Chez Clément, 9 place Saint-André des Arts, 75006. Tel: 08 99 23 48 14. Métro: Saint-Michel.
Pont de l’Alma, bridge at the exit of métro station Alma-Marceau. The Zouave is on the up-river (eastern) side.
Quai Saint-Bernard, near the Institut du Monde Arabe: dancing happens here every night in July and August, unless it’s raining. It’s all semi-improvised, and all free. Being a French event, it’s strictly categorized into rock’n’roll, tango, salsa, hip-hop, etc. Métro: Jussieu.
Sewers (Égouts de Paris), opposite 93 quai d’Orsay, 75007. Tel: 01 53 68 27 81. Métro: Alma-Marceau. Open Saturday–Wednesday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. from October to April; and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. May–September.
Water-themed guided tours, Eau de Paris, see the website: www.eaudeparis.fr/page/pavillon/parcours-conferences?page_id=93
4 The Métro
Basilique de Saint-Denis, the ancient royal cathedral north of Paris. Saint-Denis is better known for the Stade de France and occasional rioting, but this cathedral was the first-ever gothic building, and the burial place of all French kings up to the Revolution. April-September 10 a.m.-6.15 p.m., Sundays 12 noon-6.15 p.m.; October-March 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays 12 noon-5.15 p.m. Métro: Basilique de Saint-Denis.
La Flèche d’Or, see Chapter 1 listings.
Parc André Citroën, a large modern park in the 15th arrondissement, worth a visit to take a fixed-balloon ride 150 metres up to see the Paris skyline, including the nearby Eiffel Tower. Adults 12 euros at weekends, 10 euros weekdays, reductions for young people. Open every day from 9 a.m. until 30 minutes before the park closes (usually at dusk). To check that day’s opening times, tel: 01 44 26 20 00. Métros: Javel, Balard.
5 History
Arènes de Lutèce, hidden behind the walls at 51 rue Monge, 75005, or accessible via the garden in rue des Arènes. Métros: Place Monge, Cardinal Lemoine, Jussieu.
Café de Flore, 172 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006. Tel: 01 45 48 55 26. Métro: Saint-Germain des Prés.
Chapelle Expiatoire, square Louis XVI, 29, rue Pasquier, 75008. Tel: 01 44 32 18 00. Métros: Saint-Lazare, Saint-Augustin, Havre-Caumartin. Open 1 p.m.–5 p.m., Thursday, Friday, Saturday, as well as on most bank holidays, and Bastille Day (14 July).
Musée Carnavalet, 23 rue de Sévigné, 75004. Tel: 01 44 59 58 58. Métro: Saint-Paul. Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m., every day except Mondays and (to quote the museum) ‘Sundays from Easter to Pentecost’.
Thermes de Cluny, part of the Musée du Moyen Âge, 6 place Paul Painlevé, 75005. Tel: 01 53 73 78 16. Métros: Cluny–La Sorbonne, Saint-Michel. Open every day except Tuesday, 9.15 a.m.–5.45 p.m. Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
6 Romance
Amour, hotel and restaurant, 8 rue de Navarin, 75009. Tel: 01 48 78 31 80. Métros: Pigalle, Saint-Georges.
Bassin de la Villette, large canal basin just northeast of Stalingrad métro station. Big, wet and greenish-brown. You can’t miss it.
Café Restaurant Le Temple, 87 rue Turbigo, 75003. Tel: 01 42 72 30. Métros: Temple, République.
The Champ-de-Mars gardens stretch between the Ecole Militaire and the Eiffel Tower, and are open all the time. Métros: École Militaire, Bir-Hakeim.
La Coupole, see listings for Chapter 1.
Hôtel des Grandes Écoles, 75 rue Cardinal Lemoine, 75005. Tel: 01 43 26 79 23. Métro: Cardinal Lemoine.
MK2 Quai de Loire, MK2 Quai de Seine, cinemas on either side of the Bassin de la Villette (see above, in this chapter).
Palais-Royal gardens, 75001 Paris, main access points at 6 rue de Montpensier, or behind Le Nemours café (see Chapter 1 listings). Métro: Palais-Royal. Open at 7 a.m., and close at 8.30 p.m. between 31 March and 1 October; 9.30 p.m. in June and September; and 10.30 p.m. between 1 April and 31 May.
Pont des Arts crosses the Seine just west of the Île de la Cité. Métro: Louvre-Rivoli. (It will probably need a phone number soon, so you can book a place at sunset.)
Le Ritz, 15 place Vendôme, 75001. 01 43 16 30 30 (and ask to book a table in le bar or le jardin). Métro: you really want to go to the Ritz by métro? Why not—I always do. Opéra and Concorde are both handy.
La Villa Royale, 2 rue Duperré, 75009. Tel: 01 55 31 78 78. Métro: Pigalle.
7 Sex
Le Chabanais brothel. It was closed in 1946, you naughty person.
Le Crazy Horse, 12 avenue George V, 75008. Tel: 01 55 26 10 10. Métro: George V, Alma–Marceau.
Musée de l’Érotisme, 72 boulevard de Clichy, 75018. Métro: Blanche. Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
8 Food
Aligre market, place d’Aligre, 75012. Métro: Ledru-Rollin. Market hall open every day except Monday. Big food market and flea market on Sundays.
Café Voisin, rue Saint-Honoré—closed in 1930, and stopped serving camel and elephant long before that.
Le Grenier à Pain boulangerie, 38 rue des Abbesses, 75018. Tel: 01 42 23 85 36. Métro: Abbesses.
Joinville outdoor food market, rue de Joinville, 75019. Métro: Crimée. Thursday and Sunday mornings.
Musée Carnavalet, see Chapter 5 listings.
9 Fashion
Bandits Manchots, website: www.banditsmanchots.net.
L’Éclaireur, bobo shop: for various branches, see www.leclaireur.com (the website is a Parisian experience in itself).
10 Cinema
Forum des Images, Porte Saint-Eustache, Les Halles, 75001. Tel: 01 44 76 62 00. Métro: Les Halles. For full opening times and prices, see: www.forumdesimages.fr.
The paris.fr website offers downloads of bilingual Parcours Cinéma or Paris film trails, little guides listing the main locations of (at the time of writing) a dozen or so films. And they don’t stick to intellectual French productions—Rush Hour 3 has a Parcours (presumably because the producers spent a fortune filming at the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides and the Opéra). Even the cartoon Ratatouille has one, though the animators probably didn’t do any of their graphic wizardry down in the real sewers. According to Mission Cinéma, there will be more of these Parcours on line soon.
11 Art
Pierre Chandelier, painter, see www.chandelier.free.fr.
Cité Fleurie, 65 boulevard Arago, 75013. Métro: Les Gobelins.
Cité des Fusains, 22 rue Tourlaque, 75018. Métros: Place de Clichy, Blanche.
Drouot auction house, 9 rue Drouot, 75009. Tel: 01 48 00 20 20. Métro: Richelieu-Drouot. Check www.drouot.com for sales dates. It is a French company, so there isn’t generally much activity in July, and none at all in August.
Fondation Arp, 21 rue des Châtaigniers, 92140 Clamart. Tel: 01 45
