A weekender’s guide to Le Marais in Paris

What to see and do

The historic heart of Le Marais is the Place des Vosges, which is a good place to get your bearings. We wandered into the central garden, where the perfect square of manicured lawns and four fountains are surrounded by clipped linden trees and were bathed in winter sunshine. The statue of Louis XIII’s on his horse at the centre is a nod to the aristocracy who lived in this district throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, before it fell out of favour until the late 20th century. This was the start of its renaissance, when the bobos (bourgeois bohemians) began to bring it back to life. Now, its red-brick mansions that surround it on all sides are particularly striking in the soft amber daylight.

The arcades that surround the square on all sides are perfect for shoppers, but with another peek at history in mind, I showed Jodi a discreet door in the south-west corner that leads into the gardens of the Hôtel de Sully, one of the many mansions (hotel particulier) squirreled away between the narrow, golden-stone streets. You can walk through its parquet gardens and on through the building – now the seat of the Centre des Monuments Nationaux, the body responsible for France’s national heritage sites. For museums, the area abounds in cultural highlights. The Musée Picasso is set another hôtel particulier, and exhibits some 5000 of the Master Artist’s paintings, sketches, etchings, sculptures and other creative works. From there, it’s a short stroll to the newly renovated museum of Musée de la Chasse et la Nature, which draws much fewer crowds, but is worth a look for its beautifully curated displays of hunting trophies, guns and a towering stuffed polar bear.

Where to eat

For food lovers, the Marché des Enfants Rouges is a must. It is set on the site of a 16th-century orphanage, in which the children were dressed in red – hence the name. Today it’s a cornucopia of food, as well as stands selling fresh fruit and vegetables and seafood, there are places to eat sur place. The choice is huge, from classic French, or from around the world – you can try Cajun, Lebanese, Moroccan, Italian dishes, while vegans and vegetarians are also well catered for. Its most-loved stand is Les Enfants du Marché – it doesn’t take bookings but after a short wait, we got a pair of stools at its famous counter. After a starter of terrine with crispy endive, with a bottle of natural wine, we were eager for our main course – a Mont d’Or to share. This soft cheese is only in season from mid-October to mid-March and is best served baked in its box, scooped up with bread or sautéed potatoes.

Another highlight of the trip took us to the virtual sunshine of Provence; Chez Janou (Rue Roger Verlomme). With its primrose walls and colourful film posters, the restaurant is always buzzing. To kick things off, we had a mauresque – pastis with almond syrup, topped up with water. With 80 different kinds of pastis on offer, there was no excuse not to join in with this most Provençal of aperitifs. With dishes that were imbued with Riviera sunshine, such as fluffy panisses – deep-fried chickpea ‘chips’ – and as swordfish with tian of vegetables, and more melted cheese atop ravioli. Our waistbands had grown tight, so we vowed to return for the mousse au chocolat which is ladled onto diners’ plates by waiters carrying a huge bowl.

Coffee and patisserie

Le Marais has expanded in recent years to include the ‘Le Haut Marais’ between the République and Bastille (and parts of the 11th arrondissement), and it’s worth wandering over there for coffee and pastries. The French Bastards (a rugby-ball shaped loaf is called un bâtard, though the name has other origins) is a new breed of boulangerie run by three friends that opened in 2019. They source their top-quality ingredients from carefully chosen producers, which translates into excellent flavour in their many different loaves and pastries. While Jodi chose a glazed cinnamon escargot (like a Danish), I had my eye on a different kind of patisserie just along the street. Chambelland is also hugely popular with Parisians thanks to its range of gluten-free pastries and breads including riffs on classics such as a Paris-Brest-éclair. So good I was tempted by another.

Shopping

The popularity of Le Marais means that many of the shops that have moved into the main shopping streets are brands you might find throughout France, such as Diptyque and Comptoir des Cotonniers. As enticing as they are, the streets a little further away offered shops that were more off-beat and perfect for a spot of window shopping, what the French call la leche-vitrine (literally, window licking). We peered into some fascinating windows such as Peterhof on Rue du Pas de Mule, with its amazing collections of Russian Dolls (les matriochkas in French). Rue des Tournelles was full of curious places such as an incredible wig shop, another with exquisite silk flowers, and one for sophisticated lighting. My appetite drew us into Maison Plisson (93 Bd Beaumarchais), a treasure trove of foods from all around France – from jars of salted caramel from Brittany to my favourite cornichons from Maison Marc. While the wine shop Bouquet des Vins would have been an ideal stop for a verre de vin had it not been 10am.

Also in the 11th arrondissement, on this side of the Marais is the Epicerie Loïc B, a similar food-loving shop and the project of a man after my own heart – Loïc Ballet presents programmes and reports on France’s TF1 about regional foods and producers. Needless to say, Loïc and his team have carefully chosen the products from across the country – there is everything from cheese and charcuterie, to jars of cassoulet and artisan-made pasta.

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