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Starting at the bottom of the Butte Montmartre and extending out to the Gare de l’Est, the Pigalle neighborhood is a mashup of all sides of Parisian life, from upscale hipster coffee shops to raucous, rock’n’roll bars.
Main metro stations in the area:
- Blanche (Line 2)
- Pigalle (Lines 2, 12)
- Barbès – Rochechouart (Lines 2, 4)
- Gare du Nord (Lines 4, 5)
- Gare de l’Est (Lines 4, 5, 7)
Life in the Neighborhood
“The best thing about living near la Gare du Nord is that I’m right next to all the coolest places for going out: Stalingrad, Canal Saint Martin, Rue Faubourg Saint Denis and Grands Boulevards. It’s also a great area to find delicious delis, hip restaurants, and chill cafés.
One of my favorite lunch spots in the neighborhood is Soucoupe, a cute little restaurant with coffee shop vibes. It’s the perfect place for a quick lunch date — the interior is beautiful, the prices are very affordable, and the staff is super welcoming.
On weekends, I love going to Chateau d’Eau, specifically Rue du Faubourg Saint Denis as it gathers my favorite spots in Paris on one street.
When I want a night out, I hit the Cours des Petites Ecuries for some drinks with my friends — it’s a small, hidden street lined with loads of casual bars with cute terraces. The drinks are cheap (3-4€ a pint) and they give away free French fries every night, with free couscous on Saturdays! The servers and bartenders are always kind and the overall ambiance is nice and cozy. Then, we always go to the Mauricette or the Chateau d’Eau Bar, before usually ending up at the night club Hôtel Bourbon.
But it’s not all about nightclubs and cocktails; I’m also lucky when it comes to grocery shopping! The Marché Saint-Quentin is right next to my apartment, which is so nice on Sunday mornings. In addition to selling fresh produce, the covered market is also home to some good restaurants. Rue Cadet is another one of my favorite places to go food shopping on Sunday mornings, as there’s a nice butcher, Chez Seb et Marie, and one of the best bakeries of the neighborhood too.”