Centre Pompidou & Le Marais
Paris’ marais (marsh) was cleared in the 12th century but Haussmann’s reformations left its tangle of medieval laneways largely intact. Hip bars and restaurants, emerging designers’ boutiques and the city’s thriving gay and Jewish communities all squeeze into this vibrant neighbourhood and its equally buzzing eastern neighbour, Bastille.
The Sights in a Day
MThe twice-weekly Marché Bastille is one of the largest, liveliest street markets in Paris – catch it if you can before visiting the Musée National Picasso and the Maison de Victor Hugo, the author’s former home on elegant place des Vosges.
RJoin the locals queuing at the takeaway window of L’As du Fallafel. After lunch, stroll along the leafy Promenade Plantée walkway above an old railway viaduct, or simply spend the afternoon browsing the Marais’ trove of colourful and quirky shops, stopping for a fresh juice fix at Wild & the Moon.
NThe Centre Pompidou stays open until 9pm, so head here in the late afternoon to see its amazing collection of modern and contemporary art and the awesome views from its roof. After dinner at Le Bistrot Paul Bert, begin a bar-hop at Le Cap Horn.
1 Top Sights
l Local Life
x Best of Paris
Eating
Drinking
Architecture
Getting There
m Metro Rambuteau (line 11) is the most convenient for the Centre Pompidou.
m Metro Other central metro stations include Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11), St-Paul (line 1) and Bastille (lines 1, 5 and 8).
f Boat The hop-on, hop-off Batobus stops outside the Hôtel de Ville.
Top SightsCentre Pompidou
The building housing Paris’ premier cultural centre is so iconic that you could spend hours looking at it without ever going inside. But you should! As well as containing France’s national modern and contemporary art museum, the Musée National d’Art Moderne, the centre’s cutting-edge cultural offerings include temporary exhibition spaces, a public library, cinemas and entertainment venues.
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
%01 44 78 12 33; www.centrepompidou.fr; place Georges Pompidou, 4e; museum, exhibitions & panorama adult/child €14/free; 
h11am-10pm Wed-Mon; mRambuteau
y Top Tips
AThe Centre Pompidou opens late every night (except Tuesday, when it’s closed), so head here around 5pm to avoid the daytime crowds.
AYou'll still have to queue to get through security, but the entry process will go faster if you buy museum and events tickets online.
ARooftop entry is included in museum and exhibition admission; alternatively, buy a panorama ticket (€3) just for the roof.
5 Take a Break
- Georges' outdoor terrace on the 6th floor is a fabulous spot for a drink with a view, though it's not so great for dining.
- For a meal or a casual drink, head to nearby Café La Fusée (
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; %01 42 76 93 99; 168 rue St-Martin, 3e; h8am-2am; mRambuteau, Étienne Marcel) or Dame Tartine (
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; %01 42 77 32 22; 2 rue Brisemiche, 4e; tartines €9.90-13.50; h9am-11.30pm;
W; mHôtel de Ville).
The Architecture
Former French president Georges Pompidou wanted an ultra-contemporary artistic hub and he got it: competition-winning architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers effectively designed the building inside out, with utilitarian features such as plumbing, pipes, air vents and electrical cables forming part of the external façade, freeing up the interior space for exhibitions and events.
The then controversial, now much-loved centre opened in 1977. Viewed from a distance (such as from Sacré-Cœur) its primary-coloured, box-like form amid a sea of muted-grey Parisian rooftops makes it look like a child’s Meccano set abandoned on someone’s elegant living-room rug.
Musée National d’Art Moderne
Europe’s largest collection of modern art fills the airy, well-lit galleries of the National Museum of Modern Art. On a par with the permanent collection are the two temporary exhibition halls (on the ground floor/basement and the top floor) which host memorable blockbuster exhibits. There’s a wonderful children’s gallery on the 1st floor.
The permanent collection changes every two years, but incorporates artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Kandinsky, Kahlo, Warhol, Pollock and many more. The 5th floor showcases artists active between 1905 and 1970 (give or take a decade); the 4th floor focuses on more contemporary creations, roughly from the 1980s onward.
The Rooftop
Although the Centre Pompidou is just six storeys high, Paris’ low-rise cityscape means sweeping views extend from its rooftop, reached by external escalators enclosed in tubes.
Local LifeA Heads-Up on the Haut Marais
The lower Marais has long been fashionable but the real buzz these days is in the haut Marais (upper, ie northern Marais). Its warren of narrow streets is a hub for up-and-coming fashion designers, art galleries, and vintage, accessories and homewares boutiques, all sitting alongside long-established enterprises enjoying a renaissance. Look out for new openings, exhibitions, events and pop-up shops.
1Charitable Fashion
Fronted by a Fiat Cinquecento, unique concept store Merci (
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; %01 42 77 00 33; www.merci-merci.com; 111 bd Beaumarchais, 3e; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat; mSt-Sébastien-Froissart) donates all profits from its cutting edge fashions, homewares, gifts, cafe and canteen to a children’s charity in Madagascar.
2Coffee Fix
Reboot with a Parisian-roasted coffee at Boot Café (
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; 19 rue du Pont aux Choux, 3e; h10am-6pm; mSt-Sébastien-Froissart). Set inside an old cobbler’s shop, whose original washed-blue façade and ‘Cordonnerie’ lettering have been beautifully preserved.
3Discounted Fashion
Savvy Parisians grab last season’s designer wear (for both men and women) at up to 70% off original prices at L’Habilleur (
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; www.facebook.com/LHabilleurParis; 44 rue de Poitou, 3e; hnoon-7.30pm Mon-Sat; mSt-Sébastien-Froissart).
4Market Lunch
Hidden behind an inconspicuous green metal gate, Marché des Enfants Rouges (
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; 39 rue de Bretagne & 33bis rue Charlot, 3e; h8.30am-1pm & 4-7.30pm Tue-Fri, 4-8pm Sat, 8.30am-2pm Sun; mFilles du Calvaire) has produce stalls and dishes that range from bento boxes to crêpes, which you can eat at communal tables.
5Handbag Heaven
Super-soft, super-stylish Pauline Pin (
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; www.paulinepin.com; 51 rue Charlot, 3e; h11am-7.30pm Tue-Sat; mFilles du Calvaire) handbags are made here at founder designer Clarisse’s flagship store and workshop.
6Fibre Fashion
Clothing and textile artworks crafted from natural and rare animal fibres are exhibited and sold at La Boutique Extraordinaire (
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; www.laboutiqueextraordinaire.com; 67 rue Charlot, 3e; h11am-8pm Tue-Sat, 3-7pm Sun; mFilles du Calvaire).
7Cultural Happenings
The quarter’s old covered market with magnificent art nouveau ironwork, Le Carreau du Temple (
GOOGLE MAP
; %01 83 81 93 30; www.carreaudutemple.eu; 4 rue Eugène Spuller, 3e; hbox office 2-6pm Mon-Sat; mTemple) is now a vast stage for exhibitions, concerts, sports classes and theatre.
8Cocktail Hour
Snag a stool at the central circular bar of ubercool Le Mary Céleste (
GOOGLE MAP
; www.lemaryceleste.com; 1 rue Commines, 3e; h6pm-1.30am; mFilles du Calvaire) for creative cocktails and tapas-style ‘small plates’.
1Top Sights
1Sights
5Eating
6Drinking
Sights
1Musée National PicassoART MUSEUM
One of Paris’ most beloved art collections is showcased inside the mid-17th-century Hôtel Salé, an exquisite private mansion owned by the city since 1964. Inside is the Musée National Picasso, a staggering art museum devoted to the eccentric Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), who spent much of his life living and working in Paris. The collection includes more than 5000 drawings, engravings, paintings, ceramic works and sculptures by the grand maître (great master), although they're not all displayed at the same time.
(%01 85 56 00 36; www.museepicassoparis.fr; 5 rue de Thorigny, 3e; adult/child €12.50/free; h11.30am-6pm Tue-Fri, 9.30am-6pm Sat & Sun; mSt-Paul, Chemin Vert)
1Mémorial de la ShoahMUSEUM
Established in 1956, the Memorial to the Unknown Jewish Martyr has metamorphosed into the Memorial of the Shoah – 'Shoah' a Hebrew word meaning ‘catastrophe’ and synonymous in France with the Holocaust. Exhibitions relate to the Holocaust and German occupation of parts of France and Paris during WWII. The actual memorial to the victims of the Shoah stands at the entrance. The wall is inscribed with the names of 76,000 men, women and children deported from France to Nazi extermination camps.
(www.memorialdelashoah.org; 17 rue Geoffroy l’Asnier, 4e; h10am-6pm Sun-Wed & Fri, to 10pm Thu; mSt-Paul)
1Musée des Arts et MétiersMUSEUM
The Arts & Crafts Museum, dating to 1794 and Europe's oldest science and technology museum, is a must for anyone with kids – or an interest in how things tick or work. Housed inside the sublime 18th-century priory of St-Martin des Champs, some 3000 instruments, machines and working models from the 18th to 20th centuries are displayed across three floors. In the attached church of St-Martin des Champs is Foucault’s original pendulum, introduced to the world at the Universal Exhibition in Paris 1855.
(www.arts-et-metiers.net; 60 rue de Réaumur, 3e; adult/child €8/free; h10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun, to 9.30pm Thu; mArts et Métiers)
1Place de la BastilleSQUARE
The Bastille, a 14th-century fortress built to protect the city gates, is the most famous Parisian monument that no longer exists. Nothing remains of the prison it became under Cardinal Richelieu, which was mobbed on 14 July 1789, igniting the French Revolution. Today it's a skirmishly busy roundabout, with traffic flying around the 52m-high Colonne de Juillet in its centre. The unmissable green-bronze column is topped by a gilded, winged Liberty, and revolutionaries from the uprising of 1830 are buried beneath.
(12e; mBastille)
1Promenade PlantéePARK
The disused 19th-century Vincennes railway viaduct has been reborn as the world's first elevated park, planted with a fragrant profusion of cherry trees, maples, rose trellises, bamboo corridors and lavender. Three storeys above ground, it provides a unique aerial vantage point on the city. Access is via staircase and it starts just south of place de la Bastille on rue de Lyon. Along the first section, above av Daumesnil, chic art-gallery-workshops squat gracefully beneath the arches to form the Viaduc des Arts.
(La Coulée Verte René-Dumont; cnr rue de Lyon & av Daumesnil, 12e; h8am-9.30pm May-Aug, to 5.30pm Sep-Apr; mBastille, Gare de Lyon)
1Tour St-JacquesTOWER
Just north of place du Châtelet, the Flamboyant Gothic, 54m-high St James Tower is all that remains of the Église St-Jacques la Boucherie, built by the powerful butchers guild in 1523 as a starting point for pilgrims setting out for the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Guided 50-minute tours (in French) of the recently restored tower take visitors up 300 stairs to an expansive panorama. Children must be 10 years or older.
(%01 83 96 15 05; 39 rue de Rivoli, 4e; adult/child €10/8; h10am-5pm Fri-Sun Jun-Sep; mChâtelet)
1Maison de Victor HugoMUSEUM
Between 1832 and 1848 the writer Victor Hugo lived in an apartment in Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, a townhouse overlooking one of Paris' most elegant squares. He moved here a year after the publication of Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), completing Ruy Blas during his stay. His house is now a museum devoted to the life of this celebrated novelist and poet, with an impressive collection of his personal drawings and portraits. Temporary exhibitions command an admission fee.
(www.musee-hugo.paris.fr; 6 place des Vosges, 4e; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; mSt-Paul, Bastille)
1Hôtel de VilleARCHITECTURE
Paris’ beautiful town hall was gutted during the Paris Commune of 1871 and rebuilt in luxurious neo-Renaissance style between 1874 and 1882. The ornate façade is decorated with 108 statues of illustrious Parisians, and the outstanding temporary exhibitions (admission free) held inside in its Salle St-Jean almost always have a Parisian theme.
During most winters from December to early March, an ice-skating rink is set up outside this beautiful building, creating a real picture-book experience.
(www.paris.fr; place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 4e; mHôtel de Ville)
1Musée Cognacq-JayMUSEUM
This museum inside Hôtel de Donon displays oil paintings, pastels, sculpture, objets d’art, jewellery, porcelain and furniture from the 18th century assembled by Ernest Cognacq (1839–1928), founder of La Samaritaine department store, and his wife Louise Jay.
Although Cognacq appreciated little of his collection, boasting that he had never visited the Louvre and was only acquiring collections for the status, the artwork and objets d’art give a good idea of upper-class tastes during the Age of Enlightenment.
(www.cognacq-jay.paris.fr; 8 rue Elzévir, 3e; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun; mSt-Paul, Chemin Vert)
1Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du JudaïsmeMUSEUM
To delve into the historic heart of the Marais' long-established Jewish community in Pletzl (from the Yiddish for 'little square'), visit this fascinating museum inside Hôtel de St-Aignan, dating from 1650. The museum traces the evolution of Jewish communities from the Middle Ages to the present, with particular emphasis on French Jewish history. Highlights include documents relating to the Dreyfus Affair, and works by Chagall, Modigliani and Soutine. Creative workshops for children, adults and families complement excellent temporary exhibitions.
(%01 53 01 86 62; www.mahj.org; 71 rue du Temple, 4e; adult/child €8/free; h11am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sun; mRambuteau)
UnderstandVillage Life
Within the Walls
Paris is defined by its walls (that is, the Périphérique or ring road). Intramuros (Latin for ‘within the walls’), the 105-sq-km interior has a population of just under 2.2 million, while the greater metropolitan area (the Île de France région, encircled by rivers) has some 12 million inhabitants, about 19% of France’s total population. This makes Paris – the capital of both the région and the highly centralised nation – in effect an ‘island within an island’ (or, as residents elsewhere might say, a bubble).
Communal Living
Paris isn’t merely a commuter destination, however – its dense inner-city population defines city life. Paris’ shops, street markets, parks and other facets of day-to-day living evoke a village atmosphere, and its almost total absence of high-rises gives it a human scale. Single-occupant dwellings make up around half of central Paris’ households. And space shortages mean residential apartments are often minuscule. As a result, communal areas are the living and dining rooms and backyards of many Parisians, while neighbourhood shops are cornerstones of community life. This high concentration of city dwellers is why there are few late-night bars and cafes or inner-city nightclubs, due to noise restrictions. It’s also why so many pet dogs live in Paris. But hefty fines have meant the pavements (which are washed every day) are the cleanest they’ve ever been.
Beyond the Walls
The Grand Paris (Greater Paris) redevelopment project connects the outer suburbs with the city proper. This is a significant break in the physical and conceptual barrier that the Périphérique has imposed. Its crux is a massive decentralised metro expansion, with 68 new stations and six suburban lines, with a target completion date of 2030. The principal goal is to connect the suburbs with one another, instead of relying on a central inner-city hub from which all lines radiate outwards (the current model). Progress is swift: tunnelling, which began in 2015, continues at a rate of some 12.5m per day.
Ultimately, the surrounding suburbs – Vincennes, Neuilly, Issy, St-Denis etc – will lose their autonomy and become part of a much larger Grand Paris governed by the Hôtel de Ville.
Local LifePlace des Vosges
Inaugurated in 1612 as place Royale and thus Paris' oldest square, place des Vosges (
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; 4e; mSt-Paul, Bastille) is a strikingly elegant ensemble of 36 symmetrical houses with ground-floor arcades, steep slate roofs and large dormer windows arranged around a leafy square with four symmetrical fountains and an 1829 copy of a mounted statue of Louis XIII. The square received its present name in 1800 to honour the Vosges département (administrative division) for being the first in France to pay its taxes. Quenelles (feather-light flour, egg and cream dumplings) from Giraudet (
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; %01 42 78 71 62; www.giraudet.fr; 6 rue du Pas de la Mule, 3e; lunch menus €11.50-14.40; h10am-7.30pm Tue-Sat, 11am-7pm Sun; 
v; mChemin Vert) make great picnic fare.
Eating
5Le Bistrot Paul BertBISTRO$$
When food writers list Paris' best bistros, one name that consistently pops up is Paul Bert. The timeless vintage decor and perfectly executed classic dishes like steak-frites (steak and chips) and hazelnut-cream Paris-Brest pastry merit booking ahead. Look out for its siblings L’Écailler du Bistrot (seafood), La Cave Paul Bert (wine bar with small plates) and Le 6 Paul Bert (modern cuisine) in the same street.
(%01 43 72 24 01; 18 rue Paul Bert, 11e; 2-/3-course lunch/dinner menu €19/41; hnoon-2pm & 7.30-11pm Tue-Sat; mFaidherbe-Chaligny)
5DersouNEOBISTRO$$$
Leave any preconceptions you might have at the door, ignore or enjoy the brutishly understated decor, and be wooed by the creative fusion cuisine of Taku Sekine. Much of the seating is at the counter, meaning first-class views of the Japanese chef at work, and options are limited to tasting menus, with each course exquisitely paired with a bespoke cocktail. Reservations essential.
(%09 81 01 12 73; www.dersouparis.com; 21 rue St-Nicolas, 12e; 5-/6-/7-course tasting menu incl drinks €95/115/135; h7.30pm-midnight Tue-Fri, noon-3.30pm & 7.30pm-midnight Sat, noon-3.30pm Sun; mLedru-Rollin)
5ChambellandBOULANGERIE$
In a city known for its bakeries, it's only right there's Chambelland – a 100% gluten-free bakery with serious breads to die for. Using rice and buckwheat flour milled at the bakery's very own mill in southern France, this pioneering bakery creates exquisite cakes and pastries as well as sourdough loaves and brioches (sweet breads) peppered with nuts, seeds, chocolate and fruit.
(%01 43 55 07 30; www.chambelland.com; 14 rue Ternaux, 11e; lunch menu €12; h9am-8pm Tue-Sun; mParmentier)
5Breizh CaféCRêPERIE$
It is a well-known fact among Parisians: everything at the Breton Café (breizh is ‘Breton’ in Breton) is 100% authentic, rendering it the top spot in the city for authentic crêpes. Be it the Cancale oysters, 20 types of cider or the buttery organic-flour crêpes, everything here is cooked to perfection. If you fail to snag a table, try L'Épicerie next door.
(www.breizhcafe.com; 109 rue Vieille du Temple, 3e; crêpes & galettes €6.50-18; h11.30am-11pm Wed-Sat, to 10pm Sun; mSt-Sébastien-Froissart)
5Marché BastilleMARKET$
If you only get to one open-air street market in Paris, this one – stretching between the Bastille and Richard Lenoir metro stations – is among the city's very best.
(http://equipement.paris.fr/marche-bastille-5477; bd Richard Lenoir, 11e; h7am-2.30pm Thu, 7am-3pm Sun; mBastille, Richard Lenoir)
5SeptimeMODERN FRENCH$$$
The alchemists in Bertrand Grébaut's Michelin-starred kitchen produce truly beautiful creations, while blue-smocked waitstaff ensure culinary surprises are all pleasant ones: each dish on the menu is a mere listing of three ingredients, while the mystery carte blanche menu puts your taste buds in the hands of the innovative chef. Snagging a table requires planning and perseverance – book three weeks in advance.
(%01 43 67 38 29; www.septime-charonne.fr; 80 rue de Charonne, 11e; lunch menus €28 & €55, dinner menu €58; h7.30-10pm Mon, 12.15-2pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Fri; mCharonne)
5CandelariaMEXICAN$
You need to know about this terribly cool taquería to find it. Made of pure, unadulterated hipness in that brazenly nonchalant manner Paris does so well, clandestine Candelaria serves delicious homemade tacos, quesadillas and tostadas in a laid-back setting – squat at the bar in the front or lounge out back around a shared table with bar stools or at low coffee tables.
(%01 42 74 41 28; www.candelariaparis.com; 52 rue de Saintonge, 3e; tacos €3-5; h12.30pm-11pm Sun-Wed, 12.30pm-midnight Thu-Sat, bar 6pm-2am; mFilles du Calvaire)
5Brasserie BofingerBRASSERIE$$
Founded in 1864, Bofinger is reputedly Paris' oldest brasserie, though its polished art nouveau brass, glass and mirrors indicates redecoration a few decades later. Specialities include Alsatian-inspired dishes like choucroute (sauerkraut), oysters (from €27.90 for a dozen) and magnificent seafood platters (€29.90 to €122). Ask for a seat downstairs beneath the coupole (stained-glass dome). Kids are catered for with a €14.50 children's menu.
(%01 42 72 87 82; www.bofingerparis.com; 5-7 rue de la Bastille, 4e; menus €31 & €56; hnoon-2pm & 6.30pm-midnight Mon-Sat, noon-11pm Sun; 
c; mBastille)
Local LifePletzl
The Jewish area around Le Marais’ rue des Rosiers and rue des Écouffes was traditionally known as the Pletzl, and it’s still filled with kosher delis and takeaway falafel windows such as Parisian favourite L’As du Fallafel (
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; 34 rue des Rosiers, 4e; takeaway €6-8.50; hnoon-midnight Sun-Thu, to 5pm Fri; mSt-Paul) – the inevitable queue is worth the wait. For a sit-down meal, try Chez Marianne (
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; 2 rue des Hospitalières St-Gervais, 4e; mains €18-25; hnoon-midnight; mSt-Paul). The Pletzl’s art nouveau synagogue (
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; 10 rue Pavée, 4e; mSt-Paul) was designed in 1913 by Hector Guimard (who also designed Paris’ iconic metro entrances).
Drinking
6Café des AngesCAFE
With its aqua-blue paintwork and locals sipping coffee beneath terracotta awning on its busy pavement terrace, Angels Cafe lives up to the 'quintessential Paris cafe' dream. In winter wrap up beneath a ginger blanket outside, or push your way through the crowds at the zinc bar to snag a coveted table inside – for breakfast, a burger lunch, steak dinner (mains €10 to €17) and everything in between.
(%01 73 20 21 10; www.cafedesangesparis.com; 66 rue de la Roquette, 11e; h7.30am-2am; mBastille)
6Wild & the MoonJUICE BAR
A beautiful crowd hobnobs over nut milks, vitality shots, smoothies, cold-pressed juices and raw food in this sleek new juice bar in the fashionable Haut Marais. Ingredients are fresh, seasonal and organic, and it is one of the few places in town where you can have moon porridge or avocado slices on almond and rosemary crackers for breakfast.
(www.wildandthemoon.com; 55 rue Charlot, 3e; h8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun; mFilles du Calvaire)
6PasDeLoupCOCKTAIL BAR
This trendy cocktail bar next to the Cirque d'Hiver in Le Marais is a small place with a simple wood bar and copper-tube shelving evoking Scandinavia in its design. But what makes it stand out for the city's increasingly discerning cocktail crowd is its interesting and superbly gourmet food pairings (from €10).
(%09 54 74 16 36; www.facebook.com/pasdeloupparis; 108 rue Amelot, 11e; h6pm-2am Tue-Sun; mFilles du Calvaire)
6La CaféothèqueCOFFEE
From the industrial grinder to elaborate tasting notes, this coffee house is serious. Grab a seat, pick your bean, and get it served just the way you like it (espresso, ristretto, latte etc). The coffee of the day keeps well-travelled taste buds on their toes and there are tastings of different crus. Two-hour Saturday-morning tasting initiations cost €60.
(%01 53 01 83 84; www.lacafeotheque.com; 52 rue de l’Hôtel de Ville, 4e; h8.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-7.30pm Sat & Sun; W; mSt-Paul, Hôtel de Ville)
6La Fée VerteBAR
Absinthe, predictably, is the speciality of the Green Fairy, a thronging neighbourhood bar that serves good food (burgers, salads) as well as 20-odd different types of the devilish drink (traditionally, with spoons and sugar cubes). Sunday brunch too.
(%01 43 72 31 24; 108 rue de la Roquette, 11e; h7am-2am; W; mVoltaire)
6Le Cap HornBAR
On summer evenings the ambience at this laid-back, Chilean bar is electric. The crowd spills onto the pavement, parked cars doubling as table tops for well-shaken pina coladas, punch cocos and cocktails made with pisco, a fiery Chilean grape eau-de-vie. Find it steps from place des Vosges.
(8 rue de Birague, 4e; h10am-1am; mSt-Paul, Chemin Vert)
6Le Pure CaféCAFE
With vintage wood and zinc bar, this cherry-red Parisian corner cafe is an easy spot to drop in for a morning coffee, aperitif, meal (mains €13 to €16) or copious Sunday brunch (€19). Its selection of natural and organic wines by the glass is particularly good. Film buffs: spot its quaint cinematic façade and traditional interior used in the film Before Sunset.
(www.lepurecafe.fr; 14 rue Jean Macé, 11e; h7am-1am Mon-Fri, 8am-1am Sat, 9am-midnight Sun; mCharonne)
Local LifeGay & Lesbian Marais
Guys' favourite venues in Le Marais include sociable Open Café (
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; www.opencafe.fr; 17 rue des Archives, 4e; h11am-2am; mHôtel de Ville) and cruisy Quetzal (
GOOGLE MAP
; 10 rue de la Verrerie, 4e; h5pm-2am; mHôtel de Ville).
Girls will want to head to 3w Kafé (
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; 8 rue des Écouffes, 4e; h7pm-3am Wed & Sun, to 4am Thu, to 6.30am Fri & Sat; mSt-Paul), which stands for 'women with women'.
A mixed gay and lesbian crowd loves Le Tango (
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; www.boiteafrissons.fr; 13 rue au Maire, 3e; h10.30pm-5am Fri & Sat, 6-11pm Sun; mArts et Métiers), especially during Sunday’s legendary gay tea dance.
Local LifeMarché d'Aligre
All the staples of French cuisine can be found in the chaotic street market Marché d'Aligre (
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; http://marchedaligre.free.fr; rue d’Aligre, 12e; h8am-1pm Tue-Sun; mLedru-Rollin): cheese, coffee, chocolate, wine and charcuterie included. It adjoins the historic covered market hall Marché Beauvau (
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; place d'Aligre, 12e; h9am-1pm & 4-7.30pm Tue-Fri, 9am-1pm & 3.30-7.30pm Sat, 9am-1.30pm Sun; mLedru-Rollin). The Marché aux Puces d’Aligre (
GOOGLE MAP
; place d’Aligre, 12e; h8am-1pm Tue-Sun; mLedru-Rollin) flea market takes place here. Food shops, wine bars – such as the wonderful, barrel-lined Le Baron Rouge (
GOOGLE MAP
; %01 43 43 14 32; 1 rue Théophile Roussel, 12e; h10am-2pm & 5-10pm Tue-Fri, 10am-10pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun; mLedru-Rollin) – and a rapidly increasing number of restaurants fan out into the surrounding streets.
Entertainment
3Opéra BastilleOPERA, CLASSICAL MUSIC
This 3400-seat venue is the city’s main opera hall; it also stages ballet and classical concerts. Tickets go on sale online up to two weeks before they’re available by telephone or at the box office. Standing-only tickets (places débouts; €5) are available 90 minutes before performances begin. By day, explore the eyesore opera house with a 90-minute guided tour backstage; check hours online.
(%01 40 01 19 70, 08 92 89 90 90; www.operadeparis.fr; 2-6 place de la Bastille, 12e; guided tours €15; hbox office 2.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat; mBastille)
3BadaboumLIVE MUSIC
Formerly La Scène Bastille and freshly refitted, the onomatopoeically named Badaboum hosts a mixed bag of concerts on its up-close-and-personal stage, but focuses on electro, funk and hip-hop. Great atmosphere, super cocktails and a secret room upstairs.
(www.badaboum-paris.com; 2bis rue des Taillandiers, 11e; hcocktail bar 7pm-2am Wed-Sat, club & concerts vary; mBastille, Ledru-Rollin)
Local LifeRue de Lappe
Quiet during the day, little rue de Lappe comes alive at night when its string of bars are in full swing. Catch music at the 1936-opened dance hall Le Balajo (
GOOGLE MAP
; www.balajo.fr; 9 rue de Lappe, 11e; hvariable; mBastille), with everything from salsa to R&B, plus old-time tea dancing during musettes (accordion gigs) from 2pm to 7pm on Mondays. Or try La Chapelle des Lombards (
GOOGLE MAP
; www.la-chapelle-des-lombards.com; 19 rue de Lappe, 11e; admission incl drink €20; h11pm-5am Wed, Thu & Sun, to 6am Fri & Sat; mBastille), which usually has concerts on Friday and Saturday.
Shopping
7Paris Rendez-VousCONCEPT STORE
Only the city of Paris could be so chic as to have its own designer line of souvenirs, sold in its own ubercool concept store inside Hôtel de Ville (city hall). Shop here for everything from clothing and homewares to Paris-themed books, toy sailing boats and signature Jardin du Luxembourg's Fermob chairs. Quel style!
(www.rendezvous.paris.fr; 29 rue de Rivoli, 4e; h10am-7pm Mon-Sat; mHôtel de Ville)
7La Manufacture de ChocolatFOOD
If you dine at superstar chef Alain Ducasse's restaurants, the chocolate will have been made here at Ducasse's own chocolate factory (the first in Paris to produce 'bean-to-bar' chocolate), which he set up with his former executive pastry chef Nicolas Berger. Deliberate over ganaches, pralines and truffles and no fewer than 44 flavours of chocolate bar.
(www.lechocolat-alainducasse.com; 40 rue de la Roquette, 11e; h10.30am-7pm Tue-Sat; mBastille)
7Viaduc des ArtsARTS & CRAFTS
Located beneath the red-brick arches of the Promenade Plantée is the Viaduc des Arts, a line-up of craft shops where traditional artisans and contemporary designers carry out antique renovations and create new items using traditional methods. Artisans include furniture and tapestry restorers, interior designers, cabinetmakers, violin- and flute-makers, embroiderers and jewellers.
(www.leviaducdesarts.com; 1-129 av Daumesnil, 12e; hhours vary; mBastille, Gare de Lyon)