Name: Hôtel Monge
Address: 55 Rue Monge, Paris, 75005, France
Telephone: 01 43 54 55 55
Price range: $$

Fodor's Expert Review

Repeat visitors to Paris seem to have their favorite neighborhoods, and this authentic Latin Quarter area, close to the heart of Paris yet far from the tourist hoards, is an absolute favorite. With the opening of the graceful Hôtel Monge, in 2016, both Paris devotees and newbies have a new dream of a refuge in a leafy Left Bank neighborhood, just steps from the Arènes and Jardin des Plantes, that offers tranquility, proximity to some great sites and a deeply Parisian experience.

Tip Immortalized in Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, cobbled rue Mouffetard is one of Paris's greatest, and oldest, market streets, brimming with cheese shops, butchers, boulangeries, pâtisserie's, you name it. Though slightly touristic, its authenticity remains undisputed, as you'll see by the Parisians who flock here. A few gems to discover: Fromagerie Patrick Veron specializes in raw milk goat cheeses; Mococha is the place for artisanal chocolates; head to La Maison des Trois Thés (rue Saint-Médiard) for all things tea.

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Room

Everything seems to sparkle in the hotel's 30 chic, airy rooms that capitalize on natural materials and a sophisticated palette of soft hues punctuated by vivid colors in tropical wallpapers and winsome prints. Top-quality materials and artsy touches add a stylish coziness like being in your own Paris pied à terre.

Bathroom

Contemporary baths mix classic elegance with stylish touches—sparkling tile work and handsome marble in large walk-in rain showers. Everything is up-to-the-moment and delicious-smelling bath products are from L'Occitaine.

You Should Know Showers are an open design with only a glass divider, which can result in some splashing.

Lobby

The captivating reception area, breakfast room, bar, and lounge is like being in a chic Paris apartment, with a fireplace, original artworks, and books—a reference to the sophisticated family that once lived here—with plush seating and relaxing lighting that makes it a pleasure to lounge and dine here.

Dining

A classic buffet breakfast—fruit, pastry and bread, yogurt, charcuterie, smoked salmon, and cheese, plus hot eggs and bacon—is served in the cozy breakfast room. After breakfast, the dining area is transformed into a tearoom, where tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and Madeleine are offered all day. All dining and the bar are for guests only, which adds to the pleasant at-home feeling which this hotel excels in.

Drinking

A well-stocked lobby honesty bar augments the pleasure of this beautiful space.

You Should Know Though a university area, this is a quiet residential neighborhood, not big on nightlife or bars.

What's Nearby

Getting Around

The hotel is equidistant to three metro stations, Jussieu, Place Monge, and Cardinal Lemoine stations. This is one of Paris's prettiest residential neighborhoods, home to a more literary bunch, as this is the city's university quartier, close to the Sorbonne and three other universities. The hotel butts up to the beautiful Arènes de Lutèce, Paris's most important Roman site and is a short walk from the Jardin des Plantes, Louis XIV's botanic gardens, with Paris's oldest zoo and the beautiful Grandes Serres (exotic greenhouses). It's also within minutes of two of Paris's best green markets (Place Monge, Maubert Mutualité) and the fabulous rue Mouffetard. Easy walking distance to Notre Dame and other major museums, this is an absolute plum of a neighborhood.

Restaurants

On market day, or any day, there's no better place to watch the world go by over a good cup of coffee, a glass of wine or a hearty French meal than at the Cave La Bourgogne (144, rue Mouffetard). Dans les Landes offers very fine small plates at a great price.