Paris’ many arrondissements each have their own personalities, every corner uncovering a fresh expression of this wonderful city. A city steeped in history, the period that truly encapsulates Paris’ artistic elegance and stunning, opulent architecture is the ‘Belle Epoque’, an era you can feel resonating around you as you search and discover the old-fashioned but beautiful passageways and arcades of this age, tucked away in the centre of Paris; timeless respites away from the throngs of tourists you will find only a few streets away. So seduced by the old world charm, I found myself getting carried away taking arty black and white shots of the area, as you will see from my photos!
One of the passages at night, practising my black and white shots!
Beautiful mosaic floors and archways of the Galerie Vivienne.
Stretching from the vibrant and hip Etienne Marcel across to the upmarket and elegant Palais Royal, within this part of Paris you will find yourself walking under elegant porticos lined with upmarket shops, as well as wandering through narrow arcades filled with cafes and bars, their scruffy chic and old-fashioned charm capturing the never ending romance of Paris and its Golden Age.
Le Grand wine bar, tables outside to soak up the elegance of the Galerie Vivienne.
What I love about this area is that you can quite easily stumble across these arcades whilst exploring, and yet struggle to find them again when you’re actually searching for them. Their entrances blend into nondescript quiet streets, or sit comfortably on busy stretches, the beautifully inscribed Belle-Epoque writing above their entrances catching your eye as you stride past or look for somewhere to shelter from the rain, and instead discover a whole new hidden world.
Communal seating around the gorgeous central bar at Le Grand.
One of the most upmarket is ‘Galérie Vivienne’; once a thriving spot with locals for shops and cafes, it fell out of favour with the rise of the grandiose department stores that opened nearby. However, in the 60s, upscale boutiques started to make it their home once again and in the 80s Jean-Paul Gaultier opened up a shop and thus ensured the re-emergence of its former glory. Now, it is home mainly to luxury boutiques, but is well worth looking around, its striking mosaic floors and grand architecture making it a worthwhile visit. It is also home to one of the best wine shops in Paris, ‘Legrand filles et fils‘ (open daily 10-7.30, 11-7 Monday, closed Sunday) has a gorgeous bar at the back of the shop with outdoor/indoor tables under the arched ceiling of the arcade. The bar itself is popular with upmarket tourists, and you won’t brush shoulders with many locals here, but it’s an experience to be had and they have a fantastic wine list. My two glasses of wine were pretty expensive, but you are paying for the atmosphere and the wines were delicious. I went for a Saumur-Champigny, which was biodynamic as is often the case from the Loire area, and had gorgeous light, peppery notes with rich, ripe, red berries. And my Marsannay from the Bourgogne region was earthy, juicy and equally delicious.
Gorgeously placed and yet superbly economical, the Hotel Chopin.
Bars and restaurants line the passages.
There were some eccentric shops in the Passages!
Heading further north you reach the scruffier but just as atmospheric arcades near the metro ‘Grands Boulevards’. Called passages, as opposed to galéries, Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffrey and Passage Verdeau are covered walkways lined with shops and cafés that take you from one grand boulevard to another. It is hard to imagine when you turn off the unappealing and traffic-heavy Boulevard Montmartre that you are going to suddenly find yourself in an oasis of old world charm. Whilst not as upmarket as the Galéries, they are more lived in and offer a greater variety of casual cafés and restaurants, the kitsch charm of antique bookshops, stamp collectors and taxidermists sitting side by side adding extra appeal. These passages are always busy but never full, you can hear your footsteps resound as you walk along whilst glancing in the window of a busy restaurant, or catching the whispers of wine drinkers sitting outside a cute café. Popular with tourists in the know, you will also find locals here and ‘Coinstot Vino’ (open daily 12-2 for lunch and 6-12 in the evening, Saturday 6pm-12, Sunday closed) is a thriving little wine bar popular with both; with a decent selection of wines it’s a nice spot to imbibe at. There is also the ‘Hotel Chopin‘ in Passage Jouffrey, beautifully placed this cute little 2 star is basic but can offer the chance for both a romantic and economical stay. Metro Grands Boulevards, rooms at Hotel Chopin start from €90 in low season.
The beautiful and tranquil gardens of the Palais Royal.
Covered arcades surrounding the beautiful inner garden, at the Galerie de Beaujolais.
Quirky Cafe Kitsune, with other branches in Japan, its a cool place for coffee and cake.
As close as I got to the ‘Le Grand Véfour’ was a picture of the ceiling, but it looks impressive!!
Whilst not representative of the ‘Belle Epoque’, the gardens of the Palais Royals and its arcades have to be mentioned. An quiet haven positioned off some quiet nondescript streets at the back of the Palais, here you will discover opulence beyond measure whilst walking along the ‘Galerie de Beaujolais’ and the ‘Galerie de Montpensier’, two beautiful, long covered passageways that line the length of the ‘Jardin du Palais Royal’, and yet are completely hidden from outside view.. Being so close to the Louvre you would expect the garden to be always busy, and yet it never is. It’s another world, but you don’t feel like you are intruding upon a place reserved only for the elite, most people are just wandering aimlessly and happily down the tranquil walkways, enjoying the peace and quiet. The walkways consist mainly of super posh shops such as Stella McCartney as well as some expensive restaurants. One of which is the famous and eye-wateringly expensive ‘Le Grand Véfour‘, where even a starter can set you back €85. Owned by two star michelin chef Guy Martin, and housed in a grand and opulent dining room this is definitely one to keep for a special occasion! A bit more casual, ‘Cafe Kitsuné‘ (51 Galerie de Montpensier, open daily 9.30am-6pm) is a cute place to stop for coffee and cake and ‘Restaurant Villalys‘ (open daily 12-10pm, Sunday 12-8) next door is as pricey as you might expect for this area, but has an interesting menu as well as being suitable just to stop and have a glass of wine or a coffee, and their terrace overlooking the garden in the summer is a beautiful and popular spot to hang out. (Palais Royal 8 Rue de Montpensier, 75001, can also be approached from Rue de Beaujolais Metro Palais-Royal/Pyramides/Bourse)
My mousse was pretty decadent!
Casual but trendy elegance at Cafe Depot, lots of delicious cakes to choose from.
Continuing the food theme, just around the corner is the cute restaurant ‘Le Comptoir des Petits Champs‘ (17 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001, open daily 12-2.30/6-10, Saturday 12-11.30, Sunday 12-10pm). Stylishly decorated with an intimate back room, with small windows overlooking the back of the Galérie de Beaujolais. Service was friendly and food simple but tasted good. Nearby is the wonderful ‘Café Dépôt Légal’ (6 Rue des Petits Champs, open daily 8-11pm, 9-6 Sunday) suitable for meals or a coffee and cake. Bizarrely modern for Paris, it is trendy but warm and cozy with a sort of modern old world charm. Some outdoor tables sit just near the entrance to Galérie Colbert, another beautiful arcade which is open to the public to walk around and experience its splendour, it is owned by the ‘Bibliothèque Nationale’ and so houses no shops. At Café Dépôt I partook of a glutinous chocolate mousse and a veggie smoothie. Utterly divine and yet completely excessive; I had to walk home even though it was raining just to try and work off the calories. Forty minutes later and drenched I finally arrived, but it didn’t matter. I crossed the Pont des Arts, I wandered through St Germain, I strolled up empty side streets and bustling boulevards, peering in shop windows and pressing my nose against the glass of busy cafés catching a glimpse of Parisian life. When on foot, Paris will never disappoint, no matter what the weather.
