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3e & 4e arrondissement
Le Marais
The historic soul of Paris — 17th-century mansions, contemporary art galleries and cuisine from around the world coexist in a maze of cobbled lanes.
Must-see
- Place des Vosges — the oldest square in Paris (1612), arcades and royal gardens
- Musée Picasso — a monumental collection in a 17th-century mansion
- Musée Carnavalet — histoire de Paris, collections permanentes gratuites
- Rue des Rosiers — the heart of the Jewish quarter, falafel and kosher bakeries
- Village Saint-Paul — inner courtyards full of antique dealers
- Centre Pompidou — just steps away, modern art and a view from the terrace
The neighbourhood vibe
- Morning — coffee at the counter on Rue de Bretagne, covered market
- Afternoon — contemporary art galleries, designer boutiques
- Evening — trendy bars, fusion restaurants, buzzing terraces
- Weekends — a festive crowd, endless brunch, leisurely strolling
Where to eat
- L'As du Fallafel — rue des Rosiers, la meilleure adresse falafels de Paris
- Breizh Café — upmarket Breton crêperies, booking advised
- Marché des Enfants Rouges — the oldest covered market in Paris (1615)
- Frenchie Bar à Vins — wine bar with food, no reservations, bistronomy
- Bob's Juice Bar — healthy food, breakfast, fresh juices
Shopping & Sorties
- Rue Vieille du Temple — concept stores, vintage shops, designer jewellery
- Rue de Bretagne — gourmet shops, bookshops, indie fashion
- BHV Marais — versatile department store, outstanding homeware sections
- Merci — iconic concept store with a café and bookshop
- Noctambules : bars rue de la Verrerie, clubs LGBT+ rue du Temple
Getting there
- Metro line 1 — Saint-Paul (heart of the Marais)
- Metro line 1 / 11 — Hôtel de Ville
- Metro line 8 — Chemin Vert (Marais nord)
- Metro line 11 — Arts et Métiers
- Vélib' — nombreuses stations rue de Rivoli et bd Beaumarchais
- Bus 29, 69, 76, 96 — cross the neighbourhood
🎨
18e arrondissement
Montmartre
The artists' hill — Picasso, Modigliani and Toulouse-Lautrec painted here. Winding lanes, century-old vineyards and a unique panorama over all of Paris.
Must-see
- Sacré-Cœur Basilica — a 360° view over all of Paris from the forecourt
- Place du Tertre — the street painters, touristy but a must
- Vignes de Montmartre — l'un des derniers vignobles parisiens
- Moulin de la Galette — one of only two windmills still standing
- Musée de Montmartre — Renoir's studio, the neighbourhood's history
- Espace Dali — 300 original works by the Surrealist master
The neighbourhood vibe
- Morning — silent and magical, mist over the cobbled lanes
- Afternoon — a tourist crowd around Sacré-Cœur, quiet on the way down
- Evening — wine cellars, jazz concerts, terraces on Rue Lepic
- Tip — explore the lanes behind Sacré-Cœur to escape the crowds
Where to eat
- Le Relais Gascon — giant salads, tartiflettes, fair prices
- Brasserie Wepler — Place de Clichy, classic Paris brasserie since 1892
- La Maison Rose — the pink house immortalised by Utrillo
- Rue Lepic — bakeries, grocers, everyday Paris
- Cave des Abbesses — vins nature, petite restauration conviviale
Getting there
- Metro line 12 — Abbesses (in the heart of the hill)
- Metro line 2 — Blanche (Moulin Rouge), Pigalle
- Funiculaire — from Rue Foyatier up to Sacré-Cœur (RATP ticket)
- On foot from Pigalle — 10 min uphill; prefer the funicular
- Bus Montmartrobus — a shuttle that winds through the lanes
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6e arrondissement
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
The intellectual cradle of Paris — Sartre, Beauvoir and Camus philosophised here. Legendary bookshops, art galleries and literary cafés since the 17th century.
Must-see
- Jardin du Luxembourg — the loveliest garden in Paris, the Medici Fountain
- Église Saint-Germain-des-Prés — the oldest church in Paris (9th century)
- Musée d'Orsay — just steps away, a world-class Impressionist collection
- Odéon–Théâtre de l'Europe — one of the great national theatres
- Rue de Buci — open-air market, cheese shops, wine merchants
- Musée Delacroix — l'atelier du peintre romantique, intimiste
The neighbourhood vibe
- Morning — breakfast at Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots
- Afternoon — bookshops, galleries, Jardin du Luxembourg
- Evening — fine dining, jazz cellar (Caveau de la Huchette)
- Overall atmosphere — elegant, literary, slightly touristy but authentic
Where to eat
- Café de Flore — legendary, pricey (€8 a coffee) but a one-of-a-kind experience
- Polidor — a bistro since 1845, classic and affordable French cooking
- Bouillon Racine — splendid Art Nouveau, affordable French cuisine
- Roger la Grenouille — vaulted cellar, generous bistro cooking
- Marché Biologique Raspail — organic, cheeses, charcuterie (Sun morning)
Getting there
- Metro line 4 — Saint-Germain-des-Prés (central station)
- Metro line 10 — Mabillon, Odéon
- RER B / C — Luxembourg (for the gardens)
- Vélib' — nombreuses stations bd Saint-Germain
- On foot from Notre-Dame — 15 min via Pont Saint-Michel
🍺
11e arrondissement
Oberkampf & Ménilmontant
The neighbourhood where Parisians actually live — natural-wine bars, bistronomy restaurants, underground gigs and a genuinely laid-back hipster energy.
Must-see
- Rue Oberkampf — the main drag, bars and restaurants as far as the eye can see
- Cimetière du Père-Lachaise — Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde
- Rue de la Roquette — art de rue, galeries alternatives
- Marché Bastille — the largest market in Paris (Thu & Sun)
- Cirque d'Hiver — architecture Second Empire, spectacles et concerts
- Passage L'Homme — emerging designers, artisan workshops
The neighbourhood vibe
- Morning — café crème at the bar, bakers, couriers
- Afternoon — sunny terraces, laptops at the café
- Evening — l'un des meilleurs quartiers noctambules de Paris
- Atmosphere — mixed, young, creative, truly Parisian
Where to eat & drink
- Le Servan — bistronomie franco-asiatique, l'une des meilleures tables du 11e
- Septime — legendary, book 2 months ahead
- Au Passage — natural-wine bar, small plates to share
- Le Rigmarole — creative cooking, house-made pasta
- Café Charbon — a lovely Art Nouveau brasserie, regular gigs
Getting there
- Metro line 5 / 9 — Oberkampf (station centrale)
- Metro line 9 — Voltaire, Saint-Ambroise
- Metro line 3 — Ménilmontant, Père Lachaise
- Vélib' — nombreuses stations bd Voltaire
- On foot from République — 10 min, ideal in the evening
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4e, 11e & 12e arrondissement
Bastille & République
A lively crossroads of Paris — the Canal Saint-Martin marina, the Bastille Opera, the Aligre market and the buzz of the 11th's boulevards.
Must-see
- Opéra Bastille — the modern national opera house, outstanding programming
- Port de l'Arsenal — pleasure boats and barges, unexpectedly calm
- Marché d'Aligre — the liveliest in Paris, every morning except Monday
- Coulée Verte — a tree-lined walkway on a former railway (forerunner of the High Line)
- Place de la Bastille — Colonne de Juillet, carrefour de l'histoire
- Canal Saint-Martin — 10 min on foot, locks and barges
The neighbourhood vibe
- Morning — the Aligre market, coffee at the bar, the smell of fresh bread
- Afternoon — Coulée Verte, Port de l'Arsenal, terraces
- Evening — dinner before a show at the Opera, bars on Rue de Lappe
- Weekends — the huge Bastille market, trendy brunch
Where to eat
- Marché d'Aligre — cheeses, olives, world specialties at tiny prices
- Unico — Argentine steak, retro vibe, a must
- Le Baron Rouge — legendary wine bar, oysters at the weekend
- Bofinger — brasserie Art Nouveau 1864, choucroute et fruits de mer
- Rue de Lappe — bars festifs, cuisine du monde abordable
Getting there
- Metro lines 1, 5, 8 — Bastille (station centrale)
- Metro line 8 — Ledru-Rollin (Aligre)
- RER A — Nation (eastern district)
- Vélib' — stations pl. de la Bastille et av. Daumesnil
🌍
19e & 20e arrondissement
Belleville & Buttes-Chaumont
Cosmopolitan, authentic Paris — Chinese districts, a North African community, artists and hipsters living side by side in the real working-class Paris.
Must-see
- Parc des Buttes-Chaumont — the most picturesque in Paris, cliffs, a lake, a temple
- Rue Dénoyez — couloir de street art, galeries alternatives
- Maison de la Villette — expositions gratuites, cultures du monde
- Parc de la Villette — 10 min, immense espace culturel et festif
- Belleville Brûlerie — a benchmark roaster, specialty coffee
- Maison Édith Piaf — a museum devoted to Piaf, booking required
The neighbourhood vibe
- Authentique — loin du Paris touristique, le vrai quotidien parisien
- Prix doux — restaurants and bars 30–50% cheaper than the centre
- Culturellement riche — China, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, it's all here
- Tip — come on a Sunday morning for the Boulevard de Belleville market
Where to eat
- Dong Huong — legendary Vietnamese pho, queues at the weekend
- Roseval — creative bistronomy in a zen setting, shared tables
- Aux Folies — retro brasserie, lively terrace, gentle prices
- Marché de Belleville — exotic fruit, spices, world produce (Tue & Fri)
- Lou Pascalou — legendary local bar, impromptu gigs
Getting there
- Metro line 2 / 11 — Belleville (station centrale)
- Metro line 11 — Pyrénées, Jourdain (village heart)
- Metro line 7bis — Buttes-Chaumont (for the park)
- Vélib' — nombreuses stations bd de Belleville
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17e arrondissement
Batignolles
The village within the city — an organic market, a leafy square, literary cafés and a small-town feel in the heart of the 17th. The favourite neighbourhood of bourgeois-bohemian families.
Must-see
- Square des Batignolles — parc anglais, canards, ruisseau artificiel
- Organic market des Batignolles — Saturday morning, the best organic market in Paris
- Rue Levis — daily covered market, food shops
- Cimetière des Batignolles — Verlaine is buried here, utterly peaceful
- Plaine de Jeux Clichy-Batignolles — a large recent park, an artificial lake
The neighbourhood vibe
- Calme et verdoyant — a bubble of serenity in Paris
- Very residential — peu de touristes, beaucoup de familles
- Gastronomie locale — local bistros, affordable creative restaurants
- Ideal for — families, long stays, wanting to live Paris rather than just visit it
Where to eat
- La Condesa — cuisine mexicaine haute gamme, cocktails
- Le Bistrot des Dames — leafy terrace, classic French cooking
- Organic market — an impromptu picnic with local market produce
- Café Péniche Antipode — a barge bar on the Canal Saint-Martin, festive vibe
Getting there
- Metro line 13 — La Fourche, Brochant
- Metro line 2 — Rome, Place de Clichy
- RER C — Pont Cardinet
- On foot from Montmartre — 15 min heading down to the west
🎭
9e & 18e arrondissement
Pigalle & South Pigalle
The former red-light district turned one of the trendiest in Paris — the Moulin Rouge, historic cabarets, but above all an explosive food and nightlife scene.
Must-see
- Moulin Rouge — the world's cabaret icon, book the show well in advance
- Musée de la Vie Romantique — a charming mansion, a tea garden
- Rue des Martyrs — the perfect shopping street, cheese shops, wine cellars
- Nouvelle Athènes — Directoire architecture, the 19th-century painters' quarter
- Divan du Monde / La Cigale — deux salles de concerts mythiques
The neighbourhood vibe
- SoPi (South Pigalle) — the trendy triangle between Pigalle and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
- Night — l'un des meilleurs spots cocktails et concerts de Paris
- Jour — Rue des Martyrs for an ideal shopping street
- Atmosphere — festive energy, a mix of tourists and Parisians
Where to eat & drink
- Dirty Dick — tiki cocktails, wild atmosphere, the most fun bar in the 9th
- La Recyclerie — a former station ticket office turned eco bar-restaurant
- Bouillon Pigalle — classic French cooking, tiny prices, always packed
- Cul de Poule — affordable bistronomy, a short, creative menu
- Rue des Martyrs — Jeusselin cheese shop, Legrand wine cellar, Sébastien Gaudard patisserie
Getting there
- Metro line 2 / 12 — Pigalle (station centrale)
- Metro line 12 — Notre-Dame-de-Lorette (SoPi)
- Metro line 7 — Cadet, Le Peletier
- On foot from Montmartre — 10 min en descendant la butte