RIGHT: Hotel Amour is housed in a former brothel
28
SOUTH PIGALLE Formerly the heart of the red-light district, South Pigalle in the ninth arrondissement has swapped its seedy past for a more high-end status, earning the name SoPi along the way – a nod to Manhattan’s SoHo. North of the city, it’s located just below Montmartre and in striking distance of Gare du Nord. Strictly speaking, it stretches from Blanche and Anvers to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and Trinité – d’Estienne d’Orves. The area has long been a stomping ground
for writers, musicians and artists. Edith Piaf dedicated her song “Elle fréquentait la Rue Pigalle” to the area, while Henri Toulouse-Lautrec had a studio here and Josephine Baker chose to open her first nightclub in Pigalle. The Moulin Rouge remains its most prized possession, celebrating its 130th anniversary this year. But cast your eye beyond the building’s ruby-red windmill and you’ll get a glimpse of the new and improved SoPi. Wander around and you’ll spy hip cocktail bars,
organic cafés and retro hotels paying homage to its risqué past – the area’s most popular hideaway, a Polynesian tiki bar, goes by the name of Dirty Dick, while Hotel Amour is a stylish luxury revamp of a former brothel. Other parts of the ninth
arrondissement give no hint of the area’s gritty history, in particular the peaceful Nouvelle Athènes district. Recognisable for its neoclassical mansions and pretty squares, the area’s main draw is the Musée de la Vie Romantique, which displays works from the Romantic period, with a charming courtyard terrace ideal for après.
DE C EMB E R 20 19
WHERE TO EAT: Caillebotte is a small bistro inspired by the painter of the same name. Featuring an open kitchen, vintage posters and pale wooden furnishings, its sophisticated food offering is good value (two-course lunch €19/US$21).
restaurant-caillebotte.com WHERE TO DRINK: KB Caféshop (pictured right) is one of the best examples of the city’s coffee scene, with baristas serving visitors on its bustling terrace, and freelancers tapping away inside.
kbcafeshop.com WHAT TO SEE: Rue des Martyrs is one of the capital’s oldest – and most popular – market streets. Sloping all the way from Sacré-Coeur to Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, it’s lined with 200 shops, cafés, delis and pâtisseries – don’t miss Sébastian Gaudard’s 19th-century façade and irresistible pastries at door number 22.
sebastiengaudard.com/patisserie-des-martyrs
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
PARIS TOURIST OFFICE/MARC BERTRAND, PUXAN PHOTO
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
