The JB Walking Tour of Paris, part deux
The fabulous and underrated 11th arrondissement
How do I love the 11th arrondissement? Let me count the ways.
This is a part of Paris where — I like to say — the people live. It’s very residential and has a local feel. So, if you’re looking beyond the arrondissements 1-4 at the center of the city, or 5 and 6 which I wrote about last time, here are my discoveries as I continue to broaden my Parisian horizons.
Normally when I think of neighborhoods I like, I list them off by their metro stop. In this case, the area I enjoy is between St. Ambroise and Charonne on line 9.
Let’s get churchy
There are churches aplenty in Paris, and the Saint-Ambroise is a fabulous one in the 11th arrondissement. The Église Saint-Ambroise originally dated back to the 17th century but was torn down when Napoleon III (not that Napoleon) commissioned Georges-Eugène Haussmann to rebuild Paris into the wide boulevards and ‘Hausmannian’ architecture we know today.
Napoleon III also appointed someone to take care of the religious edifices at the time, and that’s when the new iteration of the church was built — between 1863 and 1868. Even though the ‘new’ version of the church doesn’t carry as much history, it’s still beautiful to look at. Across the street is a lovely public garden.
Address: Nestled between Rue Saint-Ambroise, Rue Lacharrière and Avenue Parmentier
Eats & Drinks
The Honey Moon
Every year on the summer solstice, there is a huge celebration across France known as Fête de la Musique to mark the longest day of the year. This year I went to the 11th to see some friends who were playing in a band. While they were still rehearsing, we decided to stop a few bars away to see another band — an American blues band — playing at a place called The Honey Moon. The music was amazing, but the bar looked really cute, too. It’s an ‘all-tap’ cocktail bar with gorgeous, smooth wooden tables and great lighting (I’m big on lighting).
Address: 15, rue Saint Sabin
Caféinoman by Cafés Pfaff
This is a great, cozy coffee shop. I met a fellow writer here in September when she was in Paris to host a writing workshop (sounds fun, no?). Inside there are long wooden tables with benches with a few standalone tables and chairs. Good lighting. In the back there is a little room with several tables for those who want to work or be in a quieter setting.
Address: 151, rue Saint Maur
Nomade specialty coffee
I found this place when I was in the area looking for a coffee shop. I like it here because there are a lot of people working on their computers, so it’s fairly quiet. The coffee is good and there is a lot of seating. You order at the front and they’ll bring your drink to you. They also serve bakery nibbles to fuel your brain.
Address: 8, rue Paul Bert
The Beans on Fire
The best coffee I have ever had came from this boutique. It was an Ethiopian bean (sorry, Colombia) with hints of berries that they sell on their shelves in whole bean, or they’ll grind it for you. It tasted so good, I swear it made me high with absolute joy. This cozy little shop sits just outside a little park nestled in the confines of the 11th arrondissement. The only downside is the seating is mostly outdoors, but that doesn’t stop the crowds from coming.
Address: 7, rue du Général Blaise
Le Chardenoux restaurant
Can one recommend a restaurant they haven’t been to? Watch me!
The most perfect-looking restaurant exists. It’s called Le Chardenoux. The first time I visited this area, I walked past this place with its gorgeous, wooden facade showing diners on their lunch break enjoying their meals.
It dates back to 1908 and has clearly been kept in pristine condition. I have not been there, but ambiance is half the battle in my book, and on vibes alone, this place wins. So, if anyone decides to try it, please let me know how it is!
Shops
Arc-en-Ciel Librairie Ésotéric
Are you into tarot, healing crystals, religious ephemera? Then this is the place for you. I found it a few years ago when I wanted to buy some tarot cards. I got some oracle cards in French that I like to read when I am looking for inspiration. They also sell bracelets and necklaces and meditation supplies.
Address: 3, rue Jean-Macé
‘Paulette à bicyclette’ jeweler
I have a thing. Whenever I travel, I like to pick up a small piece of jewelry as a memento of my visit. A lot of my jewelry tells the story of where and when I was in Paris or elsewhere in my life — and it’s easy to pack! In Paris, there are so many terrific small jewelry boutiques and a lot of them do not break the bank. I’ve passed this place several times and it touts ‘ethical jewelry’ and they do custom pieces. Now, this place is more expensive than I would go for, BUT if you want something really special that you can say you bought in Paris, it’s worth having a look!
Address: 13, rue Paul Bert
Bonus finds
Maison Boutet
Sometimes you just come across some real gems by accident. This is why I love Paris. The city is excellent about preserving old signage from a different era, even if the store in that same building is something completely different. For example, a few weeks ago, I was walking around the 11th and spotted this building across the street:
Turns out, the building used to house a company called Maison Boutet. It was built in 1925, drawing inspiration from Art Deco and industrial architecture designs. The building’s façade advertises bois exotiques (exotic wood) and other wood products. Maison Boutet supplied wood to carpenters, cabinetmakers and other artisans. Today it’s a 5-star hotel, but it’s worth admiring from across the street.
Address: 22-24 rue Faidherbe
Chez Aline
Finally, I have to present to you a fascinating treasure that, if it were not for my friend Sara, I would have walked straight past without noticing.
See the golden horse head above this shop? It’s an old sign for a horse-meat butchery. Now, look at the sign above the shop: Chez Aline. As Sara pointed out, the owner replaced the ‘v’ in chevaline — which is what a horse-meat butchery was called — with the letter ‘z’ to simply mean ‘Aline’s place’.
In the 19th century, many French people ate horse meat. It was cheaper than other meat, rich in iron and not very fatty. By 1866, horse meat was made legal to produce and sell. Whereas there used to be thousands of horse meat butcheries in France, today there are only a few hundred left. This shop has a gorgeous interior that looks like it hasn’t been touched since the 1960s (or earlier); now it’s a sandwich shop.
Address: 85, rue de la Roquette
Well, that about wraps up my little tour of the 11th arrondissement. I hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Awesome article! I’m ready to come and visit you in Paris!
I love the 11me, but don't get there enough. "CheZ Aline" is quite clever. I haven't seen a horse butcher's anywhere I go in years -- I wonder if they are more concentrated in certain areas of France.