If you follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Flickr, you’ll know that in March, I took a trip to France where I spent a few days in Paris. I was staying in a part of the city I was not very familiar with – the 7th arrondissement – and before I left I was a little worried that I would be “far” from my beloved Right Bank (and the 2nd where I lived for years and where I normally stay when I go to Paris). In fact, what I discovered was that pretty much everything all I needed in terms of great eats, drinks and shopping exists along Line 8 (Balard-Créteil) -also an efficient way to get across the city over to the République-Bastille area. In fact, what I ended up realising was that if I got off the metro at nearly any stop along the way, there was something on my “to eat/ drink/ discover” list needing to be checked out, making it my “go to” line not only for getting around but also for crossing things off this (never-ending) list! With 38 stops along the way, Line 8 is one of the longest in Paris. If you went from one end to the other, it would take approximately 60 minutes.
Some notable places along Line 8 are:
rue Cler, a gorgeous market street with specialty food stores, pâtisseries, fruit and vegetable stores, butchers, delis, chocolate shops, cheese and fishmongers and cafés.
Lemoine where you can taste canelés de Bordeaux.
Lafayette Gourmet. This gourmand’s paradise features names such as Sadaharu Aoki, L’éclair de génie, Pierre Hermé, Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse and many more…
Holybelly, serving damned good coffee (contrary to what many people believe, this is not a given in Paris, though thanks to places like this, the coffee scene is thriving these days). You can even grab your flat white to go!
Profiterole Cherie. The brainchild of Philippe Urruca (the president of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France pour la Pâtisserie), this tiny gem of a boutique sells one thing – profiteroles. But not just any profiteroles – these are truly works of art!
Marché Bastille. With everything from the ultimate in French fast food — le poulet rôti (roast chicken) — to funky shopping trolleys and early morning wine tastings this market offers something for everyone.
Alain Ducasse’s Manufacture du Chocolat, the first bean to bar chocolate maker in Paris.
Blé Sucré. Fabrice Le Bourdat’s glazed madeleines are worth the trip alone… but there’s more to discover there too!
Want to know more about what there is to discover along Métro Line 8? Check out my guest post over on the Vacation in Paris blog for all the details and to discover even more “bonnes addreses.”
What’s YOUR favourite Paris métro line?
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Oh the hours I logged on line 8! So many of my Paris favorite places are on that line over to Faidherbe-Chaligny — especially my top two, Au Passage and Red House!
Totally one of the more useful (and tasty) métro lines!
How wonderful! Wish I was there.
Thanks Gaye!