The storyline of the show follows Emily Cooper, played by the beautiful Lily Collins, a bright-eyed, ambitious Millennial. Emily is a junior executive at a marketing company in Chicago and at a moment’s notice is suddenly whisked away to Paris for a new job with her firm. Having never been to Paris before and not speaking a word of French, Emily has to fend for herself without knowing a soul. The remainder of the nine episodes is an amusing romp about how Emily maneuvers the French customs, social protocols, codes of conduct, the rules about dating French men, office politics, and the complicated cultural differences.
One of the main attributes of "Emily in Paris," and also the second star of the show after Lily Collins, is the city of Paris. Not since the 2011 Woody Allen film "Midnight in Paris," has the city been so gloriously filmed. The exteriors of "Emily in Paris" were entirely shot on location. Although there are many familiar sites in the show, there are a number of more obscure and off the beaten path places that are not as recognizable.
We have put together a list of the key locations of the show with some history, fun facts and trivia.
Place de l’Estrapade
In the first episode when Emily arrives in Paris, she meets the handsome concierge who escorts her to up to her new apartment, a six-floor walkup with no elevator. The top floor apartment is what is called a chambre de bonne, a tiny room, which was used for servants to sleep in when the buildings were first constructed. Taking a bit of artistic license, the show gave Emily a full kitchen, rather than a hot plate and mini-refrigerator usually found in an authentic chambre de bonne, which measures about 150 square feet.
The apartment building, Maison Moreau, which was built in 1776 and is situated on Place de l’Estrapade, a quaint garden square with a fountain in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank/Rive Gauche.
La Boulangerie Moderne
Seconds after Emily checks into her apartment, we find her at La Boulangerie Moderne, a real-life bakery just a few doors away, tasting her first pain au chocolat. One of the secrets behind why the pastries and breads are so good in France is, because in order to be called a boulangerie in France, by law, everything must be baked on the premises. Bread, croissants, pain au chocolat and other pastries are continually baked all day and every few hours, so the products are always fresh. La Boulangerie Moderne won the award for one of the top 20 galette de rois’ (kings cake) in Paris in 2019, and it’s proudly displayed on the storefront window.
Place de Valois And Palais Royal
Emily and Mindy on the Place de Valois // Photo courtesy of Netflix
Emily’s office is tucked away on Place de Valois, near the Louvre, which is a clandestine courtyard lined with handsome limestone buildings. It was constructed in 1790, and named after the Duke de Valois, who lived in the Palais Royal, just across the street.
A number of the key scenes in "Emily in Paris" were filmed in the Palais Royal, including her first encounter with Mindy, after the children she is a nanny to, accidentally knock Emily’s lunch baguette to the ground, and also where Emily encourages Mindy to sing "La Vie en Rose."
The Palais Royal was originally named the Palais de Cardinal and was built between 1633 and 1639 as the residence of Cardinal Richelieu, who died in 1642—only three years after it was completed. The next inhabitant was King Louis XIII and future generations of French royalty, including King Louis XIV, Queen Anne of Austria and Philippe d'Orléans, who lived in the palace until 1793.
In 1784, the Palais Royal was transformed into the first shopping arcade and entertainment complex in Paris with 145 store fronts with clothing and design boutiques, restaurants and cafes, galleries and theaters. The Palais Royal became a major tourist attraction for Parisians and Europeans. Plans to launch the French Revolution were secretly made at a café in the Palais Royal, and on July 14, 1789 the revolutionaries symbolically stormed the Bastille prison.
On the northern side of the Palais Royal is the historic restaurant, Le Grand Vefour, where Emily, in an effort to impress her boss and an important client, thinks she snagged a last-minute reservation, only to embarrassingly be told she inadvertently switched the day with month, making the reservation for months later. Opened in 1784, Le Grand Vefour is one of the most beautifully decorated restaurants in Paris and has neo-classical architectural details. Today, the restaurant is owned by Guy Martin, who is also the chef, and it has received two Michelin stars.
Place Trocadéro And Palais De Chaillot
Emily at her first after-work event, filmed at Café de l’Homme // Photo courtesy of Netflix
When Emily is invited to her first swanky event, she shows up in a sexy, black strapless dress. At one point we see her dreamy eyed, viewing the Eiffel Tower when it sparkles. The location is Café de l’Homme, which is inside the Musée de l’Homme, the museum of evolution and mankind.
The museum is part of Palais de Chaillot, a cultural complex built in 1937, which has a spot-on view of the Eiffel Tower.
La Maison Rose
The scene before Emily embarks on her wild and troublesome night out with her friend Mindy, she has dinner at La Maison Rose, a Montmartre landmark. The adorable Maison Rose/pink house was opened in 1909, and local painter Maurice Utrillo captured it in a 1916 painting.
Just down the street from La Maison Rose, is where Emily stages her social media stunt by lounging in a bed outdoors, which is on the Rue de l'Abreuvoir and has frequently been named one of the most beautiful streets in Paris.
Pont Alexandre III
After Emily arrives at the location for a commercial shooting for a new perfume, she is a bit squeamish when she encounters a model strolling across the bridge wearing nothing but a pair of heels.
The above scene takes place on Pont Alexander III, one of the most lavish of the 37 bridges crossing the Seine River, which divides Paris into the Rive Gauche/Left Bank and Rive Droite/Right Bank. Constructed between 1896 and 1900, it was named after Tsar Alexandre III from Russia, who was responsible for negotiating the Franco Russian Alliance in 1892. The crystal lamps, cherubs and gold nymphs, exemplify the Beaux Arts design, which was popular at the turn of the century.
The four, 56-foot-high columns are topped with gilt bronze sculptures and reference the arts, the sciences, commerce and industry.
The Pont Alexander has served as a background for other films and television shows including an Adele video, the 1998 movie Ronin, the James Bond film "A View to a Kill," the Woody Allen film, "Midnight in Paris" and "The Sopranos."
Author Richard Nahem is also a private Paris tour guide. He was so inspired by “Emily in Paris” that he made a 24-minute video of all the locations listed above plus a few more. For more information, visit www.ipreferparis.net.
He has also designed a live, three-hour private “Emily in Paris” Tour where he takes the client to all the locations above and also treats them to a pain au chocolat at La Boulangerie Moderne. For more information, visit www.eyepreferparistours.com.
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