shelemm

I am not sure it would be comfortable for a picnic. There is no question of being 'allowed' since nobody will be up there to stop you. The only place to sit would be the cupola.

There are many religious sites around the world that do not allow photography as well as they impose many other restrictions. It is not about the flash.

menachem

The little square behind Sacré Coeur is perfect for an impromptu picknick: Square de la Turture

apersuader65

I can't say I've had a problem with dining establishments in Montmartre either. Granted, I'm not a "foodie" and certainly don't consider myself hoity-toity in any stretch, but I've eaten in all levels of establishments. I've been in groups two times that had a late lunch at La Marmite, a run of the mill cafe on the corner of rue des Martyrs and Blvd de Clichy. It's on the way from the church to the Pigalle metro where we caught line 12 to get to the river. Nobody expressed any concerns with the service or food quality, but nobody expected it the be Michelin starred either.

kerouac

Sometimes the people giving advice here don't understand that when you've been energetically sightseeing for several hours, a place that is "reassuringly ordinary" generally hits the spot and "fine dining" wouldn't even be properly appreciated.

anniegauthier2125

A friend & I spent the night at the hostel attached to the Basilica in Oct. 2021. We left the Basilica after Saturday morning Mass and had Montmartre completely to ourselves. We saw very few other people as we walked back to our group’s hotel near the cemetery. Very peaceful. A complete contrast to our visit to the Basilica midday the previous Saturday.

Enjoy, whenever you visit!

shelemm

Who said anything about fine dining? Or perhaps you don't understand how quotation marks work?

kerouac

What on earth are you talking about? And why? You don't like me, I get it. Let's just leave it there.

shelemm

Nothing personal, it's all about travel advice. My advice is to not eat on Montmartre, in general, because of what a tourist trap the restaurants tend to be. My own experience is truly lousy food combined with some hidden costs and horrific service.

Take Maison Rose, for example. I have no personal opinion, but if you look at Trip Advisor, you will see it gets 57 'terrible' ratings. Read some of them. Major complaints about the food, service, and upcharges. Typical, I'd say. Furthermore, if you take a look at their online menu, you will find that much of it is Italian and American food. Caponata, carrot cake, hummus, Calabrian nduja, and chicken salad. Really?

Meanwhile, you take a snarky stab at my post claiming that I am pushing people into fine dining, which I am willing to go to but my preference is for hearty French provincial cuisine.

shelemm

La Marmite is not on Montmartre. It is a flat walk from the Metro. I am advising the OP to avoid eating on Montmartre where the places are, in general, the very definition of tourist traps. In a way that is hard to imagine elsewhere.

And I have no idea why you are referencing Michelin stars. That seems to be the fallback argument every time. It is not the only alternative to eating on Montmartre.

kerouac

Can you quote me referring to you or your recommendations, shelemm? I'd like to see that.

I think there are plenty of anonymous reasonable places in Montmartre without choosing a tourist trap. I don't know why people always need to recognize the name of a place. If I were to eat in Montmartre (which I won't since it is only 5 minutes from home), I check the menu, the prices, the way the place looks, what is in people's plates if there are any customers visible from the street, how close it is to specific tourist sights. I do not take into consideration whether a place is full or empty because I am not a lemming. And I do not consult Trip Advisor in either English or French. French posters tend to be snarky and disparaging about the smallest details. English language posters love things too easily and then criticize the lighting in the restroom or the noise the kitchen door makes.

I am in Hanoi at the moment and have made no bad restaurant choices, just using my usual criteria which works just about everywhere I travel.

stokebailey

Love your criteria, kerouac. That method the best traveling solo or with one other not too hungry or crabby person.

We made our way to Sacré-Coeur late one evening on first arriving from the countryside, when the city felt unwholesome and dirty, threaded our way up past hookers trying to solicit my husband, through crowds sitting on the steps, guy with guitar annoyingly belting out a Doors song. Then, opening the basilica door: the heavenly sound of nuns practicing Gregorian chant. Suddenly, coming to Paris made perfect sense.

Jean

There are people who want a dining "experience" and those who want sustenance. One person's "tourist trap" is another person's convenience in the moment.

shelemm

Since I am the one on this thread advising against eating on Montmartre, then I am wondering what else could have prompted your comment. It is otherwise a non-sequitur. I certainly don't need to "recognize the name of a place," Notice the proper use of quotation marks.

As for your living proximity to Montmartre.... I know plenty of people, including myself (!), who are proud to live in close proximity to wonderful places to eat and do so quite often. Of course, that's your choice, but I will add that none of the reviews for Maison Rose are complaining about the lighting in the bathroom.

For the OP, the tourism on Montmartre is intense. You can eat better at Angelina in the Louvre than on Montmartre. I can't possibly say that every place there has a business model that takes advantage of the situation, but it is common practice to do so.
For my part, I had a reservation elsewhere and our plans got derailed. I figured, how bad can it be? The answer was really, truly awful. And sad. Perhaps the folks on Trip Advisor are wrong, but the comments fit in line with what I have seen personally, and are acknowledged by travelers I know that have had the same dismal experience.

And all of the comments on this thread that associate my attitude with Michelin stars or hoity-toity dining are flat out misleading.

shelemm

I have no idea why you are using quotes around a word, except as the pejorative.

I do like all kinds of experiences that are wondrous, enlightening, and reinforce the reason why I am traveling in the first place. I get that not everyone thinks that way, but the OP did ask for advice, and I am offering it.

I don't use the phrase Tourist Trap lightly. Montmartre is unique in that the people are there to see the neighborhood, which is chock full of charming-looking cafes and is indeed an amazing place to go. But it does draw an intense jam-packed crowd which can be unpleasant, and when you stop in at one of those restaurants for a respite, it can be doubly disappointing when the experience reinforces that you are just a dumb tourist to be taken advantage of.

I am no stranger to eating for convenience. Last time I was in Paris I went to the Louvre during a free Sunday, and it was also packed. But the cafe, Angelina, was deserted and it was indeed great (not just good). I think it was deserted because nobody was expecting to eat at the Louvre. Free Sunday draws in the cheapskates! And at the time it was in a location a bit hidden away. . Angelina is now back at the Louvre, though with a reduced menu that might not be satisfying. I also ate at the restaurant at Musee d'Orsay. Completely gorgeous to look at, but lousy food. For it's beauty, and to eat there once, almost worth it.

But the interior of Maison Rose does not look like anything special, and I advise against wasting a dinner there. And odds are that most other places on Montmartre are roughly the same.

bhuty

I've appreciated the dining advice/views from both Shelemm and K because I like a range of dining experiences. The most memorable eating moments are the ones that take you by surprise - but as a tourist sometimes you have more money to spend than you do the time to spend to find those unique experiences so you look for recommendations from others. I had heard that Maison Rose was a must do somewhere online so I just assumed as such - I'll be ditching that idea now

But while we're on this topic, I am planning on dinner at the Eiffel Tower. I know I can get better hoity toity food elsewhere but for 2 things - (1) I don't know where, and (2) I mean its dinner on the Eiffel Tower - location location location right??? If anyone wants to talk me out of this plan then I haven't booked it yet. Planning on level 1 restaurant.



BACK to the topic of going to the Sacre Coeur - this is not my religion but I'm thinking it could be nice to watch mass. Relevant to the original question is there a difference from a 7am mass to say a 6:30pm mass? in terms of numbers of people (I assume the ceremony is basically the same)

kerouac

There are so few churchgoers in France that on weekdays, mass is usually held in one of the small back chapels. Only on Sunday will they use the main area. This might be different in the summer when there are so many more tourists.

Funnily enough, the church in my own neighborhood (Saint Denys de la Chapelle) is often packed, because the congregation consists mostly of Indian Christians. Another nearby church (Saint Bernard de la Chapelle) has a big congregation of Africans.

bilboburgler

bhuty I've just seen that the https://darmima-restaurant.com/ has reopened, it used to be my favorite place with a lovely view of the river and the islands. The panorama seating area on the 9th floor of this astounding building is great for a cup of tea or a full meal. I've not seen the new menu so I cannot comment on it, but if the Eiffel is a bit "touristy" (not going to take sides on the correct use as different versions of English manage it differently and frankly English is sufficiently a "lingua franca" to have no correct) then this is a more special place.

Jean

I used quotes because I never quite know what people mean when they use these terms. (Another example: I don't know what people mean when they say a place is "magical.") No negative intent in my comment.

But carry on.

bhuty

This feels almost like poetry to me - I'm still trying to see through your eyes. Thank you

bhuty

wonderful, thanks again
... it didn't quote as per usual, i must have done something wrong - this comment is bilboburgler