As the Parisian arrondissements spiral out from the centre of the French capital, the neighbourhoods of the 2nd and 9th rub shoulders, forming a quietly cool duo that feels like the locals’ Paris. The latter is known as Opéra (or it now goes by the trendier name of “SoPi”, short for South Pigalle), which has become a buzzy and eclectic hangout for Paris’s discerning cool cats, offering an embarrassment of amazing dining options and stunning hotels away from the crowds.
Eat early
As sleepy as Paris can seem some mornings, the boulangers have been up for hours baking bread to fuel the locals. Rue des Martyrs is full of excellent bakeries, cafés and coffee shops, none better than the award-winning Boulangerie Mamiche, which must surely hold the crown for the city’s best brioche, and a cream puff that will blow your mind if not your daily caloric intake. For those with an early-morning sweet tooth, Sébastien Gaudard is excellent. Other great spots include the aptly named Pain Pain (the baguettes here are unreal, and don’t get us started on the desserts); Union Boulangerie is a must – the canelé is top notch but the roulé saucisse makes the English sausage roll look like something you wouldn’t even feed a dog; KB CaféShop in SoPi is the place to go if you’re a coffee aficionado and a great place to set up your laptop and pretend to work.
Eat late
Dinner is when Paris really comes alive. Racines is a hidden gem in the Passage des Panoramas. It’s an Italian “bistrattoria” helmed by chef Simone Tondo, who has perfectly amalgamated his grandmother Marisa’s traditional recipes with the contemporary charm of Parisian bistros. The Hotel Amour is a buzzy destination for pre-dinner cocktails and the restaurant itself is pretty good – it has a lovely leafy terrace and is open late, too. If you like Asian food then there is a slew of great restaurants all along rue Richer, while Neko Ramen on rue de la Grange Batelière is high-quality slurping. A super popular bistro with the in-crowd in the 9th is Bonhomme, led by inventive chef Matthieu Charriaud and his team who offer a creative, seasonal cuisine which showcases the quality of the French terroir. It’s never not busy, so book well ahead.
Drink
The aforementioned Hôtel Amour is a great place to meet friends and people-watch when you’re in the 9th, but there are plenty of amazing cocktails and watering holes dotted around. For something a little sexy and freaky, head on over to Sister Midnight in Pigalle, where founders Jen Riley and Joe Boley have cultivated an ’80s glam-rock scene replete with leopard-print upholstery and regular drag, burlesque and cabaret nights. Tiki-bar lovers will want to head straight for the aptly named Dirty Dick (the building was a former brothel) – fruity cocktails served in bonkers vessels by bartenders in Hawaiian shirts is a recipe that never fails to make for a great atmosphere. Django is a great spot for dinner and cocktails on rue Victor-Massé. The food – modern Mediterranean sharing plates – is exquisite and the cocktails its equal. One of our favourite hotel bars is at La Fantaisie on rue Cadet – it’s a rooftop bar called Bar Sur Le Toit and features pink velvet bar stools in the shape of open clam shells.
Shop
Rue des Martyrs is a fantastic place to start a day of retail therapy since it’s lined with all sorts of cool independents. From here you can explore some of the city’s best covered passages too, which are brilliant when it’s wet outside. Passage Jouffroy and Passage Verdeau are two of our favourites. The 9th is also home to Paris’s two biggest department stores aka les grands magasins: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. The main store of cult Parisian brand Sézane is found on rue Saint-Fiacre which, strictly speaking, is in the 2nd but it’s only a short walk away and is well worth the trip.
Chocolate addicts definitely need to swing by À la Mère de Famille on the corner of rue du Faubourg Montmartre and rue de Richer. It is heaven. It’s the oldest chocolatier in Paris and still makes all its produce in its factory in Chambray-lès-Tours. If macarons are more your thing then head to Pierre Herme Macarons. You’ll quickly realise that there are levels in the macaron game that you had never envisaged before.
Stay
The new hotspot is the La Fantaisie hotel on rue Cadet. We’ve already told you about the rooftop bar, so what’s the hotel like? In a word, sublime. Slap bang in the middle of the very cool Faubourg Montmartre neighbourhood, the 63 rooms of La Fantaisie hotel are beautifully designed in a childlike palette of greens and pinks with lots of florid patterns and upholstery. Another great option is Hôtel Adèle & Jules, which is made up of two identical small buildings, “Adèle” and “Jules”. You can find it in the buzzing hub of the Grands Boulevards, featuring very chic interiors designed by Stéphane Poux. The Grand Boulevards Hotel is sandwiched between the 2nd and the 9th and epitomises the sophisticated Parisian hotel. It features a restaurant under a grand glass roof, and two cocktail bars.
Do
Whether you spend most of your time exploring SoPi or venture north into Montmartre, the 9th is full of treats. Montmartre is of course the best place to take in the cityscape, especially as the sun goes down and the bars start to get buzzy. Take Boulevard Haussmann to Palais Garnier, the city’s incredible opera house – the grand staircase is worth the price of admission alone. If you’re in Paris as a couple, then you must take a trip to the Musée de la Vie romantique, which as the name suggests, is an elegy to all this romance. While love is in the air, catch a film at the newly refurbished Pathé Palace cinema on Boulevard des Capucines – we guarantee it’s the most beautiful cinema you’ve ever stepped foot into. Also not to be missed is the Musée national Gustave Moreau – a tribute to the great painter who was the teacher of Henri Matisse.
Ryan Thompson is a UK-based menswear and lifestyle writer, whose work has appeared in, among others, the Financial Times, Mr Porter, The Rake and Ape to Gentleman
