Saint-Germain-des-Prés & Saint-Michel
Your guide to the Latin Quarter (5th) and the 6th
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Institut du Monde Arabe
Come for heart-stopping views and treasures from the Arab world
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Le Comptoir
Fill up on rolled saddle of lamb with vegetable-stuffed 'Basque ravioli'
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Jardin du Luxembourg
Getting to grips with Paris' parklife
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Eglise St-Sulpice
An exercise in 18th-century Classical form
You’re not a Parisian until you’ve met up with friends in front of Saint-Michel’s fountain or wandered through its labyrinthine streets, past cheap Greek restaurants and tiny shops. Veer off towards Saint-Germain-des-Prés and you’ll find, sandwiched between the postcard-perfect Jardin de Luxembourg and the Seine, the Paris of Hemingway, Orwell and Miller (not to mention the seedbed of the 1968 student revolt). Expect crooked streets, great eateries and architectural glories - especially ecclesiastical ones. The Flore and Deux Magots cafés at Saint-Germain-des-Prés were where Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir philosophised over bursts of caffeine. It’s here that the very cliché of café terrace intellectualising was coined; but nowadays it’s all more sartorial than Sartrian, with many patrons coming from the fashion world, or at least the designer boutiques (Rykiel, Cartier, Mont-Blanc, Joseph…) that line the streets all around. The literati haven’t entirely fled for pastures new, though. The quartier still harbours a vast number of bookshops. And as the hotspot for the post-war Jazz boom it’s also still the place in which to tap your toes during May’s Jazz à Saint-Germain festival. You can also rub shoulders with film buffs at the area’s numerous independent art-house cinemas. Anyone for a Jerzy Skolimowski?
Restaurants in Saint-Germain-des-Prés & Saint-Michel
1979
1979, between Châtelet and the Louvre, succeeds in being many things to many cool people. Part café, bar, restaurant and club, there’s something tangibly hip about the place. It helps that the hip décor and slick black, white and bright green colour scheme were designed by a big cheese at Saatchi and Saatchi Paris. At noon, it’s a top spot for a relatively quiet well-priced French/fusion brunch...
Aarapana
Known for its fun and frolics all year round, Paris’s Latin Quarter is the perfect locale for Aarpana’s highly knowledgeable, alluring way with Indian cuisine. Set away on the Rue du Petit Pont, the smallest street in Paris, and amidst historical landmarks like the Notre Dame and Musee de Cluny, this extremely welcoming and well positioned Indian restaurant prides itself on its fresh breads and...
Aasman
One of several restaurants lining Rue Daguerre on the edge of Montparnasse in Paris 14th, Aasman remains as safe and solid as the day it opened over 20 years ago. Traditional homemade Indian dishes, familiar yet fresh, offered with a choice of colourful, unctuous sauces, including the much-loved shai korma. Don’t eat a thing without tearing into one of four house nan first. Both the food and...
Hotels in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Michel
Abba Montparnasse Hotel
Hotel Abba Montparnasse is located in central Paris, a 5-minute walk from Montparnasse Train and Metro Station and 1 km from Luxembourg Gardens. This boutique hotel has a cocktail bar and offers modern, air-conditioned rooms.All rooms at Hotel Abba Montparnasse are equipped with a TV, minibar and work desk. The en suite bathrooms are bright and feature a hairdryer and welcome toiletries.A buffet...
Aberotel Montparnasse
Located in the heart of Paris, close to the Eiffel Tower, Montparnasse station and Porte de versailles convention centre,this hotel has a garden and patio where guests can relax after a day of sightseeing.Each air-conditioned and soundproofed room at the Aberotel Montparnasse offers private bathrooms and satellite TV. A buffet breakfast is served daily.Aberotel hotel has a 24-hour front desk and...
Abricotel
This quaint 2-star hotel sits in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, just 1 km from Gare de Nord Train Station and 200 metres from the Jaurés Metro stop (line 2).Abricotel features simply decorated and furnished rooms for 1 to 2 people. They are all en suite with bath or shower and have a TV.Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout the hotel and is free of charge. A continental breakfast is served...
Bars in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Michel
Andy Wahloo
Andy Whaloo, created by the people behind its neighbour 404 and London's Momo and Sketch, is Arabic for 'I have nothing'. Bijou? This place brings new meaning to the word. The formidably fashionable crowd fights for coveted 'seats' on upturned paint cans; from head to toe, it's a beautifully designed venue, crammed with Moroccan artefacts and a spice rack of colours. It's quiet early on, with a...
Astier
You just have to look at the regulars’ crimson faces to know you’re onto a good thing at Astier. Red-and-white chequered tablecloths and rustic wooden panelling make up the retro setting for chef Christophe Kestler vintage revivals like smoked herrings with warm potato salad, grilled Charolais beef in anchovy butter, and scrumptious vanilla cream (think crème brûlée without the brûlée). The...
Ateliers de Charonne
This spanking new jazz club is the place to see the rising stars of gypsy jazz (jazz manouche). If you want to grab a good spot near the front of the stage, reserve for dinner and the show.
Au Duc des Lombards
This venerable jazz spot goes from strength to strength, attracting a high class of performer and a savvy crowd. Check out the 'bon plans' section of the website, which offers reduced-price tickets for certain concerts.
Au Magique
Artiste-in-residence Marc Havet serenades punters with politically incorrect chansons at weekends; you can also expect poetry events and exhibitions of photos and paintings.
Au Passage
Tucked down a long, narrow alleyway off rue Amelot, opposite the back entrance of Pop In, you don't just happen upon Au Passage, you come because you've heard about the cheap lunchtime menus (€12.50) and the colourful local artists and wannabe marginaux (all almost as colourful as their teeth, stained with a glass too many of vin rouge). There's art on the far wall, some retro cookbooks, and a...
Au P'tit Garage
As sweetly tuned as Chuck Berry's cherry-red '53, this quite marvellous rock 'n' roll bar is the pick of the bunch on rue Jean-Pierre-Timbaud. Not that the owners have fitted it with Americana or waitresses on rollerskates; the L'il Garage is as basic as the real car-fit business a few doors down the road. Stuffing bursts out of the bar stools and skip-salvage chairs accompany wobbly tables of...
Au Rendez-vous des Amis
Considering its proximity to the honeypot that is Sacré Coeur, this café/bar is still cheap, making it popular with locals and foreign students, and the odd tourist. During happy hour (8pm to 10pm), a kir or glass of wine will set you back a very reasonable €2.70. There are cosy nooks round the back with plenty of upholstered spots to choose from.
Autour de Midi-Minuit
The Tuesday night boeuf (jam session) is always free, as are many other concerts - some by big names like Laurent Epstein, Yoni Zelnik and Bruno Casties. The upstairs restaurant serves reasonably priced French classic cuisine.
Ave Maria
Unlike some places that eschew good food for alcohol and a funky interior, colourful Ave Maria scores highly for all three. The kitsch interior is decked out in a canopy of chinoiserie parasols and a vast collection of Hindu gods. Music, a combination of reggae, funk, soul and dub, is cool but unobtrusive. Strangers sharing wooden benches devour exotic dishes from the Brazilian-inspired menu,...
Bar Ourcq
This was one of the first hip joints to hit the Canal de l'Ourcq, with an embankment broad enough to accommodate pétanque games (ask at the bar) and a cluster of deckchairs. It's a completely different scene from the crowded bustle along Canal St-Martin - more discerning and less self-satisfied. The cabin-like interior is cosy, and drinks are listed in a hit parade of prices, starting with €2.50...
Bastille & Oberkampf
Set just north of the River Seine, with the Canal St-Martin running below it, Place de la Bastille (traditionally the frontier between central Paris and the more proletarian east) has remained a potent symbol of popular revolt ever since the prison storming that inaugurated the Revolution. The square is still a gathering point for demonstrations and Bastille Day festivities, but the only remnants...
Batofar
In recent years the Batofar has gone through a rapid succession of management teams, with varying levels of success. The current managers have helped revive the venue's tradition of playing cutting-edge music, including electro, dub step, techno and dancehall nights featuring international acts. It's also a destination for early-morning clubbers determined to shun their beds.
Baxo
Baxo Lounge Bar and Restaurant in Paris’ superhip 10th arrondissement near the St Martin Canal is a place that has got the balance absolutely right. The lovechild of three friends devoted to food, music and hanging out, Baxo is equal parts restaurant and club. The décor is comfortable bobo (bourgeois bohemian) chic with exposed beams, modern fittings, great splashes of beautifully-coloured light....
Best live music bars
Where can you grab a drink and listen to live music without breaking the bank? Follow this list of Paris' best live music bars and you'll be rockin' til the wee small hours. L'Opa Late opening and Eric Perier's diverse range of nightly entertainment - DJs (weekends), videos, live acts (Tuesday to Thursdays) and the odd open mic event - are the attractions here, along with free admission and...
The Best Pubs
When you're in need of a cold one - preferably accompanied by a packet of salt and vinegar crisps - try one of these Anglo pubs. Aside from the beer, there are pub quizzes, Speed English nights, live concerts, bar meals and sports matches to keep you occupied... Stolly's This seen-it-all drinking den has been serving a mainly anglophone crowd for nights immemorial. The staff make the place...
Café Charbon
The bar contained within this beautifully restored belle époque building sparked the Oberkampf nightlife boom. Its booths, mirrors and adventurous music policy put trendy locals at ease, capturing the essence of café culture spanning each end of the 20th century. After more than 15 years, the formula still works - and is copied by nearby bars.
Café Chéri(e)
A popular DJ bar, especially in summer, when fashionistas flock to the terrace. Live music is played from Thursdays to Saturdays after 10pm. Expect anything from DJ Jet Boy's electro punk to rock, funk, hip hop, rare groove, indie, dance, jazz and '80s classics. Café Chéri(e) is also a chic daytime venue.
Café Cox
Beefy, hairy, shaven-headed men congregate on the pavement in front of Café Cox for post-work drinks, before moving on to more intimate surroundings.
Café de Flore
Bourgeois locals crowd the terrace tables at lunch, eating club sandwiches with knives and forks as anxious waiters frown at couples with pushchairs or single diners occupying tables for four. This historic café, former HQ of the Lost Generation intelligentsia, attracts tourists and, yes, celebrities from time to time. But a café crème is €4.60, and the omelettes and croque-monsieurs are best...
Café de la Paix
Lap up every detail - this is once-in-a-holiday stuff. Whether you're out on the historic terrace or looking up at the ornate stucco ceiling, you'll be sipping in the footsteps of the likes of Oscar Wilde, Josephine Baker, Emile Zola, and Bartholdi and the Franco-American Union (as they sketched out the Statue of Liberty). Let the immaculate staff bring you a kir (€12) or, for an afternoon treat,...
Café de la Place
Café de la Place is situated in the beautiful Place Franz Liszt off Rue La Fayette, not far from the Gare du Nord. Tourists and locals alike are drawn to sit on the large terrace overlooking the Parisian square and Saint Vincent de Paul church – an ideal place for a casual long lunch or relaxed meal on a hot summer’s night. Café de la Place is a traditional French restaurant, so why not start off...
Café Marly
In the arcaded terrace overlooking the Louvre's glass pyramid, this classy, Napoleon III-style hangout (reached through the passage Richelieu, the entrance for advance Louvre ticket holders) is in an unrivalled location. One would expect nothing else from the ubiquitous Costes brothers - it's just a shame about the beer prices: it's €6 for a Heineken, so you might as well splash out €12 on a...
Café Thoumieux
Café Thoumieux is a laid-back destination for cocktails, tapas and big-screen sport. Banquettes snake around the room, and spiky Aztec-pattern lamps light up the faces of the pretty young locals who have made this place their own. The flavoured vodkas are delicious, with unusual flavours including vanilla, caramel and banana; just watch out for the treacherous, extra-high bar stools (the...
Shopping in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Saint-Michel
Adrenaline
This dépot-vente specialises in vintage luggage and handbags. Iconic Vuitton suitcases and Kelly and Birkin bags command enormous prices, but there are some slightly more affordable pieces and a small collection of '60s couture.
Agnès b
Agnès b rarely wavers from her design vision: pure lines in fine quality cotton, merino wool and silk. Best buys are shirts, pullovers and cardigans that keep their shape for years. Her mini-empire of men's, women's, children's, travel and sportswear shops is compact; see the website for details.Other locations throughout the city.
Alain Mikli
Cult French glasses and sunglasses designer Mikli uses cellulose acetate, a blend of wood and cotton sliced from blocks. At his flagship Starck-designed boutique, frames are laid out in a glass counter like designer sweeties.Other locations 49 rue Boulard, 14th; 1 rue des Rosiers, 4th.
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