A Day on the Left Bank
Morning
This area is as much about atmosphere as sightseeing, so take time to soak up some of that Left Bank feeling. Begin on the Quai de la Tournelle, strolling by the booksellers here and on the adjacent Quai de Montebello, which runs parallel to rue de la Bûcherie home to
Shakespeare and Company
.
From here head south down any street away from the river to the busy boulevard St-Germain. Turn right for two famous cafés, the Flore and the Deux Magots, and stop for a break among the locals talking the morning away.
Cut your way south to the rue de Grenelle and the Musée Maillol, a delightful lesser-known museum. Then enjoy lunch at L’Oeillade ( 10 rue St-Simon 01 42 22 01 60), a bistro full of Gallic atmosphere.
Afternoon
The later you reach the
Musée d’Orsay
the less crowded it will be. Spend an hour or two
exploring the collection. The most popular displays are the
Impressionists on the upper level.
After the museum visit, enjoy tea and a cake at Christian Constant, one of the best chocolate-makers in Paris ( 37 rue d’Assas, 75006 01 53 63 15 15).Or if it’s dinner time, stay at the Musée d’Orsay and indulge in their set menu (Thu only).
Booksellers
Shakespeare and Co Bibliophiles
spend hours in the rambling rooms of Paris’s renowned English-language
bookshop. There are books in other languages too and regular readings in
English and French.
Bouquinistes The green stalls of the booksellers (bouquinistes)
on the quays of the Left Bank are a Parisian landmark. Pore over the
posters, old postcards, magazines, hardbacks, paperbacks, comics and
sheet music.
Bouquinistes
Musée d’Orsay Bookshop As well as its wonderful collections, the museum has a bewilderingly large and busy art bookshop . La Hune Renowned literary hang-out. Good collections on art, photography and literature. Gibert Jeune A cluster of bookshops that sell everything from travel guides and French literature to cookery books and children’s stories. Album Specialist in comic books, which are big business in France, from Tintin to erotica. Librairie Présence Africaine Specialist
on books on Africa, as the name suggests. Good information point, too,
if you want to eat African food or hear African music. Tea & Tattered Pages An excellent venue for a relaxed afternoon’s browsing among thousands of English-language books; you can have a cuppa, too. Librairie Maeght Specialist in books on art adjoining the Maeght art gallery, with a good collection of posters, postcards and other items. The Village Voice North American bias, but works by writers from around the world as well.
The Village Voice
Specialist Food Shops
Patrick Roger One of a new generation of chocolatiers, Patrick Roger already has legions of fans thanks to his lifelike sculptures and ganache-filled chocolates. Michel Chaudun Michel Chaudun produces chocolates so divine that le tout Paris drops by in chauffeur-driven cars for a regular fix.
Jean-Paul Hévin Another of Paris’s distinguished chocolatiers. Elegant, minimalist presentation and superb flavour combinations. Poilâne Founded in the 1930s, this tiny bakery produces rustic, naturally leavened loaves in a Roman-style, wood-fired oven. La Dernière Goutte The
owners of this English-speaking wine shop, which has a good selection
of bottles from small producers, also run the nearby wine bar Fish. Debauve & Gallais This shop dates from 1800 when chocolate was sold for medicinal purposes.
Pierre Hermé Paris Here are some of the city’s very finest cakes and pastries, including what is said to be the best chocolate gâteau in Paris. Ryst Dupeyron Wine shop specializing in fine Bordeaux, rare spirits and sparkling champagne. Sadaharu Aoki Aoki
cleverly incorporates Japanese flavours such as yuzu, green tea, and
black sesame into intoxicating classic French pastries that taste as
good as they look. Gérard Mulot Here you’ll find some of the finest pastries in Paris, along with some truly miraculous macaroons.
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