Over the last eight years or so, the Parisian district known as SoPi, South Pigalle, has seen a gradual evolution from a somewhat seedy and sleepy residential area bordering the red light district into one of the hippest neighborhood of Paris. This movement is proving to be more than a passing trend thanks to a steady stream of inventive restaurants, contemporary cafés, and original shops. Here are some of our favorite recent openings:
Not all Parisian bakeries have been created equally, and the queues trailing outside this new-wave boulangerie du quartier are a clear sign of its uniqueness. The bakery’s two owners, Victoria and Cécile, add an extra dose of passion, fun, and exceptionally high-quality ingredients into their signature “miche” loaves of bread, super-moist cookies, cinnamon-laden babka, and extra-buttery traditional viennoiseries.
45 rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris
Meaning taste buds in French, Papille, the best Australian-style brunch & coffee in Paris is definitely tantalizing those of neighborhood residents and beyond. In keeping with its slogan of “du bon manger all day,” Papilles proposes a delicious menu of contemporary French-meets-Anglo breakfast and lunch fare. Favorites include crumpets decked out in poached eggs; greens and bacon from The Beast; original croque-monsieurs using bread from aforementioned Mamiche, shitake mushrooms, and tangy mimolette; and pancakes topped with fresh fruit and lime whipped cream.
77 Rue Rochechouart, 75009 Paris
This cool concept store has added a touch of 1950-80s Soviet style to the wardrobes and apartments of SoPi locals since opening in early 2018. The brainchild of design trendsetters Marina Mussat and Kamila Sokolska, the shop presents a very select range of clothing, jewelry, and homeware, all Made in France and some exclusively designed for the shop, alongside Kamila’s excellent collection of sleek Soviet-era furniture.
28 Rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris
Residents of the 9th arrondissement no longer need to trek across town to the Marais to get good Israeli street food thanks to this new spot by the folks behind the nearby Pizza Di Loretta. Settle in on a tall stool in their minimalist interior for a Saul’s Bowl of quinoa, flavorful falafel, grilled sweet potato, pineapple, and pomegranate seeds; or grab an overflowing pita sandwich topped with roasted cauliflower and tahini to devour in the park up the street, a view of Sacré-Coeur gleaming in the distance.
66 Rue Rodier, 75009 Paris
As many Parisians know, it’s very difficult to get truly authentic Chinese food in Paris as most caters to a tamer French palate. L’Atelier Mala is rectifying this. Although owned by three French entrepreneurs, the restaurant was born out of their love of China and the menu of Sichuan specialities got the Chinese stamp of approval. This includes dishes like dumplings, noodle, rice, veggie and meat options… with a dash of famous Sichuan pepper. Start or finish your meal with a Tsingtao beer or spicy cocktail in their speakeasy style bar found in the basement.
56 rue Notre Dame de Lorette, 75009 Paris
The once traditional market street of la rue des Martyrs has seen an increase in contemporary gastronomy adresses since the appearance of the British eatery Rose Bakery a decade ago (who also incidentally have two new addresses in the area). This 21st -century gelateria is among the latest additions. A trial venture of the founder of Italian ice cream chain Amorino, this ice cream shop serves a variety of delicious, all-natural, vegan, unprocessed ice creams and sorbets, as well as organic salads, cold-pressed juices, tea, and coffee.
42 Rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris
Related Links
- Discover what’s new up the road in Montmartre.
- If you’re into furniture design and coffee, head to Residence Kann.
- Are you on the Left Bank? Check out the best restaurants on rue du Cherche Midi.
Written by Lily Heise for HiP Paris. Looking for a fabulous vacation, or long term, rental in Paris, Italy, France or elsewhere in Europe? Let us know. We can help!
WRITTEN BY
Lily Heise
Lily Heise has been living in Paris for more than 10 years. When she’s not getting into romantic mischief, she writes on dating, travel, and culture. Her writing has been featured in Frommer’s Guides, the Huffington Post, Conde Nast Traveler, City Secrets, DK Eyewitness Guides, and other local and international publications. She is the author of Je T’Aime, Me Neither, and Je T’Aime… Maybe? lively novelized memoirs on her romantic misadventures, and continues to share dating tips, stories and travel features on her blog www.jetaimemeneither.com.
“More precisely, it’s south of Place Pigalle that hipsters congregate, in what is now known as ‘SoPi’ (for South Pigalle). Their playground is the rectangular area extending from the Blanche and Anvers metro stations to the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and Trinité-d’Estienne-d’Orves stations.” https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/themed-guides/citybreak-a-paris/south-pigalle/south-pigalle-naughty-but-nice
Nobody calls Pigalle SoPi. First, Pigalle is too small to divide into north and south segments. Second, even if it were it would be « Sud Pigalle » so SuPi. But The French do not make contractions for neighborhoods like New Yorkers. This is just a hipster gimmick put on by foreigners for other foreigners. Please stop trying to make SoPi happen, it’s not.