You've seen the berets. You’ve seen the saturation turned up so high the Seine looks like blue Gatorade. But the question persists: Is Emily in Paris filmed in Paris, or are we all just looking at a very expensive green screen in a Burbank studio?
Honestly, the answer is a lot more "real" than you might expect for a show that feels like a literal cartoon. Unlike many Netflix hits that fake their settings in Toronto or Atlanta to save a few bucks, Emily in Paris actually parks its cameras on the cobblestones of France.
Most of what you see on screen is 100% authentic.
But there’s a catch. While the streets are real, the way they’re stitched together is basically a geography teacher’s nightmare. Emily walks out of her apartment in the 5th arrondissement and somehow ends up at her office in the 1st arrondissement in about three seconds. In reality? That’s a 30-minute trek or a sweaty Metro ride.
The Reality of Emily's Apartment and Gabriel’s Restaurant
If you’re looking for the heart of the show, you need to head to the Place de l’Estrapade. This little square in the Latin Quarter is the holy grail for fans.
Everything is right there.
Emily’s apartment building (No. 1 Place de l’Estrapade) is a real residential block. You can stand right where she takes those endless selfies. Just don't expect to see her actual room inside. While the exterior and the winding staircase are the real deal, the "chambre de bonne" where Emily lives is actually a soundstage set.
📖 Related: The A Wrinkle in Time Cast: Why This Massive Star Power Didn't Save the Movie
Think about it. A real Parisian maid's room is roughly the size of a shoebox. You couldn't fit a lighting rig in there, let alone Lily Collins and a full camera crew.
Right across the square, you’ll find Gabriel’s restaurant. In the show, it's Les Deux Compères (or L'Esprit de Gigi in Season 4). In real life? It’s an Italian bistro called Terra Nera. They serve pasta, not steak au poivre, but the red facade is unmistakable. And yes, the bakery where Emily buys her first pain au chocolat is right next door. It’s called La Boulangerie Moderne, and the pastries are actually better than they look on TV.
Why Season 4 Changed Everything
By the time we hit the later seasons, the production started getting restless. Is Emily in Paris filmed in Paris exclusively? Not anymore.
Season 4 took a massive detour.
Suddenly, Emily is zipping around Rome on a Vespa. The production team actually moved shop to Italy for the final episodes of the season. We’re talking the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the Spanish Steps. These aren't sets built at Cinecittà; the crew really filmed in the middle of Roman tourist traps at 4:00 AM to avoid the crowds.
They also headed to the French Alps. The snowy scenes in the Christmas episode were filmed in Megève, a posh ski resort that makes Emily's usual Parisian life look like a budget holiday.
👉 See also: Cuba Gooding Jr OJ: Why the Performance Everyone Hated Was Actually Genius
Locations You Can Actually Visit
- Place de Valois: This is where the Savoir (now Agence Grateau) offices are located. It’s a quiet, chic courtyard tucked away near the Louvre.
- Jardin du Palais Royal: The green benches where Emily and Mindy first met. Look for the one with the Jean Cocteau quote—it’s actually there.
- Pont Alexandre III: The site of the (very controversial) perfume commercial in Season 1. It is arguably the most beautiful bridge in the city.
- Le Grand Véfour: That Michelin-starred restaurant where Emily fails to get a reservation? It’s one of the oldest and most ornate dining rooms in Paris.
The Studio Secrets Nobody Tells You
So, if the streets are real, what’s fake?
The interiors of the Agence Grateau offices are built on a soundstage at the Cité du Cinéma in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris. When you see Sylvie looking out her window at the Place de Valois, she’s actually looking at a very high-resolution backdrop or a green screen.
The same goes for most of the apartment interiors. Real Parisian apartments are notoriously loud, cramped, and have terrible light. Filming on a set gives the designers the freedom to make Emily's world look as "Vogue" as possible.
The show also uses a lot of "location cheating." In Season 2, when they go to Saint-Tropez, they actually filmed a lot of those scenes in Villefranche-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. It looks similar to the untrained eye, but locals know the difference immediately.
Does the "Emily Effect" Ruin the Locations?
There is a bit of a debate among Parisians.
The Place de l’Estrapade used to be a sleepy little corner for students from the nearby Sorbonne. Now? It’s a constant stream of influencers in pink berets. Terra Nera has had to change how they operate just to handle the "Emily" fans who want a photo but don't want to buy dinner.
✨ Don't miss: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
Even Giverny—where they filmed at Claude Monet’s House and Gardens in Season 4—saw a spike in interest. Interestingly, because they filmed there during the off-season, the crew had to "fudge" the flowers. They actually used silk blossoms and fake wisteria to make it look like spring when it was actually quite chilly.
Practical Steps for Your Own Emily-Inspired Trip
If you're planning to hunt down these spots, here’s how to do it without being a "ringarde":
- Go Early: If you want a photo at La Maison Rose in Montmartre (the pink restaurant), arrive at sunrise. By 10:00 AM, there’s a line.
- Be Respectful: Remember that No. 1 Place de l’Estrapade is a private residence. People actually live there. Don't block the doorway.
- Eat at the "Fake" Gabriel's: Go to Terra Nera for the experience, but make a reservation. It’s small and fills up fast with fans.
- Check the Arrondissement: Most of the show is filmed in the 1st, 5th, and 6th arrondissements. You can see 80% of the major spots just by walking through these three areas.
The show might be a fantasy, but the city is the real star. Whether you love the plot or hate-watch the fashion, you can't deny that seeing the real Paris—even through a neon-pink filter—is part of the magic.
Just don't expect to find a hot chef living under your apartment. That part is definitely fiction.
Next Steps for Your Research
To see these spots for yourself, you should check out the official Paris Film Office maps which often list permit locations for major Netflix productions. You can also use Google Street View to compare the real Place de Valois with the "Savoir" courtyard to see exactly how much the set designers tweaked the reality of the architecture.