Paris: the bars and restaurants of Oberkampf
 

Since the subject comes up often, I finally did a photo report on <b>"Oberkampf by night".</b> Those of you looking for less standardized Paris activities might want to wander around the area. One thing to know is that it appears drab and rather uninteresting during the day, but it is transformed after dark: http://tinyurl.com/2f462bo

Thanks Kerouac, loved this area in Feb, my new favorite!

kerouac---thanks for another brilliant photo essay.

I second Susanna's comment, as we also discovered this area in February. Our hotel was in the nearby Temple-République neighborhood, but we might not have wandered into Oberkampf if we had not had tickets for a concert (The Swell Season) at Bataclan. Great venue for a show, btw.

I agree that Oberkampf is gray and drab by day, but comes alive by night. Highly recommend bistro Au Trou Normand off Blvd. Voltaire.

Thanks again for highlighting this area.

Fantastic photos Kerouac! - As we will be spending a week in Rue Petition I am currently making notes on several places of interest, so your photos have really got me excited! Does L'Entrepots still exist near Place de Menilmontant?

Kerouac - I found L'Entrepots(seen in background) on this Geo-Beat link, and its the one about Bellevile:

http://www.geobeats.com/videoclips/a...s/france/paris

That shows some excellent scenes of the neighborhood, but far too fast! (I'm sure you'll agree with me.)

Nevertheless, freezing the image allowed me to get full information about this place from another site:

<b>L'Entrepot's</b>

2, rue Sorbier 75020 Paris
téléphone: 01 43 49 59 17

Métro 2 Couronnes, Métro 2 Ménilmontant

Tous les jours sauf le dimanche de 7h à 2h.

Menu du midi : 13 €
Menu du soir : 13 €
Menu à la carte : 20 €

The reason the name is that way is due to the play on words between "entrepôt" (warehouse) and "entre potes" (among buddies).

You are so helpful Kerouac - I definitely agree the little 'movie' is a fast teaser! The thing that caught my eye was the main door which looks a bit like a Hector Guimard
metro entrance. I will definitely walk up rue Oberkampf at night now that I have seen your enticing photos - thanks again.

How far is it from Gare de Lyon?

www.viamichelin.com tells me that it is 2.5km from Gare de Lyon and that it takes 38 minutes to walk there.

Can I ask you about photography? Did you use a telephoto lense?
Did any people object to photos in any way if you came 'up close & personal'?


Sorry if I sound a little concerned - we want to feel free to snap away and not be too concerned with the scenery.

I use a 12x zoom. Every now and then someone stares right at the camera at the wrong time. My new camera no longer has a viewfinder (even though I much prefer viewfinders... grrr!), so I have now started perfecting my skills of looking like I am examining photos that I have already taken instead of taking a new photo. ;)

I would say that the main thing is to learn to take photos extremely quickly instead of fiddling with the camera too long.

We stayed just across the street from L'autre cafe in May 2009 in this wonderful apartment for two weeks!

Wonderful true spirit of Paris in this neighbourhood

Thanks kerouac. I love visiting gems like this when I go somewhere new. Paris will be new for me next year and this is on the list.

Dave

hi kerouac,

these are really great pictures, thanks for the vivid photo essay. Is the crowd age diverse? Would you ever rec tourists staying on Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud (around Oberkampf) or is it just too dead in the daytime besides the Tue/Fri markets?

Yes, the crowd is quite diverse, but clearly there is a preponderance of people between the ages of 20 and 45. The area is not at all dead during the day, although of course most of the places shown are quieter and in some cases not even open yet. It is a busy working class neighborhood. Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud offers some striking contrasts because even though it is not a super long street, one end is fully in the restaurant and bar zone, and the other end is full of Islamic bookshops and similarly oriented commerces.

kerouac, great pictures and info. My wife and I love Jazz and were wondering where on this street would we be likely to find some . Anyone else been to a Jazz bar here?

Jazz is definitely available there, and in the side streets. Basically, all you have to do is listen as you stroll in the neighborhood.

Loved seeing your pics and had to go view my photo album to document which of those/names of places I have been myself back in 2007. I went to Ile de Goree, a unique African restaurant. Marche au crepe, where I see they are still heavily advertising the white chocolate crepe that was so amazing! Mercerie, for happy hour, was just OK at that time of day, but I could see it more getting better later at night, I beleive there are card games. Berimbar has changed their sign, probably to disguise the fact that past patrons may not return- not my favorite brazilian food. And I also had 'dessert' at some delicious Belgian frites place across from the Creperie- got me hooked on fries with dijon moutarde!

Thanks Kerouac. I've stayed in the 11th twice but always left early in the morning and came back late at night without doing much in the neighborhood. Next time I'll spend more time exploring that area.

Have you been to the Ménagerie de Verre?