What’s your favourite street in Paris?
Listed below are the best streets in all 20 arrondissements of Paris, according to tour guide extraordinaire April Pett.
I like her list because it’s not just streets, there are bridges, alleyways, elevated walkways and more, and she recommends them for different reasons.
Book a tour to see the streets of Paris with April here, at April in Paris tours.
So, click play below to hear the top 20 streets episode, and keep on scrolling for the pictures.
1. Pont Neuf
Sure, it’s a bridge, but it’s also a street and it’s a great one. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance and you can peer over into the beautiful little Square du Vert-Galant park.
2. Rue des Petit Champs
This street is the access way to all the hidden passages of the 2nd arrondissement, some aren’t very visibly marked so just walk along this street . These passages are a glimpse into yesteryear, says April.
3. Rue de Franc Bourgeois
In the heart of the Marais, you’ll find people flocking here, but don’t worry. It’s one of the best shopping streets in the city. On Sundays, in front of the Carnavalet museum, there’s a cute little jazz band of elderly musicians. It’s like an open-air concert, says April Pett. There’s Place des Vosges at one end too!
4. Rue des Barres
Great for an afternoon glass of Rosé on a sunny day – and there are very colourful facades too! Here’s a taste of a walk along the Rue des Barres…
5. Rue Mouffetard
A lively, beautiful market street. April calls it a sensation for all of the sense. Plenty of cobblestones. Cheese, pastry, crepe, wine… it’s a foodie haven on any given day. There’s a great tart restaurant – La Maison des tarts. Get a tart to go for €2.50.
6. Cour du commerce Saint-Andre
A combination of a small medieval cobblestones streets – don’t wear your high heels on this street! The Cafe Procope has been whipping out java since 1686.
7. Rue de Monttessuy
Perhaps the best street for a view of the Iron Lady – get there in the evening if you want to see her sparkle, says April.
8. Avenue Montaigne
It’s full of luxury shops. If you’re lucky enough to see it at Christmas, you’ll understand why Paris deserves the moniker of City of Light.
9. Rue du Faubourg Montmartre
Access to more hidden passages and the home to the oldest chocolate shop, A la Mere de la family, a chocolate shop from 1761. Bouillon Chartier, a legendary institution, 1896 and the prices are from 1896 too. It’s a big dining hall. You’ll feel like you’re at the halls of Oktoberfest.
10. Quai de Jemappes
When the sun is shining, everyone goes down to the canal and has a glass of Rosé. (Watch out for the canal crocodiles though…)
11. Passage Turquetil
A beautiful little place with framed art along the sides of the buildings, not to mention the old shoes they’ve made into plant pots.
12. Coulee vert
The elevated walkway, a great view of the 12th arrondissement. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
13. Avenue des Choisy
Restaurants, shops, and a great look into the Asian community of Paris. And it’s where you’ll find Pho 14 too, see below.
14. Square Montsouris
It feels like an extension of the nearby Parc Montsouris, it’s townhouses, and it’s very green, says April. It’s a pocket of village inside bustling Paris.
15. Rue Paul-Barruel
This street no longer has a baguette vending machine, as April mentioned in the episode, but it’s still a lovely street. If you fancy a walk in this district, maybe track down the charming Parc Georges-Brassens 🙂
16. Rue de Passy
A great place for boutique shopping, including the covered market of Passy. Check out the oyster and wine bar in the market, says April.
17. Rue des Dames
Just north of Place de Clichy. It’s a nice place for an evening out, try the Cave Populaire wine bar – 7 euros for a bottle of wine. And 8 euros for a charcuterie board. And it’s not touristy at all compared to the nearby Montmartre.
18. Rue du Mont-Cenis
On the backside of Montmartre, these are the legendary stairs leading up to the Sacré-Coeur. You’ll never feel more Parisian than when you’re scaling these stairs.
19. Rue de la Villette
A small street north of Parc de Belleville and leading to Buttes Chaumont, check out the restaurant there called Escargot (if you like things like snail, frogs’ legs, and kangaroos), says April.
20. Rue Denoyez
This place is an open canvas for street artists to lay out their masterpieces, says April. Check out the bar Aux Folies at one end, where it feels like Happy Hour every hour (and where Edith Piaf began her career as a cabaret singer).
That’s it! If you like Paris tips like these ones then check out The Earful Tower’s Guide to Paris.
And check out April’s tours here.
Can’t get enough of Paris streets? Once I asked followers on Facebook for their favourite and here are the 20 that they came up with.
And below is what happened when April Pett joined The Earful Tower for a walk down Rue Montorgueil. To see the full walk and a whole lot more, become a Patron here.
That’s it! If you like these tips, be sure to check out The Earful Tower’s Guide to Paris.
rue du Francs Bourgeois is in the 4th, not the 3rd. so you have 2 for the 4th and none for the 3rd,
I double checked now, Francs Bourgeois is in both the third and the fourth, so we’re OK 🙂
Wow!!!!…what a day yesterday was!!…a walk a chat and a podcast!!…Paris Paris Paris!!!…thamk you so much!!!…I slept dreaming of Paris!!!…well that’s quite common…bug they were made more vivid by your great work yesterday!!!…thank you!!!!
Avec plaisir!
20. Rue Denoyez
Need to update. At least half of the wall space has been torn down in the past year
Will investigate!
What Oliver, you didn’t even say “putain” during your argument!! 😉 Nice episode despite the negative comment at the end. I understand everybody cannot be pleased by the podcast, but there a nicer ways to say things… Anyway, keep going, I am excited to see so many things going on here!
I was in Paris last week and took this list with me. I was so excited to find the baguette vending machine. But, alas, after walking the four blocks of Rue Paul Barrel, I stopped at a boulangerie to ask. The machine has been gone several years. I enjoy your blogs, but please make sure the info is up to date! Merci 😀
Maybe the boulangerie didn’t want to lose business to a machine and lied to you…. 😉 I will look into this and update the story accordingly. It’s very, very tricky to keep a website with thousands of recommendations up to date, I rely on comments like this, so thanks for pointing it out and I hope you enjoyed the other streets 🙂