Paris recommendations?
 

To celebrate a milestone birthday, we've just booked an apartment in the 11th arrondissement/Paris for a month-long stay from mid-May to mid-June. We would be very appreciative of recommendations for those delightful and surprising places and things to do that we often encounter during our travels that are never in the guidebooks. Restaurants, shops, little out-of-the-way museums and cultural events, etc... We've been to Paris a few times before, so we've seen most of the major attractions and I'm sure we'll visit many of these again. But it's often the unexpected places and activities that are the most memorable and just plain fun. We're getting older, sigh, but are still fit and can handle most anything!

We're also interested in taking several walking tours through the arrondissements - so recommendations about a particularly good outfit for this would also be welcome.

Many thanks in advance for sharing whatever you care to.

In the back row of the Marché des Enfants Rouges at 39 Rue de Bretagne you will find Alain putting together the most delicious wrap you have ever encountered. All organic, fresh buckwheat crepe, pure heaven. https://www.facebook.com/ChezAlainMiamMiam

One thing we never miss is Richard Lenoir Market P]ace Bastille

Thus, and Sundays

Where in the 11th?

I would recommend getting some fresh pasta from Pastaficio Passerini. http://www.passerini.paris/

Kerouac, a superbly curious Paris explorer and frequent contributor to this forum, has posted many enticing photo explorations. You can use the Search the Forums function to find links to his photo-essays.

Hi f1racegirl - the apt is on the Av de la Republique, between the Parmentier and Rue St. Maur metro stops.

Thanks for these suggestions; they are just what I was hoping for!

Well, Paris to the Past is a book chock full of day trips by train from Paris. Check that out.

In and around Paris, if you have never been to St Denis (burial place of French kings), I recommend that.

It took me several trips to finally get to Musee Marmottan in Passy. If you like Monet, it's worth the trip up and it's in a beautiful area of Paris.

On our last trip, we enjoyed the food tour of St Germain by Paris by Mouth---amazing cheeses we had never heard of, wine, chocolate and creme puffs filled on the spot at Maison de Chou.

I'm celebrating a milestone birthday in Paris in just a few weeks! How wonderful that you get to stay a month!

Here are some of our favorite restaurants:
Frenchie (and the more casual Frenchie for lunch)
Spring
Semilla
Maitre Ateleir Albert

Something we did on our last (third) trip to Paris was a day trip to Normandie. It was so amazing! We rented a car and enjoyed the day thoroughly. I highly recommend this if you haven't previously been to the area.

On a nice day a visit to Park Buttes Chaumont.. its so beautiful.. I had been to Paris many times and yet it was my first visit there last summer.. why did I wait so long.

You may have already visited it.. but I will suggest the Shoah Museum.. ( not the same as the Memorial ) .. its very moving. Its free.. and quiet .. and as I said.. very moving.

You will be staying not far from a wonderful chocolatier - À la Petite Fabrique at 12 Rue Saint-Sabin. Behind the unassuming storefront is a wonderful mom and pop operation, not a corporate or chain store. Visit early in your stay as you will want to return multiple times!

One night when you are wandering across the Seine plan a relaxed dinner at Le Cosi at 9 rue Cujas at the corner of rue Toullier in the 5th, just about 2 blocks up rue Cujas from Blvd Saint-Michel. Looks like their website is in limbo but they are still active (in French) on facebook. Excellent food and warm service, moderate prices.

Wonderful suggestions! Thanks to all who replied. We appreciate it!

15€ per person, very good - http://www.paris-walks.com/index_m.html

Customized tours, donation suggested, must reserve at least 2 weeks ahead- http://www.greeters.paris/?lang=en

Free group tours, by donation http://www.discoverwalks.com/paris-walking-tours/

We have taken tours from all 3. Enjoyed all of them.

Another strong reco for St Denis...better than Notre Dame in some ways.

Also, here are a few small museums that you may have missed in previous visits:

Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris - excellent small collection of 20th c art...and free admission.
http://www.mam.paris.fr/en

Liberation Museum & Musee Moulin - at the top of Montparnasse station (NOT the tower!)...if WW II interests you, these are fantastic...also free
http://parismusees.paris.fr/en/museu...-moulin-museum


...and also..

A day trip to chateau vaux-le-vicomte - similar to Versailles but smaller and fewer crowds.
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/
The architect, landscaper and interior designer of this chateau were "solicited" to build Versailles after Louis saw this place.

ssander

Also...

Have you strolled around the neighborhood to the west of the Radio France building? Lot of art nouveau and art deco buildings...even some of the street signs are art nouveau designed by Hector Guimard.

The book <i>History & Mystery Paris</i> (by UK Auto Assn and also published by Frommer's as <i>24 Great Walks in Paris</i>) has this self-guided walk.

I have the UK version, but I assume the Frommer's version is the same...it is available online. I think it is out of print. The 2011 edition is expensive, but the 2008 version (which I have) is not, and probably pretty much the same.

ssander

ssander

We were in Paris last May and focused on visiting gardens. I had a book, which I can't put my hands on now, of Paris' secret gardens.

Aside from those that we were familiar with, we'd never been to Buttes Chaumont and Albert Kahn garden (my favorite.)

We highly recommend Vaux le Vicomte and loved a day trip to Auvers sur Oise to see the Van Gogh sites and his grave.

Buttes Chaumont is a fantastic park. The DK Eyewitness Paris book has a delightful 90-minute walk in the park and the surrounding area.

Judy...is this the book you're thinking of:

<i><strong>The Secret Gardens of Paris</i></strong> by Alexandra d'Arnoux and Bruno de Laubadère

ssander

Thank you, ssander, we are moving and have a lot in storage. That is the book.

Lunch at La Maison Fournaise on the Ile des Impressionistes.

If neighborhoods are on the agenda then how about some off the beaten path ones.

Here's a walk for the lower 20th arrondissement. Start with a visit to the art deco Eglise Saint-Jean Bosco on rue Alexandre Dumas. Head down rue Planchat and go left onto rue des Vignoles and note the old timey cobbled lanes off it (on your right). Across from them note the cool looking modern loft style buildings and then realize this is a recent social housing project designed by a famous architect. Some good restaurants here such as Café de l'Amitié, 20ème Art, La Petite Fabrique, O-Di-Vin-Resto, A la Vierge de la Réunion. Les Mondes Bohèmes has a beautiful terrace and ambiance but the food is just average. Go there for the terrace. I really like the couple that owns this place though. They'll explain the background of the resto and the neighborhood if you ask. Next door check out the little lane with the anarchist headquarters and the flamenco dance studio.

Head to Place de la Réunion and continue down rue Vitruve to rue Saint-Blaise. Along the way see the salamander on the wall at the corner of rue Courat (look at the oddball "artists" home across the street) then at 50 rue Vitruve lived the French singer Barbara. On rue Saint-Blaise itself is the old village of Charonne with 18th century buildings and a village feeling. Lots of cafés and restos here, such as Café Noir. Be sure to see the beautiful secret park/garden on rue Vitruve just east of the intersection with rue Saint-Blaise (on your left at around 57 rue Vitruve). It would make a nice place to have a picnic. See the old church (if renovation is complete yet) and the art nouveau boulangerie across from it. Go down rue de Bagnolet and there's a great bistro/wine bar (Le Papillon) at the corner of rue des Balkans. Across is the Jardin Debrousse, the remains of the châteaux grounds of the Duchess of Orléans. One building remains, the Pavillon de l'Ermitage. You can go in and see the rococo murals on the walls.

http://www.pavillondelermitage.com/P...e/accueil.html

Across from Jardin Debrousse walk up rue Pelleport. The many brick mid-rise buildings you see here are nice examples of public housing that was built in the 1920's and 1930's. Notice how nice public housing used to be prior to WWII as opposed to the ugly concrete stuff that came later in the 20th century. After a couple of blocks you'll arrive at rue Belgrand right at the Place Edith Piaf where you'll see the ugly statue in homage to her. The bar here (Bar Edith Piaf) looks like it hasn't had a decor update since the 1950's and the walls are covered in old black and white photos (no idea if she ever sang here). The regulars seem to be just as old as she would be, and just as rough around the edges. To the right of the bar walk up rue E.P. Casel to see the neighborhood known as La Campagne à Paris (rue Jules-Siegfried, rue Irénée-Blanc, rue Paul-Strauss) and the beautiful homes and small gardens. Hard to believe these were built for workers as part of a social housing project.

photos: https://www.google.com/search?q=la+c...w=1272&bih=629

Great old timey café nearby at Place Octave Chanute. Judging by the photos on the walls there must have been a lot of old time French celebrities that came here.

Here's a second walk:


Adjacent to the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (which is worth a visit) I highly recommend visiting the residential neighborhood known as La Mouzaïa. You can read about it and see photos here:



Leaving that neighborhood take rue de la Villette to rue de Belleville. Some interesting little side streets as you approach rue de Belleville. Take a left on rue de Belleville and there is a great boulangerie and some other food stores. You'll notice them. Go down rue de Belleville towards Paris and take a left on rue Piat and shortly you'll arrive at the Maison de l'Air with a great view of the Paris skyline at the top of the Parc de Bellville. Explore the park if you'd like. Great little bar/café with a nice terrace and views across the street that you'll notice (I've forgotten the name).

From here head down rue des Envierges and take a right on rue des Cascades (charming old timey streets) to rue de Ménilmontant. At rue de Ménilmontant take a left going uphill and on your left is a slice of residential 19th century Paris in the Cité de l'Ermitage so take a peek in here. If you want you can go around the corner and see another such place in the Cité Leroy. Next, go down rue du Retrait and take a right on rue Laurence Savart, another quaint old timey street. Then take a right on rue Boyer and you'll pass by La Bellevilloise. Stop here for a drink or just take a peek inside:

http://www.labellevilloise.com/notre-histoire/

http://www.labellevilloise.com/le-ca...-aux-oliviers/

This brings you back to rue de Ménilmontant and you can head down the hill to Paris. As you go downhill you'll notice the church on your right and there is a nice plaza in front of the church with some cafés and such to get a drink or bite to eat.

To learn more about the 20th arrondissement you can go to its official website:

http://www.mairie20.paris.fr/mairie2....jsp?page_id=7

As you approach métro Ménilmontant you can take a left on rue Victor Latalle and there are some hip bistros and cafés on this street and the beginning portion of rue des Panoyaux. La Boulangerie is a nice place to eat and a couple good bars/cafés that I go to sometimes are La Cale Sèche (nice terrace out back), Le Saint-Sauveur and Lou Pascalou (nice front terrace). From here you might enjoy a walk down rue Oberkampf back to central Paris and then take it from there.

For easy to do day trips from Paris you can check the following thread:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#66017674

You're staying not far from me. I'm just off rue St. Maur, on Square Gardette. There are so many restaurants in the area, I cannot imagine any need to cross the river just to eat. In fact, I find that I rarely cross the river.

Worth visiting is the little pastry shop on Passage Rochebrune called Broken Biscuits. These are not the typical French pastries - but are very, very good pastries. Both the street and the shop were mentioned in this recent article: http://www.thelocal.fr/20160129/the-...reets-in-paris

Also nearby is the well-reviewed Salt: http://www.salt-restaurant.com/

Heading towards Republique is Borgo - a cute shop with a good restaurant: http://www.borgodelletovaglie.com/show/restaurant.php

I like the veggie burgers at Eastside burger. And have spent a fair amount of time on the terrace at Le Plein Soleil on the corner of Ave. Parmentier and Repubilque. The service is pretty bad, but the people watching is good.

These are only a few of your numerous options in the neighborhood.

We really liked the little crêperie West Country Girl in the Passage St. Ambroise when we spent a week on rue Lacharrière across from Square Gardette a few years ago. The salted caramel crêpe was memorable.

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/12/west-country-girl/

http://www.westcountrygirl.com/

Ascend the tethered balloon in Park Citroen.

Descend into the Holocaust Memorial.

Find a book showing 100 year old photos of Paris, find the view points, and compare the modern views.

Walk the Promenade Plantee elevated park. Walk back on ground level and check out the shops beneath it.

Check out the African masks in the Anthropological Museum (Quai Branly).

Lots of great ideas from some of the posters above, we also enjoyed the Promanade des Plantees , Ménilmontant and Belville and the Quai Branly. Here are some ideas from my blog, don't worry it's completely non commercial and based on spending a few months in Paris a couple of years ago.

What about some of the smaller art museums? There are lots of them but I like the Jaquemart Andre or the Gustav Moureau
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...dre-paris.html
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...e-moureau.html

A walk in the Albert Kahn Gardens
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...ens-paris.html

On my last trip I really enjoyed the Musee des Arts Forains, a wonderful collection of carnival attractions housed in the old wine warehouses at Bercy. You have to visit on a scheduled tour in French, but there is an English handout that explains things. You get to play some of the games and ride the carousels too.

http://www.arts-forains.com/index_anglais.php

I'm celebrating a milestone b'day in Paris too, but in October. Would you recommend the Promenade Plantee that time of year?

ssander and others, do you know there's a mini Buttes Chaumont just off Grand Palais? It's called the Jardin de la Nouvelle France and it's wonderful.

One other overlooked museum is the Musée de la Vie Romantique, which is in the studio once used by Ary Scheffer (Hotel Scheffer Renan) in Montmartre. Its tea garden is just the thing in summer

http://www.cafe-vie-romantique.com/

Rue Chaptal, just south of Pigalle.


IMA is always on my list for a stop and so is the salon de thé of Paris's Great Mosque (also a beautiful building with a magnificent prayer hall, there are daily tours)

kwren - nobody really knows what the weather will be like in October. You can Google images of the Promenade Plantee to see if you think it's something you'd enjoy if there aren't many flowers blooming or if it's raining.

Instead, I'd suggest the Jardin du Luxembourg, where the trees will be turning colors and you can see the apples and pears on the trees in the back garden.

We enjoyed the Promenade Plantee a few years back over Thanksgiving week in November. It wasn't completely dead and a few roses were still blooming then...I am sure it is more beautiful earlier in the year but we enjoyed the walk anyway.

Fondation Cartier always has interesting things going on.

Wow - these are just wonderful suggestions! We are so appreciative as I am others are who are reading through these. Many, many thanks!

I agree the La Grande Mosquée de Paris is interesting to visit. There's plenty more to see in that area too...
http://www.somuchmoretosee.com/2013/...ugh-fifth.html

You say mid-May to mid-June. The annual Belleville Open Doors (Les Portes Ouvertes) is May 13-16 this year, during which over 100 artists in the neighborhood open their studios to the public. This is only a few blocks from where you are staying.

We've done it three times, and it's always a great way to spend the day, wandering the Belleville area and checking out the great variety of art.

http://ateliers-artistes-belleville.fr/en/

Neither the artists list or map is available yet...usually come out in late March. (The dates are only posted on the French site, and it still shows the 2015 map, but you can contact them with questions.)

Eventually they will post a downloadable PDF map showing all the open studios.

If you arrive in Pris in time, I highly recommend it -- provided you like all kinds of artworks.

ssander

Bookmarking

Great replies! I'll be staying on the edge of the 11th next month and appreciate all the suggestions here.

So many great ideas - will add a couple of my own

Love Paris walks. Special occasion restaurant. We had a 7 course tasting menu that was unbelievable.

http://restaurant-itineraires.com/

Try the sea-salt caramel macaroons from Laudree!

Enjoy!