It’s impossible not to love Paris in the springtime, or as imminent as this summer, if you find the right place to set down your bags. The right neighbourhood can completely transform the way you explore the city. Away from the crowds that gather at the foot of the Eiffel Tower or line up outside Ladurée for macarons, the real City of Light unfolds in its neighbourhoods: tree-lined streets where laundry still flutters from wrought iron balconies, local cafés know their regulars by name (yes, Paris does flat whites now), and a perfect baguette is only ever a few steps away. These are the neighbourhoods where Paris still feels like Paris—lived-in, layered, and quietly stylish. From hilltop enclaves and riverside lanes to flea markets and literary cafés, this is a guide to the most characterful neighbourhoods in the city—and where to eat, drink and settle in, even just for a few days.

What is an arrondissement?
An arrondissement is a district – much like London's boroughs. There are 20 in Paris, and they are numbered in a clockwise spiral, starting in the city centre and sprawling outwards. Each one is distinct. Some, like the 6th or 7th, are more polished. Others, like the 18th or parts of the 13th, feel like secret cities within the city—gritty, romantic, always evolving. 

Hot tip: If you’re looking for an Airbnb stay, a hotel, restaurant or bar, and want to know what arrondissement it’s situated in, look at the last two numbers of the postcode.

Pigalle & SoPi
Beneath the neon glow of the Moulin Rouge, South Pigalle (SoPi) offers a distinctly modern take on the Paris neighbourhood: vintage record stores, natural wine bars and small restaurants that blur the lines between bistro and atelier. Eat duck confit or pasta at Le Pantruche, a local favourite with refined technique and warm service. A must-try is La Buvette, Camille Fourmont’s endlessly charming sliver of a spot draws in Parisian regulars. People come for her charm (and her famous white beans), as well as for the adventurous bottles she stocks.
 

Stay: Hotel Bienvenue: Clean lines, soft pastels, a courtyard for breakfast under the trees. The Grand
Pigalle Hotel, from the Experimental Group, was one of the city’s first relaxed boutique hotels (with
interiors by Dorothee Meilichzon, inspired by the romance of Pigalle). It remains a chic and buzzy
place to stay.

Montmartre
Montmartre is arguably one of the prettiest areas in Paris. It’s set on a hillside in the 18th arrondissement and has views across the entire city from the grounds of the Sacré-Cœur - an extremely busy, tourist-drenched white-domed church on the top of a hill. Once home to artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Picasso, Montmartre feels like a film set, with narrow pretty streets and the pearlescent dome of the Sacré-Cœur looming over it all. Explore the florists, fromageries and boulangeries of Rue des Abbesses. Walk up Rue des Martyrs, which starts in the 9th and leads towards Montmartre, it’s lined with excellent specialist food stores, bookstores and local boutiques, and is a favourite among Parisians.

Stay: Hotel Le Ballu: Here, mid-century elegance meets intimacy; tucked away but close to Rue des Martyrs. It feels like a hotel in a quiet Parisian neighbourhood, and Thomas (concierge and host) is a delight; filled with excellent recommendations on where to dine. 

Saint‑Germain‑des‑Prés
An icon of the Left Bank, Saint‑Germain retains the elegance of its literary past. Spend mornings browsing Librairie Gallimard and afternoons beneath the linden trees of the Luxembourg Gardens. Try the seasonal cooking at Semilla or perfect tartines at famed Poilâne. Find coffee at Café de Flore, where the likes of Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir and Trotsky sat, or something stronger at Prescription Cocktail Club.

Stay: At plush and ornate L’Hotel, where Oscar Wilde lived in his final years, there’s a deeply
romantic vibe. It’s said his last words were “either this wallpaper goes or I do”.
7th Arrondissement
Home to the Eiffel Tower, Rue Cler market and some of the city’s grandest avenues, the 7th is
postcard-ready Paris. But the 7th is also a residential district with quiet courtyards, antique dealers,
and some of the best pâtisseries in the city. Elegant dishes at Le Violon d’Ingres or an elevated meal
at L’Affable Bistrot. Drop by for a Champagne at Bar du Central.
Stay: This is a touristy district, so you can offset that by living like a local in an Airbnb, or stay at the
exclusive JK Place Paris, a stone’s throw from the Musee D’Orsay.

Butte‑aux‑Cailles
A hilltop mini-arrondissement in the 13th arrondissement, Butte‑aux‑Cailles feels like a separate world. A former village absorbed into the city in the 19th Century, complete with narrow lanes and
fairytale views of Paris. Street art creeps across the walls, vintage stores are dotted around, and in
summer the cafés spill out onto the pavement. On summer evenings, locals sit in the sun for aperitif,
before dinner starts well after 8pm. Eat market plates at Chez Gladines

Stay: C.O.Q Hotel in the 13th offers laid-back elegance, with minimalist style and excellent
breakfasts. It feels like the home of a very fun and elegant, fashionable friend.

Article by Kate Gibbs