Paris is to many people the most beautiful and romantic city in the world. The architecture both old and new, the spruce parks and squares, the timeless Seine, the café life and the people’s joie de vivre – not to mention dress sense – all combine to make the so-called City of Light a monumental, handsome and endlessly fascinating place in which to live and to visit.
Paris has more landmarks familiar to people who have never visited the place than any other city. As a result, first-time visitors often arrive in the French capital with all sorts of expectations and trepidations: of grand vistas, of intellectuals discussing weighty matters in cafés, of romance along the Seine, of sexy cabaret revues and of rude people who don’t (or won’t) speak English but will happily rip you off. If you look around, you’ll find all those things – there’s no doubt about that.
What to do
- Take one of the thousands of renta-bikes around the city (Velib) for 1 euro for 30 mins, fab way to travel esp last Sunday of the month when some of the Quais are closed to traffic.
- Stroll up Canal St Martin or even take the barge which brings you ringt up to the Musee des Sciences, Geode, etc and see the whole area of the 19th around the canal which is artsy. See Hotel du Nord (from the same film), visit Atmosphere, the cafe/resto on the banks of the canal
- Visit the Marché d’Aligre in the 11th arrondissement, one of the best, if not the best and very local fruit-food market, near Bastille and also near the Baron Rouge, fab wine bar, originally for market-goers/sellers. Oysters in season too
- Walk along the Arcades again near Bastille, Chemin-planté which goes up to Bois de Vincennes (also nice and very accessible place) visit the chateau too, beautiful
I think the shop in the Musee des Arts et Decoratifs is great. Lots of great books and amazing stuff. And the museum part is really good too.
- The Marais is great and is the only part of Paris that is open on a Sunday so it is worth saving that area for a Sunday. Today, the Marais is one of the few neighbourhoods of Paris that still has most of its pre-Revolution architecture. Examples include the oldest house in Paris at 3 rue Volta in the 3e, parts of which date back to 1292; the medieval one at 51 rue de Montmorency in the 3e dating back to 1407 and the 16th-century half-timbered buildings at 11 and 13 rue François Miron in the 4e.
- The Tuileries gardens are great too. There is always a carousel and loads of chairs to sit and enjoy the Paris sun.
- For an authentic hamman experience, visit the Hammam de la Grande Mosquée, a beautiful 1920s building, with a stunning green-and-white tiled square minaret inspired by the Alhambra. You can enjoy a steam session at a number of different temperatures in the exquisitely tiled interior of the domed hamman. Bear in mind that swimwear is compulsory, though your fellow Parisiennes may happily lounge around in bikinis. After you have sweated away some of your impurities, get scrubbed up with a gommage (an exfoliation), and then a massage. Afterwards, you can relax at a mosaic table beneath green foliage in the pretty courtyard of the mosque’s café and even smoke sheesha. The hamman has become very popular with the locals, so avoid the weekends because they might be particularly busy. The hammam is €15, gommage €10 and massage €10.
- Alternatively, the O’Kari hammam-spa is really beautiful and only for women; you are offered some oriental pastries and mint tea! (www.o-kari.com; 22 Rue Dussoubs – 75002 Paris)
- Paris flea markets are full of curiosities, from stained glass windows to Philippe Starck pieces and Eames chairs and even three-metre clock faces. Key stops on the market trail are the sprawling Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt, the quiet, tree-lined Marché aux Puces de Vanves (in the 14th; the smallest and friendliest of the Paris flea markets, and infinitely more tranquil than its much bigger sister at Clingancourt) and the contemporary design market Les Puces du Design. One of the few remaining flea markets where you can uncover gems at bargain prices on bric-à-brac stalls is the Marché d’Aligre. It’s where all the serious dealers go when on the hunt for original antiquities from across the country. But watch out for overpriced books and kitchenware. At the adjacent Marché Beauvau, you can stock up on fresh fruit and veg, groceries and meats to prepare a rustic French meal.
Centre Pompidou
The Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou (Georges Pompidou National Centre of Art & Culture; tel 01 44 78 12 33; www.centrepompidou.fr; place Georges Pompidou, 4e; metro Rambuteau) – the building with its insides turned out – is the most successful art and cultural centre in the world. An extensive €85-million renovation was completed at the start of the new millennium, with expanded exhibition space, a new cinema, CD and video centre, and dance and theatre venues, making it even more popular.
The Forum du Centre Pompidou (admission free; open 11am-10pm Wed-Mon), the open space at ground level, has temporary exhibits and information desks.
The 4th and 5th floors of the centre exhibit about a third of the 50,000-plus works of the Musée National d’Art Moderne, France’s national collection of art dating from 1905 onwards and including the work of the Surrealists and Cubists, as well as pop art and contemporary works.
The Atelier Brancusi, west of the main building, contains some 140 examples of the work of Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi (1876–1957) as well as drawings, paintings and glass photographic plates. An MNAM ticket includes entry.
Cimetière du Père Lachaise
Cimetière du Pèr Lachaise (Père Lachaise Cemetery; tel 01 55 25 82 10; metro Philippe Auguste, Gambetta or Père Lachaise), the world’s most visited graveyard, opened its one-way doors in 1804. Its 70,000 ornate, even ostentatious tombs form a verdant, open-air sculpture garden. Among the mortal remains of the one million people buried here are Chopin, Molière, Apollinaire, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Proust, Gertrude Stein, Colette, Simone Signoret, Pissarro, Seurat, Modigliani, Sarah Bernhardt, Yves Montand, Delacroix, Edith Piaf, Isadora Duncan and even the immortal 12th-century lovers, Abélard and Héloïse. One particularly frequented grave is that of 1960s rock star Jim Morrison (1943–71), who is buried in division No 6.
Palais de Tokyo
The Palais de Tokyo, on avenue du Président-Wilson, has long housed the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (Tues– Fri except public hols 10am–5.45pm, Sat & Sun 10am–6.45pm; free; M° Iéna/Alma-Marceau). The building is somewhat chilly but offers a perfect Modernist setting for the museum’s strong early twentieth-century collection. Artists such as Braque, Chagall, Delaunay, Derain, Léger and Picasso are particularly well represented, thanks largely to the fact that so many of them lived and worked in Paris. Many of the works were expressly chosen for their Parisian themes, so while the collection can’t rival the Beaubourg’s for prestige, it makes for a particularly fascinating visit. The enormous, marvellous centrepieces are Matisse’s La Danse de Paris; and Dufy’s mural, La Fée Électricité, which was commissioned by the electricity board and illustrates the story of electricity from Aristotle to the then-modern power station in 250 lyrical, colourful panels filling three entire walls.
The artfully semi-derelict western wing of the palace has been taken over by the Site de Création Contemporaine (Tues– Sun noon– midnight; €6; www.palaisdetokyo.com), a cutting-edge gallery that focuses exclusively on present-day contemporary art. A constant flow of exhibitions and events – anything from a show by Paris-born Louise Bourgeois to a temporary “occupation” by squatter-artists – keeps the atmosphere lively, and on Saturday nights after dusk there’s even a show of “fire arts” (fire-eating, fire-juggling and more) by the aptly named Burn Crew Concept. Curiously, the design of the trendy café’s floor, the giant photo-portrait windows and the neighbourhood garden down the palace’s western side, on rue de la Manutention, are the only permanent works of art in the collection.
Just beyond the Palais de Tokyo, on place de l’Alma, a replica of the flame from the Statue of Liberty – given to France in 1987 as a symbol of Franco– American relations – has been adopted by mourners from all over the world as a memorial to Princess Diana, following her fatal car crash in the adjacent underpass. You can still see the odd bunch of flowers, or graffiti messages along the lines of “Mexico love you Diana”.
Ste-Chapelle
Ste-Chapelle (Holy Chapel; tel 01 53 40 60 97; www.monum.fr; 4 blvd du Palais, 1er; metro Cité; adult/18-25 yrs €6.10/4.10, 1st Sun Oct-Mar free), the most exquisite of Paris’ Gothic monuments, is tucked away within the walls of the Palais de Justice (Law Courts). The ‘walls’ of the upper chapel are sheer curtains of richly coloured and finely detailed stained glass, which bathe the chapel in an extraordinary light.
Built in just under three years (compared with nearly 200 years for Notre Dame), Ste-Chapelle was consecrated in 1248. The chapel was conceived by Louis IX to house his personal collection of sacred relics (now kept in the treasury of Notre Dame).
Marais & Bastille
The Marais, the area of the Right Bank north of Île St-Louis in the 3e and 4e, was exactly what its name implies – ‘marsh’ or ‘swamp’ – until the 13th century, when it was put to agricultural use. In the early 17th century, Henri IV built the place Royale (today’s place des Vosges), turning the area into Paris’ most fashionable residential district and attracting wealthy aristocrats who then erected their own luxurious hôtels particuliers (private mansions) and less expensive pavillons (smaller residences). Today many of them house museums and government institutions.
After years as a run-down immigrant neighbourhood notorious for its high crime rate, the contiguous Bastille district (11e and 12e) has undergone a fair degree of gentrification, largely due to the opening of the Opéra Bastille back in 1989. Though the area is not the hip nightlife centre it was throughout most of the 1990s, it still has quite a bit to offer after dark, with numerous pubs, bars and clubs lining rue de Lappe and rue de la Roquette.
Mosquée de Paris
The central Mosquée de Paris (Paris Mosque; tel 01 45 35 97 33; www.mosquee-de-paris.org; 39 rue Geoffroy St-Hilaire, 5e; metro Censier Daubenton or Place Monge; adult/senior & 7-25 yrs €2.30/1.50; open 9am-noon & 2-6pm Sat-Thu), with its striking 26m-high minaret, was built in 1926 in the ornate Moorish style so popular at the time. Visitors must be modestly dressed and remove their shoes at the entrance to the prayer hall. The complex includes a North African-style salon de thé (tearoom) and restaurant and a hammam (tel 01 43 31 18 14, 01 43 31 38 20; admission €15; open men 2-9pm Tue & 10am-9pm Sun, women 10am-9pm Mon, Wed, Thu & Sat, 2-9pm Fri), a traditional Turkish-style bathhouse where a massage costs €10/20/30 for 10/20/30 minutes.
Musée des Égouts de Paris
The Musée des Égouts de Paris (Paris Sewers Museum; tel 01 53 68 27 81; place de la Résistance, 7e; metro Pont de l’Alma) is a working museum whose entrance – a rectangular maintenance hole topped with a kiosk – is across the street from 93 quai d’Orsay, 7e. Raw sewage flows beneath your feet as you walk through 480m of odoriferous tunnels, passing artefacts illustrating the development of Paris’ waste-water disposal system. It’ll take your breath away, it will.
Best Alternative Photo Op?
Belleville (20e), home to large numbers of immigrants, especially Muslims and Jews from North Africa and Vietnamese and ethnic Chinese from Indochina), remains for the most part unpretentious and working-class. Parc de Belleville (metro Couronnes), which opened in 1992 a few blocks east of blvd de Belleville, occupies a hill almost 200m above sea level amid 4.5 hectares of greenery and offers superb views of the city. Nearby Ménilmontant in the 11e, a solidly working-class quartier with little to recommend it until just a few years ago, now boasts a surfeit of restaurants, bars and clubs.
Shopping Ideas
There are great shops in the Marais
Mariage Freres (30 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Paris 4e, tel. : +33(0)1 42 72 28 11; 13 rue des Grands-Augustins, Paris 6e, tel. : +33(0)1 40 51 82 50; 60 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 8e
tel. : +33(0)1 46 22 18 54) is the ultimate for tea – founded in 1854.
L’Olivier (23, rue du Rivoli, Paris 4e) has great alternative presents ie Olive Oils for cooks!
Officially open Saturday to Monday 9am to 7pm – unofficially, from 5am – the puces de St-Ouen (M° Porte-de-Clignancourt) claims to be the largest flea market in the world, the name “flea” deriving from the state of the secondhand mattresses, clothes and other junk sold here when the market first operated outside the city walls. Nowadays it’s predominantly a proper – and expensive – antiques market (mainly furniture, but including old café-bar counters, telephones, traffic lights, posters, jukeboxes and petrol pumps). There are twelve individual markets, of which Marché Jules-Vallès and Marché Lécuyer-Vallès are the cheapest and most likely to throw up an unexpected treasure. What is left of the rag-and-bone element is strung out along rue J.H. Fabre and rue du Dr-Babinski, under the flyover of the périphérique. This area is packed with vendors selling counterfeit clothing and pirated DVDs, and alive with cup-and-ball scam merchants and the like.
Parisian Markets
The city is full of great markets, but my favourites are the Marché Bastille and the Marché d’Aligre – conveniently close to one another yet completely different in atmosphere. The latter has a village atmosphere, where you will rub shoulders with locals as they shop for every type of food from fishheads and tripe to organic bread and wild mushrooms. Less than a mile away is Marché Bastille, where you’ll find a vast, glorious feast as most traders offer morsels for tasting (dégustation) of every kind of food for free. As you munch your way through the happy throng you’ll find food for the soul and mind too as street performers and assorted, small, political manifestations (demos) are on hand to entertain and educate … d’Aligre: Tuesday to Sunday 7am-1pm, Place d’Aligre,marchedaligre.free.fr; Bastille: Thursday and Sunday 7am-2.30pm, Boulevard Richard Lenoir
Eating
These days you can find a host of places in Paris to eat inexpensively and extremely well – Lunchtime is the best time to find bargain set menus. Prices will inevitably be more expensive in the evening, but most of these bistrots offer a €25-30 set menu for dinner, which is still excellent value considering the quality of the cuisine.
Tips from Parisian resident Olibhéir Ó Fearraigh, Irish writer and journalist.
Chair de Poule
The name literally means ‘chicken’s skin’ but is the French for ‘goosebumps’ is a new tapas bar and restaurant in the 11th arrondissement (141 Rue St Maur 75011 Paris, tel 01 48 07 21 61; chairdepouleparis.com)
Le Comptoir du Relais
This restaurant is a brasserie by day and a gastro restaurant by night. The owner Yves Camdeborde, who was once part of Christian Constant’s team at the Crillon, was one of the first chefs to open a gastro bistro – This “gastronomique menu” is just great. Service staff is perfect, chart of wines interesting and decoration typically French bistro with Art Deco details and a little terrace very pleasant. Better book always crowed..
It’s is part of a 4 star hotel called the Relais Saint Germain, a fine place as well!!
5, Carrefour de l’Odéon 75006 Paris; www.hotel-paris-relais-saint-germain.com
Area : Saint-Germain-des-Prés / Quartier Latin
Robert & Louise
Chances are you’ll be seated with strangers. If you like your beef well done to the point of leather, you’ll be grossly disappointed. But what you get here is a typical Parisian restaurant – no frills, no fuss, no avant-garde cuisine, just simple, honest and beautifully cooked food that is some of the best the city has to offer.
64, rue Vieille-du-Temple Paris 75003; 01-42-78-55-89; www.robertetlouise.com
MY SUGGESTIONS…
L’Ebauchoir
The Quartier d’Aligre, not far from Bastille, is becoming one of the trendiest parts of Paris, and one of the earliest “neo bistrots” to open here was L’Ebauchoir. On the bargain set menu at lunch you’ll discover old-fashioned traditional dishes – roast guinea fowl, braised pork ribs and an irresistible crème caramel – while in the evening, the more expensive à la carte formula lets chef Thomas Dufour conjure up more inventive gourmet dishes. Wonderful frescoes decorate the walls and the friendly staff create a lively atmosphere · 43, rue de Citeaux; + 33 (0)1 4342 4931; lebauchoir.com. Set lunch, €15; dinner a la carte, €35-40. Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny
La Boulangerie
The Boulangerie has always had a strong reputation for both its tasty cooking and the romantic surroundings of what was a turn-of-the-century bakery. And since it was been taken over by the larger-than-life Nidhsain brothers, with Hassan in the kitchen inventing surprising dishes, and Nordin theatrically holding court as the maitre d’, a great time is assured both at lunch and dinner. For the evening, you must book a couple of days in advance, and after dinner, check out the nightlife in one of the city’s hipper quarters · 15 rue des Panoyaux; +33 (0)1 4358 4545. Set lunch, €19; set dinner, €30. Metro: Menilmontant
Les Racines
Chef Jean-Francois Debre has his own Rive Gauche gourmet restaurant, Chez Maître Paul, but decided a few years ago that he also wanted to open a more simple bistrot, with a relaxed atmosphere where people could eat well without always paying a fortune. And Parisians were obviously looking for this, as Les Racines is full every lunchtime, and was also voted bistrot of the year by France’s leading food critic, Gilles Pudlowski. You won’t find a prix fixe set menu here, as the chef prefers to concentrate on his different dishes of the day, a hearty meal in themselves. Expect classic favourites like blanquette de veau (veal stew) and slowly simmered beef cheeks, and for warmer summer days, red mullet à la plancha with olive oil mashed potatoes · 22 rue Monsieur Le Prince; +33 (0)143260386. Lunch, plat du jour, €12; dinner, a la carte, €20-25. Metro: Odeon.
Le Pre Verre
Le Pre Verre is one of the hottest addresses in Paris, combining a perfect Left Bank location with creative cuisine at exceptionally reasonable prices and a fabulous selection of wines from all over France. The talented chef, Philippe Delacourcelle, takes all the traditions of French cuisine and mixes them with Asian spices and cooking methods. So, as an entree, you may have an old-fashioned hure de porc, grilled pig’s muzzle, but cooked in a five-spices sauce, followed by tender cod braised with cinnamon, served on a bed of smoked potato puree. The lunch menu is one of the best deals in town, so reservations are essential · 8 rue Thenard; +33 (0)1 4354 5947; lepreverre.com. Set lunch, €15; set dinner, €29. Metro: Cluny
Chez Gladines
In the heart of the buzzing Butte aux Cailles, a village in the middle of Paris, this outstanding bistrot is one of the best budget eateries in town. The cuisine is 100% Basque, and the place resembles a country auberge. Prices are cheap, portions enormous, and the house wine is eminently drinkable. They don’t take bookings, so a crowd invariably builds up outside, drinking wine out of plastic glasses as the restaurant doesn’t have a proper bar licence. Dish of the day is usually a simple affair – poulet a la moutarde or hachis parmentier (French shepherd’s pie) – and their giant salads are a meal in themselves · 5 rue des Cinq Diamants; +33 (0)1 4580 7010. Lunch, plat du jour €10; dinner a la carte, €17. Metro: Place d’Italie
Chez Germaine
The trend of offering gastronomic cuisine at reasonable prices may be a new one, but several ancient bistrots excelling in traditional French cuisine have been hidden away for decades. Chez Germaine is definitely one of these, an intimate, romantic dining room of just 25 seats. Wonderful homemade terrines, tasty grillades of the day, and tempting desserts like papillon au chocolat. And Chez Germaine is one of the rare addresses where the set price menu doesn’t go up in the evening · 30 rue Pierre Leroux; +33 (0)1 4273 2834. Set lunch & dinner, €19. Metro: Vaneau
Georgette
Although it is worth reserving a table here just for the delightfully kitsch 60s design, the owner, Georgette herself, creates a surprising menu built around seasonal products, especially vegetables. She doesn’t have a set menu, and prices are not quite bistronomiques, but it is refreshing to see dishes like free range chicken roasted and stuffed with a seasonal aromatic herb (reine des pres), tender supions (baby squids) with homemade pasta, or a delicious garlicky brandade de morue (creamy cod mashed up with potatoes) · 29 rue Saint-Georges; +33 (0)1 4280 3913. Lunch, plat du jour, €15-18 (£12-14); dinner, a la carte, €40 (£32). Metro: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
Vins des Pyrenees
With the imposing Place des Vosges and its opulent palaces, stylish fashion boutiques and tempting antique stores, the Marais is one of the most seductive neighbourhoods of Paris, but it is not always easy to find a reasonable bistrot. Tucked away down a sidestreet, though, not far from the infamous spot where Jim Morrison died, is Vins des Pyrenees. This used to be a wine depot and none of the decor was altered when it was transformed into a bistrot. Don’t expect to find Basque cuisine from the Pyrenees, as the cooking here is classic French terroir, where the dish of the day could be a fillet of sea bream, and the house speciality is a massive côte de boeuf (T-bone steak) for two people · 25 rue Beautreillis; +33 (0)1 4272 6494. Set lunch, €15; dinner, a la carte, €30-40 including house wine. Metro: St-Paul
Un Zebre a Montmartre
Rue Lepic is a long narrow street that winds up to the heights of Montmartre. Sadly, many of the restaurants here are desperately touristy, cashing in on the evocative era of Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec, and menus offering soupe a l’oignon and boeuf bourguignon are to be avoided. But right at the start of the street, in the hip Abbesses neighbourhood, is the funky bistrot, Un Zebre a Montmartre. The cuisine here is light, Provencal, with dishes like tuna carpaccio or marinated scallops, and the interiors are a riot of psychedelic colours. Open until two in the morning, you can also just stop off for a drink · 38 rue Lepic; +33 (0)1 4223 9780; unzebreamontmartre.com. Set lunch, €15; set dinner €21. Metro: Abbesses
L’Ambassade d’Auvergne
The ‘Auvergne Embassy’, is the place to go if you’re really hungry; the sausages and hams of this region are among the best in France, as are the lentils from Puy and the sublime clafoutis, a custard and cherry tart baked upside down like a tarte Tatin (caramelised apple pie) * tel 01 42 72 31 22; 22 rue du Grenier St-Lazare, 3e; metro Rambuteau; starters €9-18, mains €14-19, menu €27; open lunch & dinner to 10.30pm
Les Dingues
You won’t read about Les Dingues – The Crazies – in any guidebook, and you won’t see any tourists here either, because this is a rare find – an authentic neighbourhood bistrot oozing with Parisian character. There are always a crowd of noisy regulars gathered at the bar, where it seems to be pastis-a-go-go all day long. The chef, Pat Basille, looks like a character from the Pirates of the Caribbean, but in his tiny kitchen he creates seriously delicious dishes like entrecote steak flambéd in cognac or ravioli poached in brie sauce, which are included on the very reasonably-priced set lunch and dinner menu. After lunch, discover the nearby Viaduc des Arts, an old viaduct converted into artisan ateliers and shops · 17 rue de Rambouillet; +33 (0)1 4345 3538. Set lunch, €15; set dinner, €20. Metro: Gare de Lyon
Sleeping
Hôtel Therèse 5 Rue Thérèse 75001 Paris 01 42 96 10 01
My choice of where to stay in Paris. A short walk from the Opera Garnier, this is one of the nicest boutique hotels in the city – and for a city renowned for its box-sized rooms, the rooms here are actually quite big. It’ll cost from €150 a night upwards, but it’s a terrific place. www.hoteltherese.com
Hôtel des Chevaliers, 30 rue de Turenne (3rd arrondissement); Metro Chemin Vert or St Paul.
in the Marais.. recently renovated.. near Place des Vosges, Bastille
http://www.chevaliers-paris-hotel.com/
Hôtel Jardins du Luxembourg, 5 impasse Royer Collard (5th arrondissement); RER line B Luxembourg.
near the Luxembourg Gardens and Pantheon.. on a quiet cul-de-sac.. only stay if a superior room is available as the standard room is not nearly of the same quality.
http://www.les-jardins-du-luxembourg.com/
Hôtel Saint Germain des Près, 36 rue Bonaparte (6th arrondissement); Metro St Germain des Près.
near loads of stuff.. Musée d’Orsay, Pantheon, Orangerie, Rodin Museum etc.
http://www.hotel-paris-saint-germain.com/
Going Out…
The Experimental Cocktail Club and the Curio Parlor
these bars, on opposing sides of the Seine, contrast with and complement each other: you’ll find the Curio Parlor in a street leading from the Seine into the newly chic 5th arrondissement, whereas the Experimental Cocktail Club inhabits the slightly seamier, eastern part of the 2nd. The former’s bestselling Experience 1 cocktail is a marvel with vodka, lemongrass, basil and elderflower cordial. At the Curio Parlor, take a dram of Nikka whisky, a burst of fire in the mouth that lingers long after the first taste.
• 37, rue Saint-Sauveur (00 33 1 45 08 88 09, blackbookmag.com/experimentalcocktailclub, metro Sentier or Réaumur Sébastopol). Curio Parlor, 16 Rue des Bernardins, (+1 44 07 12 47, facebook.com/curioparlor.com, metro Maubert-Mutualité).
Au Petit Fer a Cheval
In the heart of the Marais, this bar’s name means “little horseshoe” for the ancient horseshoe shaped zinc and marble bar that dominates the small interior. If you can look past the crowds, you’ll notice many charming antique details such as the patterned mosaics on the floor, old clocks, and the liquor bottles hanging upside down on ancient metal racks. If you can snag a seat outside, you’ll have a prime view for Marais is people-watching. • 30 rue Vielle du Temple, 4e.
Aux Petits Joueurs
Like a big friendly canteen, whose unpretentious menu avoids overpriced, undercooked dishes. Wash down their inexpensive confit of duck with apples and garlic, or fresh scallops à la provençale with an organic Côtes du Rhône, while listening to world-class jazz manouche (it’s the top Paris venue for this type of Django Reinhardt-inspired music). • 59, rue Mouzaïa (+1 42 41 23 80, auxpetitsjoueurs.com, metro Pré Saint-Gervais).
Les Mères Veilleuses
Just up the road from Aux Petits Joueurs, this utterly delightful bar is run by four Italian girls whom locals refer to as Drôles de Dames (what the French dubbed Charlie’s Angels). This is the place to go if you want to mingle with a genial clientele or if you’re a musician who’s looking for a gig (they have a very open-doors music policy and a little stage complete with a comfy armchair for acts who have imbibed too much beer during the course of their set). And it’s free to get in.
• 67, rue de Mouzaia (+1 42 00 44 12,myspace.com/lesmeresveilleuses, metro Pré Saint-Gervais).
La Feline
Any stray cats, lost rock’n'rollers or bemused burlesque girls should prowl their way to this backstreet bar because it’ll feel like a home from home. Psychobilly sounds abound and statuesque six-foot burlesque fantasies made flesh such as Juliette Dragon and Louise de Ville make regular appearances by the glow of burning torches.
• 6, rue Victor Letalle (+1 40 33 08 66, myspace.com/lafelinebar, metro Ménilmontant).
Chez Moune
Founded in 1936, the oldest lesbian cabaret in Paris has black tie hostesses welcoming you to an art deco extravaganza of chanson soirées, transvestite improvisation acts and tea-dances for girls, with female DJs Candy and Kristel playing funk rock and electro between the very walls where Edith Piaf and consorts once spent long languorous evenings.
• 54, Rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (+1 45 26 64 64, chez-moune.com, metro Pigalle).
Piston Pelican
This bar has worn many hats in its time: from the gaudy bonnet of a 19th-century brothel, to the 60s skinny brim fedora of the fill-your-own-bottle-from-the-barrel drinking den, to its present cocktail hat/motorbike helmet hybrid incarnation. The Piston Pelican is something of a cultural centre as well as a bar, with regular concerts, and short-film or documentary screenings. Try their Vodka Arrangée, where the spirit has been used to steep rhubarb – and has the tang to prove it.
• 15, rue de Bagnolet (+1 43 71 15 76, pistonpelican.com, metro Alexandre Dumas).
The Pin-Up
A pretty little lounge/bar run by bowler-hatted Lionel, an Oxfam-clad gent of knitted cardigans and stripy socks. It’s a slick mix of pale beams, scarlet Toile de Jouy tapestry and cocktails – try the famous Bubble, made with champagne, vodka and violet syrup – and has basement DJs playing electro to a steamy, intimate dance floor.
• 13, Rue Tiquetonne (+1 42 33 04 86, facebook.com/lepinup, metro Etienne Marcel or Réaumur Sébastopol).
Panic Room
The Panic Room belies its name with a laidback vibe. A well-stocked bar, with established and “newly discovered” cocktails, such as the Goum – cucumber, coriander, cognac and ginger – serves an eclectic clientele. With soul DJs on two levels, there’s comfy seating, spaces for dancing; rooms for private parties, acoustic concerts – and even bingo.
• 101, Rue Amelot (+1 58 30 93 43, tinyurl.com/klgbl2, metro Saint-Sébastien-Froissart/Filles du Calvaire).
And if you want to catch sight of John Galliano…
La Perle
A true mixing pot of Parisian locals – hipsters, artists, academics, and blue collar workers – make La Perle feel like a neighborhood bar until the evening, when it’s one of the coolest spots in the district. 78 rue Vielle du Temple, 3e.
Listener recommendations:
TEXT There is a lovely basque restaurant just off rue moufftard
TEXT Check out relais de venise in paris for a great dining experience. Steak is the only main course but it’s fabulous as is the sauce that comes with it. Gerry
TEXT George, taking my girlfriend to Paris this weekend. Your show couldn’t be more timely. Any tips on something to do that will sweep her off her feet? Tom
TEXT Used to live in Paris and found there was very little difference between flying to Beauvais or CDG, time wise for travelling into city centre.
TEXT Air France to CDG has no charge for a checked in bag & no booking \ card charge. You need to book a return trip & stay more than 2 nights. Caitriona
TEXT Best restaurant in Paris is Café L’Industrie which is located at 17 Rue Sabin, near the Bastille. Two course Meal for 2 with a bottle of wine for 50euro. Can’t beat the quality and value.
TEXT looking for a cheap hotel. B&B Calais for one night
TEXT Good bar in central Paris is Taverne de Cluny on Rue Harpe. Good Belgian beers for only a fiver. Recommend strongly for good value. Mj.
TEXT My girlfriend and I stayed in the Concord la Fayette a few years back and thought it was fantastic, great location and bar on 17th floor overlooking the Eiffel Tower was out of this world, a bit pricey but well worth it. Ron in Cork
TEXT Citidines located in Montparnasse, very good location and a wonderful bakery a few doors away
TEXT If you buy the Pariscope magazine from any newspaper stall, it gives you a list of all the events happening that week in the city. Costs about 50 cent kate
TEXT Stayed in Citidines ,very reasonably priced. Neil in bray
TEXT Apartments great idea especially with children
TEXT George going to Paris for the marathon in April looking for a good restaurant with good wine and food reasonable price . John
TEXT Hi george I’d recommend the Normandy hotel beside the Louvre. 4star decent size room clean and close to metro only 169 double room two nights karl
TEXT George I stayed in the Pullman hotel la reve gauche short walk to port du versaille
TEXT George Cortez K new art hotel Paris. Sean in Clare
TEXT George going to Paris in the morning, flying Air France, going to Eurodisney, any tips alan
TEXT Flew to Paris with Air France last year, as a poverty stricken student used to travelling Ryanair. Watched with open mouth as the flight attendants airily passed us Jameson and wine at no cost – I could get used to this life, damn I’ve been a student too long, and wow, what a city! Agree with Fionn about breakfast though! Nathalie Athlone
TEXT Hi george I’d recommend the Normandy hotel beside the Louvre . 4star decent size room clean and close to metro
TEXT Ibis have a great hotel there right beside a metro station, cheap and cheerful
TEXT Charges v high to CDG Paris. We love Paris
TEXT Hi are there any nice hotels near to the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre or on a direct route that you would suggest for July? Would you suggest St Germain as a good location? Thanks
TEXT Parc Des Sciences, fantastic! Great for kids, bit of a dodgy area….
TEXT Factor in €20 and 90 min on a bus when flying to Beauvais. Rich in Laois
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