See a different side of Paris in the 19th arrondissement, the city’s hottest hangout

Published on January 17, 2024 at 9:30 am

To cliché Paris’ 19th arrondissement as ‘off the beaten track’ would be an understatement. Sandwiched between the Elysian artist’s district of Montmartre in the 18th and the haunting stillness of the 20th’s Père-Lachaise, most guides will warn tourists to avoid le dix-neuvième due to its history as a peripheral ghetto lacking the big-name landmarks of the 1st, 7th, or 5th. However, ask a Parisian where the best place to hang out is and more and more often they’ll tell you the 19th. An unspoken cultural crossroads where Canal d’Ourcq and Canal Saint-Denis meet, the 19th’s status as a blindspot for most tourist means it has become a sanctuary for authentic bars, bistros, boulangeries, and music spaces where you’ll rarely hear a language spoken other than French and brush shoulders with Paris’ up-and-coming generation who have gravitated towards its subtle yet punchy punk charm. This is Paris like you’ve never seen it before, the Paris of tomorrow.

Quai de la Marne, in Paris' 19th arrondissement

Summary

What to do
Where to eat
Where to stay
Where to go out

What to do

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont

Built over an abandoned quarry during the twilight of Napoleon III’s Haussmannian makeover of Paris, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is an oddity in Paris: a park of undulating hills and soaring cliffs, contrasting to the manufactured, mellow flatness of its better-travelled contemporaries like the Latin Quarter’s Jardin du Luxembourg or Catherine de’ Medici’s Jardin des Tuileries in the 1st. Stepping into Buttes-Chaumont then has a feel of stepping into the fairytale wilds found in the paintings of Boucher or Watteau, decorated with hidden grottos, rustic architecture, and a Roman temple folly perched 164ft (50m) into the ether atop a monumental cliff carved from the quarry’s gypsum rock. Connected to the rest of the park by an iron suspension bridge designed by one Gustave Eiffel, the panorama is one of the most arresting in Paris, revealing the bohemian rooftops of ancient Montmartre with the hallowed Sacré-Cœur in full view.

Les canaux du dix-neuvième

Both in spirit and topography Paris’ 19th conjures something of Amsterdam, vivisected by the historic Canal Saint-Denis and Canal de l’Ourcq before their collision point at Bassin de la Villette. As well as offering waterside walks without the foot traffic of the Seine’s banks (climb the Passerelle de la Moselle for a quintessentially Parisian view of the Eiffel Tower), the twin canals’ quays are teeming with trendy bars and cafes uncompromised by the touristic sheen (and waits) of central Paris. Head to Le Pavillon de Canaux for a genuinely arthouse experience in an upcycled and conservatoried ex-canal inspector’s home; Le Hang’art for a grassroots, art-infused wine and dine with a more sophisticated air; or hop aboard L'Eau Et Les Rêve for a coffee in a former barger now converted into a bucolic botanical-cafe-cum-bookshop.

Les puces de Saint-Ouen

An exercise-in-miniature of the French art of flânerie, the Puces de Saint-Ouen is the largest of Paris’ famed flea markets, its 1700 vendors spread across seven hectares of land and 15 separate markets. Long a mecca for the city’s most fashionable, walking its labyrinth alleyways sometimes has the surreal effect of window-shopping at the Palace of Versailles, gorgeous antique 17th and 18th-century antiques, paintings, and bric-a-brac scattered along storefronts. Elsewhere you will find a cornucopia of vintage clothes (everything from Victorian garb to 70s high-end designer), books, prints, records, and other miscellaneous goods. There’s so much to offer that people will rarely leave without buying at least one thing. Come open-minded and no set intentions; you’ll be surprised by what you find.

Where to eat

Le Cadoret

Located in Belleville, the old working-class neighbourhood where Édith Piaf was born, Le Cadoret is the culinary star of the dix-neuvième, breaking into Michelin guides and CN Traveller reviews. Owned by brother-sister duo Louis-Marie and Léa Fleuriot (the latter of whom leads the kitchen charge), its relaxed, bistro atmosphere and terrazzo floors conceal genuinely brilliant French cooking behind the kitchen walls as Léa puts traditional Parisian gastronomy under a contemporary yet sensible and ever-respectful pair of eyes. So, a classic beef pot-au-feu is reimagined with sticky hoisin sauce in place of the usual French mustard and roast chicken and pommes dauphines are served upon a pungent bed of kimchi, the flavours harmonising in surprising union. Compliment your main with one of their standout, retro-style desserts (go for the île flottante or crème caramel) and a pairing from the carefully-curated, 100% organic wine list.

Where to stay

La Belle Ville

Located in a Singapore-style garden high-rise on Belleville’s edge, La Belle Ville is a chic, contemporary hybrid space comprising a boutique, four-star hotel with sleekly decorated rooms; a comfortable pizza salon; and a stylish Spritz bar. It is a tight and professional operation, impeccably clean and with an exceptionally-trained, warm staff who do its professional aesthetics justice, yet the rooms never feel unhomely between the meditative balcony spaces and hyper-cosy beds. Rooms go from £177; book your stay through the link below.

La Belle Ville

La Belle Ville, a 4-star hotel in Paris, sits just 4.9 km from Gare du Nord and 5 km from Gare de l'Est, offering amenities such as a bar, restaurant, room service, and a 24-hour front desk, as well as free WiFi throughout the property.

From

£132 /night

Book!

Where to go out

La Gare / Le Gore

Located in the bones of an abandoned railway station that has remained largely unrenovated to maintain an underground, squat event feel, La Gare / Le Gore is one of Paris’ most interesting musical offerings, running as a jazz club from 9pm to 1am every night before opening the basement at 12pm and transforming into an until-daybreak techno club with a cult following among young Parisians. The weekly jazz line-ups are inspired, bringing veteran artists from around the globe to student ensembles from the nearby Conservatoire de Paris, one of the leading music schools in the world, pushing the limits of the jazz genre. Attendance at the pre-midnight jazz guarantees free entry to the literally below-ground techno if you want to experience the best of both worlds, or visit in the day for a drink and a bite to eat on the beautiful terrace garden.

La Station - Gare des Mines

Another converted railway stop, the outcome of a holistic brownfield rejuvenation of the city’s petite ceinture freight track, La Station - Gare des Mines is a mecca for the experimental on Paris’ outermost bounds. With a focus on underground and emergent electronic and techno music and a white-hot reputation among the scene’s most important name, La Station has an avowed commitment to giving voice to the unheard and creating a late-night safe space for those who need it and particularly those within the queer and LGBTQIA+ communities. Events often have a queer hue to them then, combining music with drag or cabaret performance and featuring line-ups of queer-identifying artists.

by Jude JONES

Need a hand? take a look at our guide

Paris