Linger near the canal and you’ll also pick up on the 10th’s particularly 21st-century gestalt, one that puts a premium on art and leisure over money and work, with an aesthetic soft spot for the sort of ironic retro gear on display in the windows of shops like Antoine et Lili. Not surprisingly, the streets on and around the canal have experienced a café boom. Spots like Chez Prune and Le Poisson Rouge are packed around the clock, and while there’s no grande dame like Saint-Germain’s fabled Café de Flore, the 10th can hold its own with the bar at the Hôtel du Nord, familiar to many thanks to Marcel Carné’s memorable film of the same name. Stylish restaurants like Ploum and La Cantine de Quentin let you see what the cool crowd likes to eat these days, from Ploum’s spinach in sesame cream to the parmesan risotto served by Guy Savoy alum Johann Baron at La Cantine.
Away from the canal, the 10th harbors appealing modern places like Odile Guyader’s laid-back Café Panique and Thierry Breton’s brilliant Chez Michel. There are also wonderful fly-in-amber places, most specifically the delightful La Grille, which may serve the best turbot au beurre blanc in Paris. But to borrow a line of Arletty, the star of Hôtel du Nord, what all these places have most in common is simply “Atmosphère! Atmosphère!”
10th Arrondissement Address Book
Antoine Et Lili 95 Quai de Valmy (01-40-37-41-55)
Café Panique 12 R. des Messageries (01-47-70-06-84)
La Cantine De Quentin 52 R. Bichat (01-42-02-40-32)
Chez Jeannette 47 R. du Faubourg-St.-Denis (01-47-70-30-89) Hugely popular café offers a perfect snapshot of the 10th’s laid-back style.
Chez Michel 10 R. de Belzunce (01-44-53-06-20)
Chez Prune 71 Quai de Valmy (01-42-41-30-47)
Coin Canal 1 R. de Marseille (01-42-38-00-30). Furniture from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
Du Pain Et Des Idées 34 R. Yves-Toudic (01-42-40-44-52)
En Passant Par La Lorraine Gare de l’Est (01-40-35-47-80)
Furet Tanrade 63 R. de Chabrol (01-47-70-48-34). Fabulous small-batch jams and savory éclairs.
Globus France 74 R. du Château-d’Eau (01-42-47-00-58)
La Grille 80 R. du Faubourg-Poissonnière (01-47-70-89-73)
Hôtel Du Nord 102 Quai de Jemmapes (01-40-40-78-78)
Le Jemmapes 82 Quai de Jemmapes (01-40-40-02-35). Stylish café-restaurant with a casual menu.
Krishna-Bhavan, 24 R. Cail (01-42-05-78-34)
Le Look 17 R. Martel (01-50-10-20-31). Hipster canteen, busy all day long.
Maria Luisa 2 R. Marie-et-Louise (01-44-84-04-01). Brick walls, ’70s funk, and the best pizza in Paris.
Le Martel 3 R. Martel (01-47-70-67-56). A hip crowd and great French and North African food.
Le Passage De Pondichéry 84 Passage Brady (01-53-34-63-10)
Philippe Chaume 9 R. de Marseille (01-42-39-12-60). An intriguing photo gallery.
Ploum 20 R. Alibert (01-42-00-11-90)
Le Poisson Rouge 112 Quai de Jemmapes (01-40-40-07-11)
Urbane 12 R. Arthur-Groussier (01-42-40-74-75). Relaxed canteen with a popular Sunday brunch.
Le Verre Volé 67 R. de Lancry (01-48-03-17-34). Wonderful wine bar.
Wowo 11 R. de Marseille (01-53-40-84-80)
Aux Zingots 12 R. de la Fidélité (01-47-70-19-34). Friendly service, excellent wine list, and appealing bistro staples.
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