11 Must-Visit Filming Locations in Paris

There’s no shortage of swoonworthy Parisian backdrops to enjoy in Netflix’s Emily in Paris, from the Palais Garnier where she goes to the opera in Season 1 to the Pont Alexandre III where they shoot that perfume ad. (Sexy or sexist? You decide!) However, one of the most picture-perfect filming locations in the show is Montmartre’s pastel pink La Maison Rose, a cabaret-turned-restaurant.

Keep reading: 8 Emily in Paris Filming Locations To Add to Your Paris Itinerary

If there’s an Emily that should have been in Paris, it’s Miranda Priestly’s no-nonsense assistant Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt). Alas, as fans of the film will know, that wasn’t to be and it’s actually Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs who makes the trip across the pond to beau Paris. There, she finally waves goodbye to her job, throwing her phone into the ornate Fontaine des Fleuves on the beautiful Place de la Concorde.

A longtime favorite of English-language readers in Paris, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore is already a must-visit for many in the City of Love. Situated on the Left Bank of the Seine, just a stone’s throw from Notre Dame, this beautiful book emporium also served as the location for the opening scene of Before Sunset, the 2004 romance starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

Sofia Coppola was granted unparallelled access to the sumptuous Palace of Versailles—former home of French royalty—to shoot her highly-stylized interpretation of Marie Antoinette back in 2005. Particularly notable is the ball which takes place in the famed Hall of Mirrors after Marie Antoinette’s wedding to Louis XVI. Of course this is far from the only cinematic masterpiece that’s used Versailles as a sweeping backdrop—Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and Funny Face (1957) were also filmed there.

New York City may have been the famed fifth character in late nineties–early aughts favorite Sex and the City, but the shadow of Paris looms large in the fashion-forward series. Not only did Big meet Natasha there back in Season 2, Carrie finally moves to the French capital with Aleksandr in Season 6 and is seen wandering the Place Dauphine with him in a few scenes. However, it’s the Pont des Arts which true SATC fans will want to visit—it was there that Big finally declared his love for Carrie.

Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Inception introduced us all to the concept of dreams within dreams and gave ol’ wooden spinning tops a real profile boost. While much of the movie was shot in Tokyo, the UK, LA, and even Morocco, one of the most instantly recognizable scenes took place in the heart of Paris, beneath the architecturally-impressive Bir-Hakeim Bridge. There, Leonardo DiCaprio and Elliot Page discover Page’s character Ariadne can manipulate dreams.

Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as Sebastian the jazz musician and Mia the aspiring actress respectively, La La Land is perhaps best remembered for that Best Picture Oscar gaffe. But eagle-eyed viewers may also recall the scene where Sebastian and Mia are listening to live music in Le Caveau du la Huchette, a real-life jazz club in Paris’ Latin Quarter that’s known for great tunes and even better cocktails.

Art deco details and glorious stained glass have made Bistrot La Renaissance a filming location favorite for decades, but it’s perhaps best-known for its role in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. Not only can you visit the spot where Zoller shows up as Shoshanna’s smoking a cigarette, you can also have lunch there—this popular Parisian place serves up traditional French food daily.

So, obviously Ratatouille is an animated flick about a culinarily-minded rat called Remy, so there are no actual filming locations to speak of. However, the popular Pixar film’s fictional Gusteau’s was most definitely inspired in part by Paris’ Michelin-starred La Tour d’Argent. (Not because they have rats in the kitchen though, thankfully.)

Dan Brown’s bestselling book The Da Vinci Code is widely mocked in literary circles, but there’s no denying that the film adaptation in 2006 was a commercial (if not critical) success. Of course, anyone who’s seen it will know that Paris’ famed Louvre takes centerstage in both opening and closing Da Vinci Code scenes. A must-visit anyway for first-timer’s in the French capital, this storied museum is also unmissable for movie fans in general.

Before Emily in Paris inspired whimsical women the world over to move to France, we had Amélie, the film that introduced French actress Audrey Tautou to international audiences. Amélie was critically acclaimed at the time and has since become a staple of French cinema. In this charming romcom, Tautou’s Amélie Poulain works as a waitress at the Café des Deux Moulins, a real-life location in Montmartre. We recommend the crème brulée.