We’ll talk about her career, why Paris was finally ready for...

What if Made in France for crafts could be a form of activism? Paramaz ,  a leather workshop, boutique, and café, is doing just that. I'm joined today by the co-owner and creative director, Marianna Stepanian , whose journey from diplomacy at UNESCO and the Dutch Embassy to the workbench of a local craft boutique offers a fascinating look at cultural preservation in action. We discuss how she...

How does technology play into the paradigm shift the world is experiencing?  I'm joined by digital anthropologist, author, and public speaker Rahaf Harfoush to talk about resilience and how global interconnection means we cannot speak about the future of France without considering the impact of decisions made much further afield, by other nations. We discuss geopolitical shifts and innovation...

There is some relief to be shared right now for many Parisians— voters sent Rachida Dati walking and opted for Emmanuel Grégoire, formerly Anne Hidalgo’s first deputy, as the French capital's new mayor. The Socialist party has governed Paris for 25 years and the majority has spoken. But that isn’t the full picture. To give you a sense of what his win means, how many people really turned up to...

We are nearing the end of an era. Anne Hidalgo, Paris mayor since 2014, will soon be leaving office. And this weekend, we vote on her replacement. In fact, there are elections all over the country. But in Paris, there are changes to how that’s going to go down this year and who is likely to take over. I’m joined by Phineas Rueckert , a Paris-based journalist who covers politics and social issues f...

Almost two years ago, I met today’s guest on an art deco journalist jaunt around Greater Paris and have followed her work ever since. Maïa Morgensztern is a French art historian and culture journalist living in London but returns to Paris monthly, usually for an exhibition. Given how much has changed in the art world in the last year, I wanted to get her take on Paris vs London, the historical con...

Nearly 12 years I ago, I became a French citizen. Since then, a lot has changed. Most notably, the criteria for nationality have tightened this year. Given how many more Americans, in particular, are looking to move to France, I thought it was time to dig into the process, how it’s gotten harder and why — at least for everyone except George Clooney— and to do so, I brought on a friend of the show,...

Whether you have children or not, chances are you’ve heard that France’s childcare system is among the best in Europe, both in terms of public and private options. There’s the crèche, subsidized daycare, shared nannies, au pairs, and full-time Nannies who make, or should anyway, a living commensurate with their experience and hours worked. Since more and more foreigners are moving to Paris with ch...

To kick off season 10 a few days into a year that’s already turbulent, I thought I’d keep things lighter and more casual with a friend of the show. I crossed town the day after Paris was submerged in snow to chat with Jay Swanson, YouTuber and creator of Paris in My Pocket , about coffee in the city, the cost of things, pearl-clutching newspaper stories, and what we hope for Paris in 2026.  Mentio...

In continuing the conversation around the city’s culinary scene, the episode you’ll hear today comes directly from a panel discussion I was part of at The American Library in Paris with two very powerful voices in food that I’m proud to know. I was joined by Carina Soto Velasquez, the co-founder and owner of Quixotic Projects (Candelaria, Le Mary Celeste, and A La Renaissance), and Nora Bouazzouni...

What does it take to run a successful restaurant or several in a city full of them? Josh Fontaine, cofounder of Candelaria, Le Mary Celeste, and the newly opened A La Renaissance, knows something about it. He joins me to talk about what’s changed in the Paris food and beverage scene since COVID, the proliferation of concept-driven restaurants, creating longevity, and some of the details he’s most...

Almost a year ago, I launched a series on my newsletter called Leaving America, based on the multitude of reasons Americans opt to leave the country and why many of them, as it happens, end up in Paris. Through this series and my network of creative women in Paris, I’ve connected with so many brilliant Americans who have moved, want to move, or at least understand the desire to. That includes Susa...

Paris = luxury fashion, right? Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel are pillars of France’s soft power and legacy of craftsmanship. And they are among the most counterfeited brands in the world. That's part of what I learned reporting on secondhand luxury and authentication issues for Bloomberg Businessweek. I got to go behind the curtain at Vestiaire Collective , the leading French secondhand pl...