Off the Beaten Path in Paris' Montmartre

Café Lomi

Paris’ 18th arrondissement, to the north of the city, is a vast and varied area, encompassing some of the most affluent enclaves (right up at the top of the hill) and some of the shadiest (La Goutte d’Or), as well as one of the city’s most frequented tourist spots — Sacré-Coeur and the surrounding streets and squares in Montmartre.

HiP Paris Blog, www.larallonge.fr, La Rallonge, Montmartre Round Up

La Rallonge

But slightly off the beaten track is the more unassuming part of this neighborhood: the residential area in the foothills of Montmartre, extending from the arrondissement’s town hall – where I happen to have lived for the best part of a decade – which is well worth the detour to discover the lesser known shops, restaurants and more that the guide-book clutching hoards are yet to discover.

HiP Paris Blog, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up 8

HiP Paris Blog, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round UpManufacture Parisienne (Kim Laidlaw)

Here is a selection of my favorite new and newish places that look set to make this part of the 18th a destination on any discerning visitor or local’s itinerary. Food in the area ranges from a quick bite and coffee right up to fine French dining.

Off the Beaten Path in Paris' Montmartre

Café Lomi (Keith Isaacs)

The recent arrival of Café Lomi (3 ter Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris), a serious coffee joint that roasts its own beans and hosts tasting sessions, brought much joy to local laptop-wielding freelancers who now regularly set up shop at one of the wooden tables in the cosy yet spacious café to enjoy superlative coffee, delicious scones and a selection of light lunch and brunch options (such as quiche and salad) whilst taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi access and laidback welcome.

Off the Beaten Path in Paris' Montmartre

HiP Paris Blog, Bululu, Montmartre Round Up

Café Lomi (above)/ Bululu

Another relaxed – and cheap – place to grab a bite in the area is Bululu (20 Rue de la Fontaine du But, 75018), serving freshly made arepas, a Venezuelan sandwich made from gluten-free flatbread and filled with yummy delights such as avocado, beans and cheese, served with ice cold beer and banana chips.

HiP Paris Blog, Table d Eugene, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

HiP Paris Blog, Table d Eugene, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up 2

Table d Eugene (Kim Laidlaw)

On the other end of the scale is Table d’Eugène (18 Rue Eugène Sue, 75018), the freshly revamped gastronomic restaurant where you can eat a three-course fixed-price menu of French haute cuisine for the incredibly reasonable price of just €52.

HiP Paris Blog, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

Manufacture Parisienne (Kim Laidlaw)

Chef Geoffroy Maillard, formerly of Le Bristol, creates inspired seasonal dishes such as lobster with vanilla, chestnuts and mushrooms, matched with carefully sourced, independently-produced wines, all savored in this intimate restaurant tastefully decorated in soothing tones of chocolate and white.

HiP Paris Blog, La Rallonge, Montmartre Round Up

La Rallonge

From the same team comes the recently opened wine and tapas bar La Rallonge (16 Rue Eugène Sue, 75018), just a few doors up from Table d’Eugène, serving the same excellent wines as well as a selection of small plates to share, all anchored around the high quality of individual ingredients, including Serrano ham croquettes with onions and béchamel, or truffle risotto, as well as cheese and charcuterie platters showcasing delicacies such as bellota, coppa and manchego.

HiP Paris Blog, La Rallonge, Montmartre Round Up 2

HiP Paris Blog, La Rallonge, Montmartre Round Up

La Rallonge

This part of town is also a real gold mine for independent boutiques, including the charming Manufacture Parisienne (93 rue Marcadet, 75018) that seems to have jumped out of the pages of a fairy tale.

HiP Paris Blog, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

Manufacture Parisienne (Kim Laidlaw)

The almost entirely white space sells an array of artisan-made wares and gifts for children, adults and the home, sourced from family-run businesses and companies clinging to their savoir-faire, and often produced in limited editions especially for the shop. Every six weeks there is a new theme (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween…) and the stock and the décor change, and a new little box of goodies (including, for example, stationary, a book, sweets) in keeping with the theme goes on sale.

HiP Paris Blog, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

HiP Paris Blog, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

Manufacture Parisienne (Kim Laidlaw)

Another new boutique is Maison Nordik (159 Rue Marcadet, 75018), set up by a young French-Danish couple, selling vintage mid-century modern Scandinavian furniture in excellent condition sourced directly from Denmark in a spacious 100m2 two-level shop. Just up the hill, eccentric French brand Atypyk (17 rue Lambert, 75018) sells quirky and humorous knick knacks ranging from a cheese-shaped dish sponge to an “R.Mutt” sticker to turn your loo into a Duchamp-inspired work of art.

HiP Paris Blog, Maison Nordik, Manufacture Parisienne, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

HiP Paris Blog, Maison Nordik, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up 4

Maison Nordik & Manufacture Parisienne (above) / Maison Nordik (Kim Laidlaw)

Les Mauvaises Graines (25 Rue Custine, 75018) is an incredibly stylish plant shop – or indeed “urban gardening concept store”, as it calls itself – selling framed butterflies, vases and candles alongside ready made potted gardens to take away, and beautiful plants grown in the Paris region without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

HiP Paris Blog, Les Mauvaises Graines, Montmartre Round Up

HiP Paris Blog, Les Mauvaises Graines, Montmartre Round Up

Les Mauvaises Graines

Another recent addition to this side of Montmartre is the completely renovated 1920s building that is the Louxor cinema (170 Boulevard de Magenta, 75010), complete with its impressive mosaicked neo-Egyptian architecture, which reopened in April 2013 after 20 years of closure. The vast movie theatre houses three screens, one of which has a ceiling painted with a night-sky mural in the style of an Egyptian tomb, and specializes in art house films.

HiP Paris Blog, La Rallonge, Montmartre Round Up

La Rallonge

These new and/or revamped delights, together with an authentic, neighborhood charm and so many other wonderful fixtures that I don’t have the space to mention, make this part of the 18th arrondissement a worthwhile, up-and-coming (and yet to be overrun) destination in Paris for shoppers, foodies, coffee addicts and culture lovers alike. I look forward to bumping in to you there, sometime.

HiP Paris Blog, Maison Nordik, Kim Laidlaw, Montmartre Round Up

Maison Nordik (Kim Laidlaw)

Related links:

  • Ylenia takes us on a stroll around Montmartre, which just happens to be one of her favorite neighborhoods
  • Want to see more of the cozy Café Lomi? Paris Select has also payed a visit to the coffee gem
  • Don’t miss Thomas article for the HiP Paris blog about Centre Commercial, another great shopping spot in Paris

Written by Kim Laidlaw for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

WRITTEN BY

Kim Laidlaw

London-import Kim Laidlaw is the creator of insider city guide Unlock Paris. After studying History of Art at the Ecole du Louvre, she decided to make Paris her home and has lived here for 8 years and counting. Kim writes travel guides for Lonely Planet, Thames and Hudson and Dorling Kindersley, and articles for the BBC and Conde Nast, as well as copywriting for ad agencies in Paris and copyediting for several fashion magazines, including Fashion For Men and Self Service.

6 Comments

  1. Hi Esther,
    You could start from the Mairie du 18eme (the town hall – Metro Jules Joffrin) and walk to rue Marcadet from there. All the street numbers are in the piece above. And from there you could wander to Table d’Eugène for lunch (book ahead) and then head uphill towards Abbesses and the Sacre Coeur. Hope that helps!
    -Kim

  2. So inspired by your blog!!I am coming to Paris in February with my husband and son – just for a few days but definitely am planning to explore Montmartre. Can you give me kind of a walking itinerary with some street names? If I am by myself I can just happily wander around for hours, but with the “men”, I need to have a little bit more of a plan. I’d appreciate any advice you could give me. I have not been to Montmartre in years but I think we would all love it! Thanks!

  3. To be honest I don’t drink coffee really, I just dont like drinking coffee I dont feel good after I drink one, but when I do it’s going to be the one in Café Lomi.

  4. This is am area of Paris that we discovered several years ago…..we make a point of returning here each time we return to Paris…..infact we were just there a few days ago. The breeze was very ‘crisp’ as it swept through the streets, but it was a joy to be again in Paris and particularly in this area as it is ‘void’ of tourists.

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