Restaurants and Food Addresses in the 6th

A local's guide to the Left Bank arrondissement

Bonjour, Emily here. While David’s away I’m stepping in with a guest post to share some places over in my neighborhood, the 6th arrondissement, where I’ve lived for nearly ten years. It’s popular with tourists and when I first moved to Paris with stars in my eyes, I fell into almost every trap, lapping up bad meals and underwhelming experiences, but over the years I shadowed the locals and eventually discovered a constellation of wonderful places hidden in plain sight.

Here’s where I take my friends and family when they visit:

Michalak, 8 rue du Vieux Colombier, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 45 49 44 90

It’s almost impossible to be more qualified than Christophe Michalak, who was Chef Pâtissier at the Plaza Athénée under Alain Ducasse and won the title of World Pastry Champion before opening his first boutique, which has cabinets full of treats you’ll remember forever, made with natural coloring and raw sugars. Try the brioche feuilletée that’s as big as your head, the tarte crème brûlée, or the ingenious mango.

Arnaud Larher, 93 rue de Seine, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 43 29 38 15

From the street you’d never guess this unassuming boutique is the home of one of the most talented chocolatiers of a generation (the only thing my mum wants for Christmas each year is a box of his orangettes). But once you’re inside it’s almost impossible to decide which of his elegant pastry creations to try. It’s the perfect place to gather gifts or just get an entire box of treats for yourself.

Chapon Chocolaterie, 34 rue Saint-Sulpice, 75006 Paris. Tel +33 (0)1 42 39 57 92

As an ice-cream maker with a love of chocolate, Patrice Chapon realized the natural fit was to create a chocolate mousse bar (trademarked!), which you’ll easily find by the crowd of people outside with their noses pressed against the glass. Choose between six varieties served in either a paper cone to eat immediately or a take-home jar for later.

L’Ambassade de Bourgogne, 6 rue de l’Odéon, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 43 54 80 04

If you’re a fan of Burgundy wines, this is a can’t-miss, with an incredible selection of wines available by the glass or the bottle alongside a small selection of snacks. True connoisseurs, they’ll even sell your collection for you if you ever find yourself with too much in the cave.

Avant Comptoir du Marché, 14 rue Lobineau, 75006

This lively tapas bar has the biggest blocks of butter I’ve ever seen, and the staff are committed to helping you pick the perfect glass of wine, no matter how many tastes it takes. There’s an ever-changing menu of French specialties and if you exhaust the menu, you can head down the street to sister venues Avant Comptoir de la Terre and Avant Comptoir de la Mer, where the oysters come with a side of sausages.

Le Bon Saint Pourçain, 10bis rue Servandoni, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 42 01 78 24

With only the freshest produce and cheerful staff, this is the kind of neighborhood gem that makes you want to move in next door. Hidden on a cobblestone side street tucked behind Saint Sulpice, it has only a few tables where lucky diners can choose from the small but perfectly formed menu that changes with the seasons.

La Méditerranée, 2 Place de l’Odéon, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 43 26 02 30

Since 1942 this quiet restaurant has served up fresh seafood delights with swoon-worthy décor (Jean Cocteau designed the original logo and Christian Bérard created the murals in the dining rooms) and discreet yet attentive service, making it an ideal choice for a refined celebratory meal.

Compagnie Française des Poivres et des Epices, 7 rue de Furstemberg, 75006. Tel +33 (0)9 54 75 06 05

This tiny chocolate box of a store is filled with varieties of salt, pepper, and a wide range of spices from around the world. I make sure to never run out of their roast chicken mix and am longing to buy one of their big salt crystals and grater to match. While you’re there, check out the Musée National Eugène Delacroix across the road, with its secret garden.

Coopérative Laitière du Beaufortain, 9 rue Corneille, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 43 29 91 07

This store is the sales point for a dairy cooperative of 184 farmers who produce Beaufort cheese and are happy to talk to you about it at length. They also offer a range of other products from the Savoie region (charcuterie, wine, jam, honey), and it’s where we go to pick up supplies for fondue nights or when we host friends for apéro.

L’Arbre à Café, 15 Carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 85 09 01 17

As the coffee scene in Paris blossomed, this company was behind the scenes supplying their ethically sourced beans to professionals for years before eventually succumbing to pressure to open to the public. Now with six boutiques and counting, they serve the perfect cup of joe that’s just as good whether you sit in or take away.

San Francisco Book Company, 17 rue Monsieur le Prince, 75006. Tel +33 (0)1 43 29 15 70

A secondhand bookshop packed to the seams with English tomes, it’s exactly the right size for cozy browsing. You’ll find everything from an introduction to X-Ray Spectroscopy to well-thumbed cookbooks, such as Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I’ve never left empty-handed.

Jardin du Luxembourg, entrances on rue de Medicis, Boulevard Saint-Michel, rue Vaugirard, rue Fleurus, rue Auguste Comte, and rue Guynemer

The jewel in the crown of our neighborhood is this park covering 23 hectares, home to the Luxembourg Palace, which houses the French Sénat (our upper house of government), and some of the most beautiful gardens in the world with a team of 80 full-time gardeners tending daily to the flower beds. Settle into one of the iconic green chairs by the Medici Fountain to soak up the atmosphere before exploring the greenery, seek out the miniature Statue of Liberty, spectate the endless games of pétanque, pass by the orchard planted by Carthusian Monks in 1650, who gave us Chartreuse liqueur (the company offers historical tours), or take a spin on the oldest carousel in Paris, designed by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Opera House. If you need a break, there are kiosks selling crepes and ice creams, as well as two restaurants, La Terrasse de Madame and La Table du Luxembourg.

Of course, the real magic of Paris is what happens in between the schedule, those moments spent wandering aimlessly, and I hope you’ll discover all the other places I don’t have space to list here, like window shopping on rue Tournon, picking up a new piece of art in JC Martinez, grocery shopping in Marché Saint Germain, people watching at La Palette, or walking the cobblestones shaped by the passage of time in Cour du Commerce Saint-André.

If you’re after more Paris tips, I share a peek into my life in my newsletter A Week in Paris, so please join me there.

- Emily