5TH ARRONDISSEMENT OF PARIS
Paris is indeed a walkable city, but sometimes the museums or monuments you want to visit are far away from each other or you only have time to stay in one area. If that is the case, the 5th arrondissement has a lot to offer! This neighborhood is located on the left bank of the Seine, and is much quieter and less touristy than a lot of areas in the city. Here are some of my go-to restaurants, shops, and sites that are in this relaxed arrondissement!
Hachi Bento
Hachi Bento is an authentic Japanese restaurant in Paris. It is tucked away on a very unassuming street, and I even passed it a couple of times without noticing it. That is until just a few minutes before it opened, locals started to gather around the front door! This restaurant has a relaxed casual atmosphere, with friendly staff and delicious food! While the menu does not openly refer to allergens, many of the offerings are dairy free. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here, and will be going back!
Hébé
From the people who brought you the restaurant didon (referenced in my article on the 6th arrondissement here), Hebe is a Mediterranean restaurant. Just like didon, Hebe points out if a dish is vegetarian or vegan on its menu, and displays a list of allergens on their website. I could not choose between the two restaurants, as their menus are always changing!
Sourire
Sourire is a tapas bar (that actually has three locations, but I always go to the one in the 5th arrondissement). The restaurant is small with a lively casual atmosphere, and I have brought many friends here!
Arrivederci Pizzeria
For a restaurant that specifically showcases pizza, Arrivederci Pizzeria is delicious. I go for the vegan pizza option on the menu. The menu also notes when something is vegetarian.
La Maison d’Isabelle
La Maison d’Isabelle is a bakery on the bustling Boulevard Saint-Germain. In 2018, La Maison d’Isabelle won the top prize for the best all-butter croissants in Paris and the surrounding region, an award that is proudly displayed above the bakery’s awning (so you can’t miss it!!)
Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse
Alain Ducasse operates over 30 restaurants and has 21 Michelin stars to his name, but he has also blessed us with the gift of chocolate. I keep coming back to his chocolate store for the elite orangettes and almond dragées (both dairy free). I picked up a bunch of chocolate from one of his stores on a hot day, and a shop employee here also gave me a bag with an ice pack to keep my treats cool! Ducasse’s chocolate stores are plentiful, so if you miss the one in the 5th arrondissement, you are bound to find him elsewhere!
Panthéon
The Panthéon is a building that was conceived by the architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot as the Church of Sainte-Geneviève. And while it was used as a church many times over in the 19th century, today it is used as a civic building that houses the remains of remarkable French citizens, such as Victor Hugo, Voltaire, and Marie Curie. Something that I find particularly cool to see within the Panthéon is Foucault’s pendulum, which shows that the Earth rotates on its axis.
Musée de Cluny
A virtually tourist free experience is that of Musée de Cluny, a museum of medieval art. It was quite peaceful walking through the museum on a sunny September morning, and as such I do not believe you have to purchase tickets quite so far in advance. I personally love the Middle Ages, and this museum boasts a sizeable collection of art from this time period. This includes a really glorious series of six 15th century tapestries known as La Dame à la licorne, or The Lady and the Unicorn. The tapestries are in a dark room so you can truly focus on the intricate weavings made from wool and silk. As an American, I couldn’t love a tapestry more, and that is because this room is airconditioned to maintain the integrity of the work. You have to love the power of a cool room on a hot day (except on Mondays, when this museum is closed)!
Jardin des Plantes
Jardin des Plantes is a botanical garden in the 5th arrondissement. Not only is it lovely to stroll the gardens, but there are also many attractions within the grounds of Jardin des Plantes, such as the National Museum of Natural History, a zoo, and a wonderful collection of fossil plants!
