Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [191]
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SELF-CATERING
The 15e has two markets, Marché Grenelle and Marché St-Charles, and ample supermarkets including Monoprix (Map; 2 rue du Commerce, 15e; 9am-10pm Mon-Sat; La Motte Picquet-Grenelle). If all you seek for lunch is a well-filled bread roll (from €3.60 to €4.70) or salad and a fruit tart (from €5 to €8.50) to take away or eaten at bar-stool seating, bakery Maison Kayser (Map; 49 rue Linois, 15e, 7am-8.30pm Mon-Sat; Charles Michels) is the best deal around.
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MONTMARTRE & PIGALLE
The 18e arrondissement, where you’ll find Montmartre and the northern boundary of Pigalle, thrives on crowds and little else. When you’ve got Sacré Coeur, place du Tertre and its portrait artists and Paris literally at your feet, who needs decent restaurants? But that’s not to say that everything is a write-off in this well-trodden tourist area. You just have to pick and choose a bit more carefully than elsewhere in Paris. The restaurants along rue des Trois Frères, for example, are generally a much better bet than their touristy counterparts in and around place du Tertre.
À LA CLOCHE D’OR Map French €€€
01 48 74 48 88; www.alaclochedor.com, in French; 3 rue Mansart, 9e; starters €7.50-10, mains €18-33; menus €18.50 (lunch only), €29 & €33; lunch Mon-Fri, dinner to 5am Mon-Sat; Blanche or Pigalle
This place, at the foot of the Butte Montmartre since 1928 and once the property of actress Jeanne Moreau’s parents, is the antithesis of trendy. Decorated in ‘old bistro’ style with photos of stars of stage (mostly) and screen (some) plastering the walls, ‘The Gold Bell’ serves up favourites like steak tartare (its signature dish), massive steaks and fish of the day. Order the baked Camembert and, in winter, sit by the fire.
CAFÉ BURQ Map French €€€
01 42 52 81 27; 6 rue Burq, 18e; menus €15 & €19 (lunch only), €26 & €30; lunch & dinner to 2am Tue-Sat; Abbesses
This convivial, retro bistro in the heart of Montmartre is always buzzing; make sure you book ahead – especially at the weekend. Don’t come for the décor or the space, though; both are nonexistent. Instead visit for the unfussy but well-prepared dishes like baked Camembert and lamb shoulder.
LA MASCOTTE Map French, Seafood €€€
01 46 06 28 15; www.la-mascotte-montmartre.com; 52 rue des Abbesses, 18e; starters €8.50-11.50, mains €19-25, menu €19.50 (lunch only) & €35; lunch & dinner to midnight daily; Abbesses
La Mascotte is a small, unassuming spot much frequented by regulars who can’t get enough of its seafood and regional cuisine. In winter, don’t hesitate to sample the wide variety of seafood, especially the shellfish. In summer sit on the terrace and savour the delicious fricassée de pétoncles (fricassee of queen scallops). Meat lovers won’t be disappointed with various regional delicacies, including Auvergne sausage and Troyes andouillette (veal tripe sausage).
LE CHÉRI-BIBI Map French €€
01 42 54 88 96; 15 rue André del Sarte, 18e; menus €19 & €24; dinner to 11.30pm Tue-Sat, brunch Sun; Barbès Rochechouart
Taking its name from the series of detective novels by Gaston Leroux (1868–1927), this odd little place can be found (with some difficulty, it must be said) on a grotty street on the ‘other’ (read: wrong) side of the Butte de Montmartre and when you arrive you won’t even know it as there is no sign outside. Just look for the thick black drapes in the shopfront window and enter what feels like the 1950s, with its postwar décor and excellent ‘family’ cooking (try the boeuf bourguignon).
IL DUCA Map Italian €€
01 46 06 71 98; 26 rue Yvonne le Tac, 18e; starters €9-14, mains €15-23.50, menu €13 (lunch only) & €24; lunch & dinner to 11.30pm daily; Abbesses
This intimate little Italian restaurant has good, straightforward food, including homemade pastas (€11 to €13). The selection of Italian wine and cheese is phenomenal; themed weeks, with various regions and types of produce, are scheduled