Neighbourhood Watch: The Second Arrondissement

Because Paris’s arrondissements follow that clockwise snail-shell shape, and spiral outward from the first, right in the middle, you’d be correct to assume that the sweet little second is also pretty well in the heart of the city.

Like the first, we’re staying firmly on the Right Bank in this area, and moving north away from the Seine into an appealing rabbit warren of café-lined streets and Haussman buildings. But although we’re now just walking distance away from those big-name tourist sites in the first, the second is blissfully free of throngs of sightseers. It’s often overlooked probably simply because it doesn’t have a Louvre or an Eiffel Tower within its confines – but if you want to be central, close to all the major attractions, but able to step away from the hubbub, le deuxième could well be the place for you.

Note: many Paris museums and attractions will require pre-booking during the Games. Make sure to check their websites to ensure you’re aware of any restrictions to access and to ensure you can visit on your intended date.

Main attractions of the 2^nd arrondissement:

• The Galerie Vivienne
• Rue Montorgueil
• Rue Sainte-Anne
• Tours Jean-sans-Pur

You’ll find it:

On the Right Bank, north of the River Seine. It’s just above the tourist-trap first, and bordered on its western edge by the third, which is the popular northern Marais, and on its northern edge by the shopping addict’s dream, the ninth, and the hipster enclave of the tenth. Which is to say, it’s pretty damn well-located.

Olympic sports held here:

None, though you’ll find some hosted in the nearby 4^th and 8^th. The lack of venues within the second isn’t a bad thing, though – it’ll mean it’s an easier neighbourhood to move about it, with fewer road closures and more straightforward access for pedestrians.

Olympic fanzones in the neighbourhood:

Fanzones are a great way for ticket holders and non-ticket-holders alike to enjoy the extraordinary buzz of Paris 2024 – for free. You can find lots more information on them here.

• La Fabrique de la Solidarité community centre (Metro: Bourse, line 3, or Pyramides – a ten minute walk, roughly, but accessible from lines 7 and 14)

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So what’s the vibe, anyway?

It’s a sleeper hit, and one that’s full of all those classic Paris daydreams – historic buildings, Belle Epoque shopping arcades, market streets brimming with fresh ingredients, and better food and bars than you’ll find in the first.

The second is split up into three neighbourhoods: Bourse, which is the city’s financial district; Sentier, which is the historic home of the textile industry in Paris; and Montorgueil, which is the market area.

The deuxième is probably best known for its Belle Epoque covered passages full of boutiques, of which it has the most of any arrondissement in Paris. The best loved of these is Galerie Vivienne, which was built in the 1820s and is well worth walking through, even if you’re on a strictly no-shopping kind of trip, just to see its gilding and mosaics – and its beautiful antiquarian bookshop, Librarie Jousseaume. Passage Choiseul is the longest covered passage in Paris and home to a number of very good Korean and Japanese bistros, and Passage du Grand Cerf one of the prettiest, filled with jewellery shops and antiques vendors.

These passages are so worth exploring, because they’re one of the few relics of Paris pre-Haussmann. While there used to be over 150 in the city in the early 1800s, just 25 remain today, and inside, you’re unlikely to find franchises, but rather, independent shops and local craftsmen.

Then, when you’re ready to be out in the sunshine again, head to the Rue Montorgueil to grab a coffee and a snack and prepare yourself to raid the speciality food shops of all their best wares, perfect for picnicking at your hotel. La Fermette should be your first stop for great cheese, which is, frankly, one of the most important things to consider when in France. Look for the cow on top of the awning to find it.

Speaking of food, that’s one of the highlights of this neighbourhood – you’ll find some excellent restaurants, and they’ll be cheaper than in the more touristy areas of the city, too. Start at the Rue Sainte-Anne, which is Paris’s hotspot for east Asian food (though, curiously, there are no Chinese or Taiwanese restaurants here). In the evenings, you can judge which will have the best dishes based on the queues snaking out into the street.

There are few vestiges of medieval Paris left in the city these days, but one of them, the Tour Jean-sans-Peur, is in the second. It’s the last remaining section of the Hôtel de Bourgogne, seat of the dukes of Burgundy, and you can climb the tower to see John the Fearless’s private chambers for just €6.

Another underrated gem in the second is the O’Kari hammam, which is a peaceful, luxurious spa experience for women only on the Rue Dussoubs. Packages start at €69, and we can think of few better ways to unknot your muscles after a long day walking the cross-country course.

And finally, those in search of a slightly off-the-beaten-track activity will enjoy Au Bonheur du Jour, run by a former cabaret dancer who refers to herself as the archaeologist of erotica. From vintage nudey postcards to old brothel décor to antiquated sex toys, her shop is a wild ride through, and a horny ode to, 19^th- and 20^th-century shagging.

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Where to stay:

• As a more residential area than the first, the second is packed with great apartment rental options. One of the nicest of those is Geranimus, on the Rue Montmartre, which has availability throughout the Games starting at £217 a night. It’s compact and cute, perfect for two people, and it’ll have you within walking distance of, well, everything – the Louvre, for example, is just a kilometre away.
• Rooms at Le 123 Sébastopol Astotel start at £303 per night during the Games, and are fun and slightly odd – each floor is dedicated to a titan of the cinema, with room themes to match. There’s a lovely roof terrace, a very nice bar – also cinema-themed – a gym, a breakfast room, and a cinema space on site.
• Hôtel Baudelaire Opéra is well-located in the Rue Sainte Anne, so you can bring your steaming bowls of ramen to bed with you, if need be. The rooms themselves are small but sweet, and start at £257 during the Games.
• As a bonus – sort of – we have to give a nod to the Hoxton on the Rue du Sentier. As far as upmarket, treat-yoself chains go, the Hoxton is at the top of our list, with beautifully, thoughtfully curated rooms and really, really good bars. It’s only a bonus in this piece because, unfortunately, it’s fully booked through the Olympics – but for readers planning a trip to the city outside of those dates, it’s worth a look, and anyone can make use of the bar, Jacques, with its Moroccan-inspired cocktails.

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Where to eat:

• The Rue Montorgueil boasts a couple of the must-visit spots in the second, unsurprisingly. Top of the list? Gorgeous gilded Stohrer, which is Paris’s oldest patisserie and the place when the baba au rhum – a rum-doused cake brushed with apricot jam, made for Louis XV – was invented. But really, you won’t go wrong with any of the pastries on offer here, from the tangy tarte au citron to the creamy chestnut hit of the Mont Blanc. If you stay in the second, you can get your croissants here every morning, which is one of the most delightful prospects we can think of.
• Au Rocher de Cancale, also on Montorgueil, is one of the best spots in the city for a decent oyster, which you can enjoy en terrasse in front of the restaurant – and in doing so, you’ll be enjoying a time-honoured tradition that dates back to the mid-1800s, when this street was the oyster capital of the city. Some 70 million of the things would be consumed each year, often as a pre-theatre snack, and mostly in the street, rather than at a table.
• Head down Rue du Nil – another very sweet, very Parisian, pedestrianised zone – to visit the empire of chef Grégory Marchand. His magnum opus, Frenchie, is the very best of the offerings, but it’s had a knock-on effect on the street. Since earning a Michelin star, it has encouraged other restaurateurs to set up shop nearby, and you’ll find plenty of great options if you can’t get a table at Frenchie (and frankly, it’s not easy – book right now if you want to get in during the Games). Hot tip: the Frenchie wine bar, Frenchie Bar à Vins, across the street doesn’t take reservations, but does serve very, very good small dishes, so try there, too, if you don’t have a booking.
• Also on Rue du Nil is L’Arbre à Café, which is a really reliable artisan coffee shop – something that’s important to have in your pocket in Paris, where good coffee is obnoxiously hard to find. (Of course, you could also give up on local enterprises and head to Starbucks on the Boulevard des Capucines, which is arguably the most beautiful franchise in the world.)
• Brunch-goers should take special note of liife, which sits in the Rue des Petits Carreaux and is all about fresh, organic ingredients. Their pancakes are well worth a stop.
• The full French experience is best had at Le Grand Colbert, which is on Rue Vivienne, so makes for a great stopping point after wandering through the Galerie. The brasserie itself is classic Paris, and the menu is, too. The €55 three-course set menu is a delight.
• Just the Rue Sainte-Anne in full, really, but special mention must go to Korean hotspot Jantchi, which is the perfect place to pause for bibimbap (after a trip to K-Mart, the most comprehensive Asian grocery store in the city, of course!).
• Bloody Mary fans shouldn’t miss Harry’s New York Bar on Rue Daunou, where the drink was – allegedly – invented. This is Europe’s second-oldest cocktail bar, and it’s kind of like Hemingway’s Bar at the Ritz, but… better, and less ridiculously overpriced.