There’s more to Paris than the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre. Like every other metropolitan city, Paris has denizens from all over the world. These denizens often live close by to each other, and inevitably, they carve out a small space in the city that reflects their culture, creating multiple quarters in the French capital that offer a unique slice of life in the city. For a truly local experience, why not spend a day or two exploring these quarters?
Little Jaffna
In the 1980s, Sri Lanka was plagued by civil war, and many Tamils fled to Paris for refuge. Little Jaffna is named for the capital of the Northern province of Sri Lanka, where they originate. These early immigrants have created a close-knit community on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis where you’ll find not only their descendants, but also Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Punjabi immigrants.
This neighbourhood is where you’ll find colourful saris, textiles and Indian snacks. When you get hungry, there are diner-style South Indian restaurants ready to serve up an impressive selection of curries, samosas and more. Round out your meal with a lovely hot chai and a serving of vattalappam, a traditional spicy coconut custard, and you’ll be good to continue your way down the neighbourhood.
Little Jaffna also hosts Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, the Tamil New Year, and it’s most famous event, the Ganesh Festival at the end of August, which celebrates the birthday of the Hindu god Ganesh and is easily recognisable due to the large bronze statue of Ganesh that is paraded through the street, on a chariot lined with flowers.
Chinatown
It seems like every other major city in the world has a Chinatown, and Paris is no exception. Located south of the Rue de Tolbiac, Paris’ Chinatown is an amalgamation of Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian cultures. Unlike other Chinatowns in the western world, this neighbourhood lacks the architectural style that has come to be associated with Chinese culture. The high-rise apartment towers were not originally built with these migrants in mind, but the cheap rent was appealing to them, so many settled down there and started to shape the space into one they could call home.
Don’t let the facade fool you though - this Chinatown is the oldest and largest in Europe, and has much to offer.
It’s where you’ll find pho noodle bars and Chinese bakeries, as well as the famous Tang Frères supermarket that sells everything from ready-made sauces and baskets of dim sum, to rice cookers and other essentials for East Asian cooking. Continue your exploration of this neighbourhood with the middle level of the Olympiades shopping centre, where shops sell Buddha effigies, pop CDs and more. In the evenings, the car park is transformed into an oriental market selling more delicacies from the East.
The neighbourhood is most alive during the Lunar New Year, where lion dancers will leap and bound in performances and a parade that will awe and steal your breath away, and you can pick up treats made specially for this auspicious occasion.
The Goutte d’Or
The Goutte d’Or is the heart of the Maghreb in Paris. The Maghreb is the collective term that refers to the North African people from former French colonies who have migrated to France, first in the early 20th Century, and then a larger wave in the 1950s. Maghreb influence is evident in various areas in Paris, but especially in the Goutte d’Or, which is also one of the last truly working class neighbourhoods in the city.
The neighbourhood is best known for its open air market, Marché Dejean, open from 9am to 12:30pm every day except Mondays. It’s where visitors can savour various African cuisines, as well as pick up some excellent seafood, produce and even a recipe or two from the friendly vendors.
The marché, as well as other shops in the neighbourhood, is also where you can find wonderful textiles, ranging from silks to colourful wax batik prints. It’s this characteristic that is slowly but surely turning the neighbourhood into a burgeoning design hub, with ateliers and boutiques opening up within walking distance from each other. These ateliers and boutiques sell gorgeous, original pieces that add an African flair to your ensemble and to your home, all of which you are guaranteed to know are ‘Made in Paris’ and nowhere else.
Little Tokyo
Nestled in the Rue Sainte-Anne, between the Louvre and the Palais Royale, is Little Tokyo. This little neighbourhood is home to restaurants serving up traditional Japanese fare, from ramen to udon, sushi to sashimi, in spaces that are small enough to be reminiscent of ramen bars in the real Tokyo. If you’re in the mood for iconic Japanese snacks like matcha Kit Kat and Milky candies, the grocery stores in the area are where you’ll find them.
For dessert (or an afternoon snack), step into one of the patisseries on the street. The Japanese are known for creating lovely French pastries with a twist on the flavours, and it’s no different in Little Tokyo. You’ll find traditional eclairs and religieuses, flavoured with matcha, yuzu and lychee instead of the usual vanilla and chocolate.
If you’d rather sit down, Tomo, a tea room that is heralded as the dorayaki 'temple’ of Paris, offers a variety of dorayaki, Japanese red bean pancakes, in both traditional flavours such as red bean, or adzuki, and matcha, and fusion flavours such as lemon and caramelised apple, among other delectable treats. Choose from their range of Japanese teas like sencha or houjicha, and your meal is complete.
The Pletzl
Paris’ Jewish community originally settled down in Marais, in an area that came to be known as the Pletzl, which means “little place” in Yiddish. Though much of this neighbourhood has gone through gentrification, the Jewish community there is still strong and close-knit. It’s where you’ll find Yiddish delis serving up shawarma, and other delicious offerings from falafels to pastrami bagels.
Take a stroll along Rue Pavée and you’ll see Agoudas Hakehilos Synagogue, which was designed by Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard, who also designed Paris’ iconic Metro stations. Though it was bombed by Nazis in 1941, the synagogue was restored and now stands as a monument, and is only open for religious services.
Before leaving this quarter, remember to stop by the Jewish Museum, which hosts a collection of artworks by Jewish masters, as well as the Memorial of the Holocaust, which features the Wall of Names, an installation of tall plinths honouring the French Jews who were deported from France to Nazi camps.
As the capital of France, Paris is truly one of the best places to experience the French, but if you’re curious to see beyond French culture without leaving the city, these neighbourhoods are a good place to go.
