Guide to Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris

The Seine literally and figuratively divides Paris in two – the Right Bank with landmarks like the Louvre and the bohemian Left Bank, where early and mid-20th-century artists and intellectuals held court on the café rooftops in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Art Deco hotspots like Les Deux Maggots and Café de Fleur still grace the neighborhood that Ernest Hemingway recalled in his memoir “A Movable Feast,” and jazz bands serenade crowds in historic underground clubs. But there is much more to explore in the village-like streets of St. Germain.

The neighborhood is a postcard-perfect vision of Paris: a grand, boutique-filled boulevard; Cafe terraces are practically designed for visitors. Former mansions have been converted into hotels. Antique shops and bookstores dot the cobbled squares. Art still abounds in major museums and a mix of classic and contemporary galleries. And apart from the grande dame department store Le Bon Marché, the streets are dominated by designer shops, and eateries named after celebrity chefs, you’ll find pint-sized. Cave á vin Where local people gather. Un verre de vin (a glass of wine) After-work and no-reservations restaurants with small plates intended for sharing.

Scroll through for local tips for the best things to see and do in historic Saint-Germain-des-Prés any time of year.

Best hotels and resorts

Release Christine

This former private mansion stands in a quiet side street behind a cobbled courtyard with ivy climbing its 17th-century walls. Relais Christine’s hidden location in the heart of the neighborhood makes it one of the best hotels in Paris for visitors who want to feel like a local. After wandering the streets, guests can indulge in a wellness treatment at the property’s Spa Guerlain, located beneath the 13th-century vaults of what was once an abbey.

Hotel Dame des Arts

Hôtel Dame des Arts is one of a crop of design-driven additions reviving the Left Bank. Intended to be “an artistic and cultural hub for Paris,” the property connects guests to the city’s local music scene with seasonal rooftop terrace shows that are arguably the best in the city. The place offers unbeatable views of the Notre-Dame Cathedral on one side and the Eiffel Tower on the other.

Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain

Sibling to the regal Pavillon de la Reine in the Marais, this 47-room boutique hotel nestled between the Seine and the Café de Fleur elegantly blends its historic past (it’s where James Joyce completed his famous novel “Ulysses”) with a modern touch thanks to Paris-based interior designer Didier Benderli. The apartment-style rooms at Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain have beautiful herringbone parquet and detailed crown moldings—and feel even more Parisian when you gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city’s classic mansard roofs.

Hotel Le Six

In an area that’s on the pricier side, the Haussmann-style Hotel Le Six near the Luxembourg Gardens is a rare find. Featuring a hammam and full spa, spacious bathrooms with L’Occitane bath products, and French balconies overlooking the picturesque streets of Paris, it’s an ideal base for exploring the Left Bank.

Best things to do

Shop local boutiques.

“Skip the trendy commercial windows on the grand boulevards in favor of small independent Parisian brands,” suggests Kasia Dietz, a Paris-based journalist and handbag designer who leads fashion tours in the city. “Women’s ready-to-wear label Kushka Paris opens its second store on Rue Saint Sulpice, where timeless looks include signature jeans, limited-edition jumpsuits, artwork-inspired blouses, and cashmere coats.” On the pedestrianized street, Uncouture showcases a selection of avant-garde dresses and tailored jackets with matching trousers. “To add spatial appeal, both designers offer structured measurements,” says Dietz.

Browse antiques.

As you cross the Seine, the narrow streets of St. Germain become an ancient quarter, and many shops are open to the public. “The neighborhood is changing a lot, but what I love are the streets where you still find antique dealers, design shops, and art galleries, like Rue Bonaparte, Rue Jacob, and Rue de Seine,” says Victoire de Taillac, co-founder of Officine Universelle Buly.

Walk through art galleries and museums.

“An art school always has a special atmosphere, and thanks to the students of the Beaux-Arts de Paris, this neighborhood is still alive and creative,” says de Tilac. A few standout galleries to add to your list include Galerie Charles-Wesley Hourdé, Galerie Larock-Granoff, and Ketabi Bourdet. “Their treatment is breathing new culture and life into a neighborhood that has historically been a fertile ground for the art world,” adds Sudeep Rangi, a third-generation baker and CEO and partner at Poilâne Bakery.

Listen to live jazz.

If a brass band serenading the crowd with Seine has you wanting more, you’ve come to the right neighborhood. “You have to check out Le Gainsbarre at Maison Gainsbourg, a café and piano bar inspired by Serge Gainsbourg’s early piano playing days in the city’s bars and cabarets,” says Kevin Grendel D. Keating, director of marketing, communications, and partnerships for SO/Paris. Considered the city’s original jazz quarter, many clubs in the area are still going strong today, such as the nearby Caveau de la Huchette. “I feel like I’m in Saint-Germain-des-Prés when I descend into the 16th-century vaulted cellar of Caveau de la Huchette for jazz and swing,” says Marianne Fabre-Lanvin, co-founder of French organic wine Souleil Vin de Bonté. “This is a real French. bal populaire: People of all ages and backgrounds, incredible dance moves, and enchanting performances by talented musicians.”

Sip a coffee or wine at the Marche Saint-Germain.

“One market you absolutely should not miss is the Marché Saint-Germain, a quiet covered market poison (Fishermen), a splendid From age (cheese shop), and Primer (grocers) with the best quality produce,” says Paris-based Catherine Down, a James Beard Award-nominated food and travel writer and culinary tour guide. Stop for an espresso at coffee shop Le Café du Clown: “David Benichou and his big Leonberger puppy, thesée, thesée, thesée—cookies, salted cookies, cookies, cookies with the giant. rum raisin ice cream sandwiches, and sweet Breton kouign-amanns,” says Down. “The outdoor terrace of adjacent wine shop Bacchus et Ariane is also one of the area’s most pleasant places to end the day with a glass of wine.”

Spend the morning at the Musée d’Orsay.

Originally founded with loans from the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay now boasts the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world. Set in a former Beaux-Arts railway station next to the Seine, it displays masterpieces such as Vincent van Gogh’s “Portrait of the Artist” and Edouard Manet’s “The Luncheon on the Grass.”

Excellent restaurants and bars

Avant Comptoir de la Terre

“A great way to spend your day in the neighborhood is at Avant Comptoir de la Terre, Yves Camdeborde’s standing-room only tapas-style restaurant,” says Alexandre Cellier, owner of the popular Greek restaurant Spiti Su in St. Germain. “Order four or five small plates and a glass of natural wine—and don’t forget to try. Poêlée de champignons.”

Do it

“Franck Audoux’s Cravan, with a Rizzoli bookstore inside, is an ambitious project with his signature delicious and indulgent cocktails a perfect and welcome addition to Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots, and Brasserie Lipp Corner,” say Poîlane and Rangi. The four-story cocktail bar occupies one of the last historic buildings on Boulevard Saint-Germain that dates back to the 17th century, and each floor is a different experience. At the first-floor bar, order classic libations like a champagne-topped roux or a Negroni and bar “snacks” like focaccia and bottarga or a high spin on shrimp tarama.

Augustine Marchand de Vince

gave Cave à Charni Doubles as a wine shop, so if you don’t book in advance (the hallway-sized space fills up quickly), you can snag a bottle from the extensive collection of French (especially Jura) and Italian bottles. The Right Bank is best known for its natural wineries, so Augustin Marchand de Vins. There is a rare exception on this side of the Seine. Animated Augustin offers you Italian charcuterie and plat du jour.

Azabo

“Having grown up around my family’s bakery in the heart of St. Germain-des-Prés, I love keeping an eye on establishments like mine and seeing the dynamic changes happening in the neighborhood,” says Poulin. “Azabo is my favorite Japanese teppanyaki restaurant in Paris because it combines Japanese savoir-faire with the flair of a French bistro.”

Loclino

Italian food in Paris is often a matter of cut-and-paste checklists—pizza, pasta, burrata—but Loclino is the real deal: carefully sourced ingredients, a short menu, and an impressive wine list, says Joshua Fontaine, founder of Parisian aperitif brand Lutèce and Maryelles-Ceerateel-Ceertedel-co. “It’s a great option for a solo lunch at the bar or dinner with friends in an area where it might be hard to find a local spot.”

Best time to visit

Paris is a year-round city—there really isn’t an off-season. That said, crowds tend to decrease along with the temperature, so outside of the holiday season in December, Paris is less busy during the cooler winter months and early spring. July is the busiest month, and summer can be hot, so if you want to avoid the big crowds, the best time to visit is during the shoulder season, April to May or September to November. Tulips can be a draw in the spring, but fall is a better bet because rain is less likely—plus, the changing leaves in Paris’ famous parks make for a lovely sweater-weather stroll. From late November until New Year’s Day, you can shop for gourmet goods and gifts at the Christmas market on the wooden shelves of Boulevard Saint-Germain.

How to get there

Given its central location in Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés is easy to reach on foot from the Louvre, Tuileries Garden, and Place Vendôme. Take metro line 4 or 10 to the Odéon stop or line 4 to the heart of the neighborhood, walking to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés stop. The downloadable CityMapper is a great app to help you navigate Paris’ public transport (its updated travel tips take line closures and strikes into account). If you are touring the Seine by Batobus, there is a stop that takes you directly to Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The streets of the neighborhood are walkable, but if you’re planning to visit other parts of Paris, you can order a ride share with Uber or Bolt, or take a taxi from a designated stand.