20 Mar Our tips on Montmartre
You have decided to spend a few days in Paris, the capital of France and the one of the most romantic cities in the world? Take this opportunity to visit Montmartre through its must-see spots but also its typical bistros, museums, shops, and cabarets. We offer you our selected places to make the most of the Montmartre neighbourhood and its air that still smells strongly of bohemian.
Improve your knowledge in the museums of Montmartre
Montmartre represents the Sacré Coeur basilica, the Place du Tertre and the Wall of ‘I love you’. But there are also famous museums. In particular, you will find the l’Espace Dalí which makes the largest collection of the painter Salvador Dalí’s work in France available to the public. Nearly 300 of them are exhibited here.
Come learn more about the neighbourhood by browsing through the Montmartre Museum. Located in a lovely 17th century house, the Bel Air house, it retraces the history of the village of Montmartre, restoring its bohemian and artistic atmosphere through a formidable collection of posters, paintings and photographs.
Montmartre’s boutiques: shopping for all!
In this neighbourhood of artists, where designing and imagination are the watchwords, you will have no trouble bringing back a souvenir or giving yourself a shopping break. Many designer boutiques open their doors to you, even on Sundays. Come and discover the delicate designs for women at Une Fille in town or the pretty things for children at Pamp’lune.
If you are more into vintage and second-hand, don’t panic, the Montmartre neighbourhood has its share of thrift stores like ‘By Flowers’, ideal for bargain hunting sometimes for downright vintage items! Similarly, don’t miss the Chinemachine store, opened in 2007 by a New Yorker which has become one of the benchmark thrift stores in Paris.
Clothes are of little interest to you, you are more versed in literature? Treat yourself by walking into the old book stores gathered around the Abbesses theatre and spend hours looking for literary nuggets.
Food-lovers, we haven’t forgotten you! In Montmartre, you can visit a small museum that will make your mouth water: the Larnicol boutique-museum, located rue de Steinkerque. Discover beautiful creations and bite into its specialties, kouignettes, which are miniature kouign amanns. Walk a few more meters, and stop at Christophe Roussel’s, a pastry chef renowned for the quality of his products.
Where to eat in Montmartre?
Throughout the day many typically Parisian bistros welcome tired visitors, and among them are fine gastronomic restaurants. Among the best places in Montmartre, we can name Le Jardin d´en Face with its green facade, which attracts an audience of foodies. It would be better to have a reservation to taste its typically French cuisine.
Do you want to go back in time? Come dine in the setting of the oldest restaurant in Montmartre, the Bon Bock, with a decor unchanged since its construction in 1879. Follow in the footsteps of its illustrious clients, Picasso and Apollinaire, while drinking a glass of absinthe and feasting on an authentic and invigorating dish.
To wrap up, go to the legendary Moulin de la Galette. Located on the hillock, at the foot of the Radet mill, it is the fruit of a long history during which it hosted popular balls where people came to loosen up a little. It is now a chic bistro with modern decor, offering a menu with great classics from the French cuisine.
An evening in Montmartre: the cabarets
Do not miss the Moulin Rouge and its famous French Can Can atmosphere! Opened on October 5, 1889, it received the whole of Paris that rushed in. The soul of La Goulue, the most popular Can Can dancer, still floats here. We could still hear Tino Rossi, famous on this stage, singing “Little Santa Claus”. It is at the foot of the Montmartre hill that the Moulin Rouge stands proudly and welcomes tourists from all over the world eager to discover its fabulous magazines. And why not, after a show, carry on with a night of care-free dancing at the Machine du Moulin Rouge, one of the most famous clubs in the capital?
Another place, another atmosphere at Agile Rabbit, open since the second half of the 19th century. Located on the Montmartre hillock in front of the vineyards, this cabaret in the heart of the village has seen artists as legendary as Gorge Brassens or Claude Nougaro on its stage. It is still operational today.
In the heart of Montmartren, there is so much to do that you will never be bored. Eat, visit, dance and above all, be thrilled in the heart of one of the most emblematic neighbourhoods of Paris!
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