Historically a hangout for literary greats the likes of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre and Ernest Hemingway and home to artists Delacroix, Ingres and Manet, the 6th arrondissement, also known as Saint-Germain-des-Prés, continues to entice the fashionable and creative. And famously, Oscar Wilde lived his last years at what is now plush boutique address L’Hotel, his room still intact.
This Rive Gauche neighborhood is reminiscent of a more opulent era, a contrast to the bourgeois-bohème energy of the Right Bank. It’s here, within a tangle of cobbled streets that modern art galleries now mingle with antique shops, and one of the city’s most popular bistros coexists with a third-generation bakery with a subterranean hearth. No other district so perfectly shows off the city’s elegance while priding itself on its many modes of culture. Here, a guide to the boutique designers, centuries-old museums, scene-y cafés and always-booked restaurants that make Saint-Germain both timely and timeless.
Where to Shop
Alix D. Reynis
Inspired by France’s decorative and architectural heritage, designer Alix D. Reynis launched her delicate and refined tableware and lighting brand in 2011. Producing her collections in Limoges, a city famed for its porcelain, Reynis soon followed with story-invoking candles, from scents recalling the garden of Eden to a monastery in Constantinople. Her most recent foray into jewelry continues to celebrate French savoir-faire. Each piece is hand-drawn and molded in 18 karat gold or vermeil, some set with semi-precious stones. Stepping into her boutique that’s filled with well-chosen antiques feels like an invitation into the elegant apartment of a gifted artisan.
22 rue Jacob, +33 (0)1 42 2 27 36
Uncouture
Unable to find womenswear that was stylish, versatile, and wrinkle-free, fashion designer Béatrice Ferrant set out to create her own. Having worked for luxury houses including Jean Patou, Louis Féraud and Balenciaga, Ferrant stepped away from classic conventions to introduce her label Uncouture in 2020. Each iconic dress, jacket, shirt and trouser blends sustainability, innovation, and couture and is produced in seven sizes to fit every silhouette. Ferrant offers clients a personalized in-store shopping experience by appointment.
22 rue de l'Echaudé, +33 (0)1 44 07 37 96
Marin Montagut
It’s impossible not to feel Marin Montagut’s devotion to Paris when stepping into his whimsical world. A natural-born artist, traveler and collector, it’s Montagut’s “Bonjour Paris!” guide that led him to create his eponymous brand, followed by the opening of his shop in 2020. His designs include mouth-blown glassware and hand-painted decorative plates, as well as illustrated scarves and cushions, some depicting Saint-Germain and the neighboring Luxembourg Gardens. Each locally-made piece tells a Parisian tale, one that even Parisians find appealing. Montagut’s universe—a composition of objects that he felt were missing in daily life—is a jovial celebration of French art de vivre. Often found working at his in-store desk, Montagut will paint a glass with your favorite Paris street name.
48 rue Madame, +33(0)9 81 22 53 44
Charlotte Bialas
An affinity for vintage fabrics led Charlotte Bialas to design bespoke womenswear collections using rare prints dating from the 1950s and sourced from antique fairs, auctions and mills. Since opening her flagship store in 2016, the Swedish-born designer has continued to create limited edition contemporary dresses, pants, blouses and coats, all produced in small ateliers in Paris. Even her Scottish cashmere sweater collection, inspired by nomadic farmers in the Gobi Desert, are sustainably crafted. A shopping experience with Bialas includes tailoring services to ensure a perfect fit.
67 rue Madame, +33 (0)1 57 40 69 10
Museums
Musée D’Orsay
Former railway station Musée d'Orsay exhibits one of the world’s largest collections of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, including works by Monet, Degas, Renoir and Cézanne. Not to miss are Vincent van Gogh’s lesser-known but highly praised paintings, Paul Gauguin’s carved wooden panel titled Maison du Jouir or House of Pleasure and one of the most influential works of all time, Édouard Manet's Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe. Along with French paintings dating from 1848 to 1914, sculptures, including a ten-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and an Art Nouveau furniture gallery take the spotlight.
1 rue de la Légion d'Honneur, +33 (0)1 40 49 48 14
Musée du Luxembourg
Having opened its galleries for the first time in 1750, almost 100 years before the birth of Claude Monet, this stately dwelling along the Luxembourg Gardens was the very first French art museum (along with neighboring Palais du Luxembourg). Today, exhibitions address everything from modernity in the 20th century to female artists and the role of Paris as the capital of the arts. The museum’s 2011 redesign by architect Shigeru Ban included the addition of tea salon Mademoiselle Angelina and space for educational workshops. On March 2nd, an exhibit entitled “Pioneers: Artists in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties” will open, highlighting pioneering female artists including Tamara de Lempicka and Sonia Delaunay.
19 rue de Vaugirard, +33 (0)1 40 13 62 00
Musée Maillol
A tribute to artist Aristide Maillol, considered the master of the female nude, Musée Maillol is an intimate museum tucked away in the Left Bank, just behind Edme Bouchardon’s famous sculpture “La Fontaine des Quatre Saisons.” Founded by his devoted model Dina Vierny, the rooms, decorated in wood paneling and Versailles parquet, display Maillol’s plaster models, terracotta sculptures, paintings, drawings, ceramics, and even his early tapestries. Maillol’s deep admiration for the female form is omnipresent throughout all his work, including monumental sculptures L'Air, La Montagne, and La Rivière. In addition to gems from Vierny's private collection, the museum features special shows, such as a photography exhibit by Steve McCurry, which is on until May 29th.
59-61 rue de Grenelle, +33 (0)1 42 22 59 58
Restaurants & Bakeries
Semilla
Everything from the unpretentious duo of Drew Harré and Juan Sanchez—wine bar Freddy’s, fish-focused bistro La Boissonnerie and casual lunch spot Cosi—has found a fast following in Saint-Germain, but Semilla is the crème de la crème. All of the details, from the industrial dining room to the open kitchen to the inventive dishes from young chef Thomas Dardenne, exudes a casual elegance. Open for both lunch and dinner, noteworthy plates include beet carpaccio, sweet onion soup with miso, and veal sweetbreads with chanterelles, paired with a selection of wines from the owners’ nearby wine shop La Dernière Goutte. Save room for fresh figs with milk ice cream and a hazelnut financier.
54 rue de Seine, +33 (0)1 43 54 34 50
Le Comptoir du Relais
For 16 years, chef Yves Camdeborde has reigned over the Place de l’Odeon. Considered the father of bistronomie cuisine, Camdeborde’s first foray in the 6th was this tiny bistro and it’s been one of the harder tables to get in the city ever since. With no reservations accepted for lunch or dinner (unless you’re staying at the attached hotel), the menu at Le Comptoir is an à la carte mélange of neo-classical dishes like veal carpaccio and lobster bisque. For a selection of over 60 small plates inspired by produce from land and sea, head next door to Camdeborde’s standing-room-only Avant Comptoir de la Terre or Avant Comptoir de la Mer. Camdeborde’s newest venture, a wine bar of sorts, L’Avant Comptoir du Marché, is a few blocks away.
5 carrefour de l'Odéon, +33 (0)1 44 27 07 50
Huîtrerie Régis
The superior selection of bivalves at teensy oyster bar Huîtrerie Régis is culled from the famous oyster fields of Marennes-Oléron along France’s western Atlantic coast – providing the best and most fresh selection in Paris. Platters of scallops, clams, prawns and sea urchins are also on offer. Inside tables are few but it’s worth the wait. Weather permitting, perch on the outdoor terrace with a crisp glass of white Muscadet, or take your seafood to go.
3 rue de Montfaucon, +33 (0)6 56 79 05 36
Marsan
Whether it’s blue lobster from Brittany or scallops with Tandoori spices and fresh coriander reminiscent of travels to India, every dish at this Michelin two-starred restaurant comes from a place of both curiosity and talent. The acclaimed French chef, Hélène Darroze, opened Marsan, “the restaurant of her dreams” in 2019 as a tribute to her upbringing in France’s Southwest, where her family also ran a restaurant for many years. To be fully immersed in Darroze’s work, book "La Table d'Hélène," a large farmhouse table that sits just outside the pristine open kitchen for a Southwest tour via caviar from Aquitaine, hake from St-Jean-de-Luz, poultry from the Landes and black truffles from Périgord.
4 rue d'Assas, +33 (0)1 42 22 00 11
Café de Flore
Located on an unmissable corner of boulevard Saint-Germain, Café de Flore, the emblem of Saint-Germain’s café culture, has been attracting the fashion and culture cognoscenti since the late 19th-century. It’s the sort of place where writers and artists like Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, the Giacometti brothers and Picasso would congregate to discuss art and politics. Today its crowded terrace functions as a runway for the international crowd whose regulars include Sonia Rykiel and Sofia Coppola. It’s quite possibly the best people-watching in all of the Left Bank. While Café de Flore isn’t necessarily known for its cuisine, the very classic salade Niçoise and duck confit are fine options, as is the beautifully presented chocolat chaud, hot chocolate.
172 boulevard Saint-Germain, +33 (0)1 45 48 55 26
Poilâne
Dating back to 1932, Poilâne makes use of a wide range of grains and slow ancestral fermentation to produce the grandiose loaves of bread that emerge from their wood-fired brick oven just below the shop. Today, the bakery is run by third-generation Apollonia Poilâne, who is tireless in devising new bread and pastry recipes, keeping the bakery very in step with the moment. Not to be missed are the addictively simple sablés (butter cookies) and the apple tarts. For those who can’t visit the shop, Poilâne has an impressive shipping arm, making its loaves available internationally (the sablés travel especially well). And, in 2019, Apollonia published a cookbook, Poilâne: The Secrets of the World-Famous Bread Bakery, to honor her grandfather Pierre and father Lionel.
8 rue du Cherche-Midi, +33 (0)1 45 48 42 59
