Beware the chocolate extravaganza

The Life: The first arrondissement is the best place to stay in Paris offering shops, museums and parks within walking distance.

The Louvre houses a dizzying array of European paintings and Egyptian antiquities. Alastair Miller / Bloomberg News

Q&A: Best and worst of Paris

What are the best things about Paris? A true European capital, full of beautiful architecture, museums and vibrant street life, with plenty of the city's top attractions within walking distance. The city's top-rated Metro system is ideal for seeing the sights. Paris is also a culinary hotspot with unparalleled options.

What are the worst things about Paris? The food is expensive, as is the rest of the city. Also, the gridlock on the roads can be infuriating.

When is the best time to visit? Spring and autumn are the best times to see Paris in order to take advantage of pleasant weather but without the crowds. Avoid June and July, when the capital is overrun by tourists, and August, when the entire city goes on holiday, making it difficult to get essential services.

No matter where your business takes you in Paris there is no better place to stay than the first arrondissement, home to some of the capital's best museums, gardens and fine dining.

A number of luxury hotels are located in this choice location, making many of the best attractions in Paris accessible by foot.

The Tuileries Garden, located on the banks of the Seine, has been carefully maintained for 500 years and is now the scenic centre of Paris' most famous neighbourhood.

Bordering the garden is the Louvre, one of the world's largest museums housing a dizzying array of European paintings and Egyptian antiquities.

A short walk across the Pont de Solferino brings you to the Musee d'Orsay, a former railway station now housing a famous collection of impressionist works including masterpieces by Van Gogh, Monet and Cezanne.

The museum is incredibly popular on the tourist circuit and currently has a special Manet exhibition.

Even if you have just a few hours to spare, a trip to the d'Orsay or the Louvre is an unforgettable experience, but beware of crowds, especially during the weekends in summer.

As befits the centre of Paris, a number of top-notch restaurants are located here including La Flotte, where I enjoyed a salad of heirloom tomatoes topped with cold lobster claw, grilled sea bass with risotto and some sort of chocolate extravaganza that nearly finished me off after the Paris Air Show last week.

Top 5: Top Five Things To Do

1 Musee d'Orsay

2 Tuileries Garden

3 Louvre Museum

4 Lunch on a Seine cruise

5 Cooking classes

The Quote: If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. Ernest Hemingway