Lo-Fi Paris
A City Guide Through Lomo Eyes
I have been to Paris various times of the year but I still love Paris most in the month of May.
* Lo-Fi Paris in Google Maps (coming soon)
** Thank you, Deborah, for the comment who prompted this project.
*** This guide is collected from visits in March 2005, sometime in 2007, May 2008, January 2009, June 2009 and January 2010.
LOUVRE AND ÉLYSÉES
Métro: Les Halles, Étienne Marcel, Louvre Rivoli, Palais Royal Musée du Louvre, Tuileries, Concorde
Astier de Villatte
173 Rue St Honoré
75001
01 42 60 74 13
Pretty special ceramics.
Cabane de Zucca
8 rue Saint Roch
75001
01 44 58 98 88
I’ve always liked Zucca and this is probably the only place in Europe where one can have a good feel of their collection.
Colette
213 rue Saint-Honoré
75001
01 55 35 33 90
I feel a bit silly to be writing about this multi-label lifestyle store. Everyone knows Colette, right? The store is always full of energy and has become a must-stop destination for every visit.
Comme des Garcons
54 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008
01 53 30 27 27
A tucked away store for the CDG family that still confuses me sometimes when I visit. Was it the one on the left, or maybe it’s right?
E. Dehillerin
18 rue Coquillière
75001
01 42 36 53 13
Some may be surprised by the shabbiness of its interior since E. Dehillerin is a world-renowned cookware store. However its old-world charm (your shopping gets wrapped in brown paper!) is precisely why I love this store. Best for quality bakeware – square tart cases, madeleine trays and petit fours molds.
G. Detou
58 rue Tiquetonne
75002
01 42 36 54 67
Baking supplies.
Goyard
233 rue Saint-Honoré
75001
01 42 60 57 04
There is always something charming in the shop windows.
Hermès
24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008
01 40 17 46 00
Quite simply, a must.
Jardin des Tuileries
Rue de Rivoli
75001
For one of the sweetest carousels around.
L’Heure Bleue
17 rue Saint Roch
75001
01 42 60 23 22
Best for picking up vintage French linen though the store has limited opening hours. Check ahead to avoid disappointment.
Ladurée
16 rue Royale
75008
01 42 60 21 79
Tourist trap? Perhaps. But it’s fun and has become part of my Paris ritual.
Librairie Gourmande
92/96 rue Montmartre
75002
01 43 54 37 27
Bookshop for interested cooks.
Le Comptoir de Tunisie
30 rue de Richelieu
75001
01 42 97 14 04
Like having lunch at a Tunisian friend’s house. There’s a daily set menu so you can’t choose what you want but you can be sure that the food is homely and the service is friendly. Lovely mint tea to finish.
OPÉRA
Métro: Madeleine, Opéra, Chaussée d’Antin, Havre Caumartin
À la mère de famille
35 rue du Faubourg Montmartre
75009
01 42 82 49 56
Ancient Parisian candy store. Really good atmosphere in the shop and great website too.
Fauchon
24 place de la Madeleine
75008
01 70 39 38 00
I go to this one mainly to be inspired by the presentation.
Lafayette Gourmet
40 blvd Haussmann
75009
01 42 82 34 56
If you don’t have time to visit the many little delicatessens, pâtisseries and boulangeries of Paris, then a trip to Lafayette Gourmet will be a quick introduction (but not a replacement). And there’s the Sadaharu Aoki counter…
Passage des Panoramas, Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau
75009
A very pleasant walk through this series of covered shops and discover Paul Vulin, a second-hand bookshop, and Pain d’Epice, a traditional toyshop where you can build a French doll-house.
Repetto
22 rue de la Paix
75002
01 44 71 83 20
Repetto is the first store I visited on my first trip to Paris. What a difference it is then from the ever-busy store today. On a weekend, it is likely that you have to queue to get into the store, then queue to get your right size brought out, and finally queue again to pay for your selections. It’s no wonder as their ballet shoes command a loyal following. I seldom wear another brand. My favourite style is the slightly forgotten Cendrillon since BB is the current favourite that comes in many different materials and colours.
Saint James
5 rue Tronchet
75008
01 42 66 19 40
Nautical stripe t-shirts and accessories from this Normandy-based company are one of the best French souvenirs you can get.
LE MARAIS
Métro: Rambuteau, Hôtel de Ville, St Paul, Pont Marie, Sully Morland, Bastille, Chemin Vert, Saint Sébastien Froissart, Filles du Calvaire, Arts et Métiers
3 Juillet Sarl/Yves Andrieux
55 rue Charlot
75003
01 42 71 19 54
My favourite shop on this street of independent designers. Yves Andrieux makes a variety of hats and bags from vintage fabric in their atelier at the back of the shop.
A.P.C.
112 rue Vieille-du-Temple
75003
01 42 78 18 02
Another must, because there is always something to buy.
Au Petit Bonheur La Chance
13 rue Saint-Paul
75004
01 42 74 36 38
If you’re after old cute things and don’t have much time for the markets, just go to Au Petit Bonheur La Chance. The shop is a pick-and-mix heaven of vintage and new stationery, kitchenware, haberdashery, packaging and other knick-knacks.
Breizh Café
109 rue Vieille-du-Temple
75003
01 42 72 13 77
The staff are dressed in Saint James uniforms and you can smell your galette (or crepe) being cooked after you place your order. One of the best I’ve had in Paris!
EW
21 rue Saint Paul
75004
01 42 77 55 11
Enamelware, lace and linen for the French country look.
florence loewy
9 – 11 rue de Thorigny
75003
01 44 78 98 45
Art bookshop.
Isabel Marant
47 rue de Saintonge
75003
01 42 78 19 24
The relaxed, pretty style of Isabel Marant fits in perfectly with the bohemian Marais district and I like that the old signboard of the previous store was preserved.
L’As du Falaffel
34 rue des Rosiers
75004
01 48 87 63 60
Pita bread stuffed with shredded red cabbage, fried eggplant slices, hummus and the best part, crispy little chickpea balls. Pile on the harissa! Casual food at its best.
Les Archives De La Presse
15 Rue des Archives
75004
01 42 72 63 93
Wonderful cave of vintage magazines.
le Petit Atelier de Paris
31 rue de Montmorency
75003
01 44 54 91 40
Ceramics made in a workshop behind the shop and the cutest Parisian shop dog, Pompon.
le Taxi Jaune
13 rue Chapon
75003
01 42 76 00 40
The warmest service I’ve experienced in Paris is in this cosy bistro. We went on a night where the menu only had options too exotic for my English partner so I ordered a cheese plate for his main. No snears, no questions asked, just a gracious smile. I would have returned on this alone and it certainly helped that the food was delicious as well.
Mariage Frères
39 rue du Bourg Tibourg
75004
01 42 72 28 11
Another one for picking up souvenirs – the beautifully packaged tins of tea are great for gifts.
merci
111 boulevard Beaumarchais
75003
01 42 77 01 90
That I didn’t find anything I wanted badly is sort of beside the point. The building in which merci sits is so beautiful.
Pain de Sucre
14 rue Rambuteau
75003
01 45 74 68 92
It was so difficult to pick something out of the array of cakes, pastries and savoury breads. Everything looks so good!
Pozzetto
39 rue du Roi de Sicile
75004
01 42 77 08 64
I had to join a short queue for my gelato but its lovely flavour and creamy texture compensated for the wait, especially on a hot day in Paris.
Batignolles-Monceau
Métro: Argentine, Ternes
Zinc Caïus Le Bistro
11 rue d’Armaillé
75017
01 44 09 05 10
I had a simple lunch of lentils and lard at this bistro but the flavour stayed in my memory.
MONTMARTRE AND PIGALLE
Métro: Abbesses, Pigalle
Patisserie Arnaud Delmontel
39 rue des Martyrs
75009
01 48 78 29 33
One of my favourite memories of Paris is of having breakfast outside Rose Bakery and watching a guide dog lead a lady into the patisserie then refusing to leave. It had to be tempted out of the bakery one step at a time with delicious treats the lady just bought at Arnaud Delmontel. Quite a scene, yes, but can’t fault Parisian dogs for having good taste.
Rose Bakery
46 rue des Martyrs
75009
01 42 82 12 80
I love Rose Carrarini’s food philosophy even before I visited because of her book – Breakfast, Lunch and Tea – and tasters at their little corner in Dover Street Market. I now visit it religiously on every trip as everything about Rose Bakery is right for me – the simple but always fresh food, the extremely functional yet pleasing interior, the pottery, the trust between the customers and the shop, I could go on and on…
SAINT-GERMAIN
Métro: Odéon, Mabillon, St Germain des Prés, St Sulpice, Sèvres Babylone, Rennes, St Placide
A.P.C.
38 rue Madame
75006
01 42 22 12 77
I visit A.P.C. stores without fail wherever I go. How can I miss the one on rue Madame when in Paris?
Bread & Roses
7 rue de Fleurus
75006
01 42 22 06 06
The best tarte au citron I’ve had in Paris so far.
Café de Flore
112 blvd Saint-Germain
75006
01 45 48 55 26
Just down the street from my hotel so there’s no excuse not to visit!
Da Rosa
62 rue de Seine
75006
01 45 21 41 30
The risotto with ham made from acorn-fed Black Iberian pig is very addictive.
Deyrolle
46 rue du Bac
75007
Enchanting and fascinating taxidermy boutique, perhaps even more so after the tragic fire of 2008. Rooms are reopening one at a time so I like to check back on the progress whenever I visit.
Dries Van Noten
7 quai Malaquais
75006
01 44 27 00 40
Dries Van Noten’s modern-ethnic-craft aesthetic manifested in a shop.
Hédonie
6 rue de Mézières
75006
01 45 44 19 16
If I lived on the Left Bank in Paris, I’d be doing my grocery shopping here.
L’Epicerie
23 rue des Saints Pères
75006
01 42 96 90 02
Small but perfect.
La Grande Épicerie
38 rue de Sèvres
75007
01 44 39 81 00
Food emporium.
La Maison Rustique
26 rue Jacob
75006
01 42 34 96 90
Specialising in gardening books but also with selections in cookery and interior.
Ladurée
21 rue Bonaparte
75006
01 44 07 64 87
Probably not their most impressive of their salons but it was within easy reach of a hotel I stayed in. The classic macaron!
Les Deux Magots
6 place Saint-Germain-des-Prés
75006
01 45 48 55 25
Since I’ve already done Café de Flore, why not Les Deux Magots as well?
Les Relais de L’entrecôte
20 rue Saint-Benoît
75006
0145 49 16 00
Another French establishment – this one is known for its steak frites (and the secret sauce!). Other than a walnut salad starter and some selections for desserts, beef and potatoes are about all this chain of restaurants serves. Only half of the portion is plated, while the other half is kept warm while you eat. That’s a nice touch.
Pierre Hermé
72 rue Bonaparte
75006
01 43 54 47 77
Some say it’s the best macaron in Paris, so that possibly makes it the best in the world. My favourite is olive oil and vanilla. I still can’t decide who makes the best macarons though!
Poilâne
8 rue du Cherche-Midi
75006
01 45 48 42 59
In London, Poilâne’s sourdough bread is in my shopping basket almost every week. It was a bit of a pilgrimage to visit the original Poilâne store in Paris to see how their traditions have been preserved while moving on with the times (love the shopping experience on their website!).
Sadaharu Aoki
35 rue de Vaugirard
75006
01 45 44 48 90
French techniques, Japanese flavours. I’m addicted to their black sesame and strawberry macarons.
Métro: Porte de Clignancourt
This flea market is quite possibly a shadow of its former self or perhaps it depends on your luck and the time of the year you are visiting. But there are still some interesting vintage finds to be seen especially around rue Paul Bert. I especially like Galerie Christo and the shop opposite full of Chinese and Indian antiques.
What hotels would you recommend in Paris?
Hi there!
I’m going for a vacation in Paris for Easter and I have to say that your post is absolutely fabulous!! I’m literally building an intenerary around it!! Thank you so much!
Hi Tommy, your website is beautiful and so descriptive. I am heading to Paris in July and was wondering if you could tell me which areas you would recommend a couple in their mid 20’s to stay? we are interested in design, food, clothing etc? thanks x
All these pictures have made me re-live my trips to Paris & I can not wait to go back! aaaaaaawwwwwwww, just beautiful! I can almost taste the macarons now….
Wonderful, wonderful photos, this was an amazing informative post. I enjoyed it thoroughly, thank you.
Amazing post – definitely bookmarked quite a few places for when I visit in September. And to echo some other commenters: do you have any recommendations on reasonable places to stay? Like Katrina, we’re also a couple in our mid-20’s.
Love this post! Was planning a trip to Paris this year that got cancelled so these photos transported me to some of my favorite Parisian haunts…laduree, repetto, deux magots, isabel marant. Thank you so much as it enabled me to relive my last trip 4 years ago!
Hi–I love your blog–the photos are lovely and bring back very pleasant memories of Paris for me. I studied at L’Alliance Francaise in Paris back in the day and stayed at Cite Universitaire–I had so much fun!!!
Where would be a good place to go antiquing and to find items for the home/housewares/plates/glasses/lamps? I am looking for antiques (though not for museum pieces) but will not be there on a weekend to attend a flea market?
Thanks,
Elizabeth Roberts
This is a beautiful summary of what Paris can offer.
If you like Paris in May, next time you come back you should visit “Les puces du design”. It’s a kind of flea market for designers that takes place every year in the end of May.
And also, the bar called “La fourmi” in Pigalle, my favorite, for its very French (and unexpensive) spirit!
*
hello fellow malaysian!
i love love love your blog!
i am visiting paris in october, was wondering where would be the best cheap hotel/dorm to stay?
thanks so mucho!
Thank you so much for this guide! I’m taking my first trip to Paris in September and am looking forward to lots of picture taking, bike riding and thrifting. So all of this advice is spot on for me.