The best street in Paris is rue des Abbesses and there’s no denying it.
It runs through the middle of the charming Montmartre district and is a hive of activity both day and night.
The locals say that Montmartre is like the village of Paris and this street is simply best example of that. As a former local, I wholeheartedly agree 😉
You have your butcher, your baker, your candlestick maker (well, maybe not a candlestick maker) all mushed in with coffee shops, restaurants, and better people-watching than anywhere in Europe.
I walked from one end to the other for this podcast episode, together with my wife Lovely Lina. Here’s the result in podcast form: please subscribe!
Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where you can see my video that goes with the podcast – and which is embedded above!
Speaking of YouTube, here’s a clip I uploaded from rue des Abbesses when it was snowing in January 2019!
Things to find on Rue des Abbesses
Here are the places we mentioned in the podcast episode. But I stress that you can’t really go wrong up there.
Vrai Paris for most ‘Instagrammable’ restaurant facade: 33 Rue des Abbesses

Amorino for the ice cream: 39 Rue des Abbesses
La Cave des Abbesses for the wine and hidden restaurant: 39 Rue des Abbesses
Terrass Hotel for the amazing view: 14 Rue Joseph de Maistre. (That’s me and author Cara Black up there filming a video!)

Do you enjoy the content offered by The Earful Tower? Why not subscribe on Patreon and get a load more bonus material?
If you love Montmartre, read my story about 18 cool things to find up there. And check out my walk on Rue des Abbesses with the Mayor of Montmartre in July 2020 posted below.
And if you are still wondering what Abbesses means, then why not listen to the podcast episode?! But here’s a hint.
Lastly, what do YOU think is the best street in Paris? Write it in the comments below 🙂
Have a lovely week!
That’s it! If you like these tips, check out The Earful Tower’s Guide to Paris.
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Kylie the Crocodile25.00€
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Paris On Air paperback25.00€
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The Earful Tower 2023 Guide to Paris [PDF]19.99€
And Le Relais Gascon! Humongous salads with fried potatoes 😋
I listen to your podcast while I walk outside (for exercise). When you do a “plein air” broadcast (my favorites!), the ambient city noises in the background make me look over my shoulder frequently…just as if I were there with you in Paris. It’s really LOL when it’s a French siren I hear…as I live in Indiana.
BTW I will be in Paris for the first time in my life this October. Listening to your podcast is not only informing and entertaining, but it is helping me prepare for a trip of a lifetime.
Thank you.
Thanks for listening 🙂 I’ll be sure to do more in plein air – though I can promise you that they take a heck of a lot more editing than the usual episodes 🙂
I’ve always thought Place des Abbesses was one of the prettiest and most quaint spots in the city.
While honeymooning in Paris last month, my wife and I did the exact walk you did for the video/podcast.
We then went to Montmartre cemetery, where my wife (who is a Veterinarian) enjoyed feeding some stray cats (which we knew to do from your podcast).
We finished our walk by finding a good deal on a Rugby Polo (grace a les soldes) at the Rugby Boutique on Blvd de Clichy.
Spent 2 months in Paris in 2017. Much of that in Montmarte, and, especially, Rue des Abbesses. I loved it!
Hi Oliver, thanks for your insights on Paris. I’m going to be back in France in a couple of weeks and will hit Montmartre in late September. I’m definitely going to check out rue des Abbesses while in Montmartre.
I have visited Paris several times but am far from an expert. Paris is an intriguing city but, admittedly, I find myself loving – and feeling at home in – Montmartre. Rue des Abbesses is without question my favorite street especially in the morning when city life awakens and the cafes begin to open. Waiting twenty minutes or longer for a simple breafast order would be torture in the United States, but somehow at a Montmartre cafe it is a pleasurable experience. Anthony Burke