Voulez-vous… dîner avec moi ce soir?

As longtime residents of Paris, we know that even with a carte de séjour and a mastery of la langue de Molière, it can still sometimes be difficult to overcome cultural barriers and find French acquaintances. So obviously it’s that much harder for visiting tourists to get a peek into the real France, and the locals who inhabit it.

Enter Voulez-Vous Dîner, a new twist on social networking which mixes travel, cultural exchange, and a home-cooked dinner with strangers.

The idea is that visitors to Paris (tourists, expatriates, business travelers) can connect with Parisian locals in their homes over a home-cooked gourmet dinner. Hosts are carefully selected based on several criteria, including their residence, cooking ability, cultural openness and of course, fluency in English! Hosts and guests sign up via the Voulez-Vous Dîner website and both are able to specify their areas of interest, providing assured dinner conversation topics.

So whether you’re a visitor to Paris looking for a change from the traditional French brasserie or a local Parisian interested in showing off your hospitality and mastery of French gastronomy, there’s just one simple question:

Voulez-vous dîner?

Your Paris apartment

You’re planning a trip to Paris and have consulted guidebooks and travel blogs galore.  What you’ve probably universally read is that the way to really appreciate the fair “City of Lights” is to experience it as a Parisian.  And what better way to do so than rent your own centrally located, decorator-designed pied à terre?

Newly renovated and full of amenities, this charming apartment in the 7th arrondissement is your perfect home base. In the heart of Paris and walking distance from almost everything worth seeing, you can be a Parisian (or at least pretend for a while).

The apartment is also a great place to get ready on your big day, away from the rest of the wedding party and snooping eyes!