Paris' 'seediest' neighbourhood is now its coolest

Six reasons this old red-light district is now the place to be.

If you haven’t been to Paris in a while, you could be forgiven for wrinkling your nose at the idea that Pigalle is the place to be.

The neighbourhood, on the border of the 9th and 18th arrondissements, was once one of the city’s seedier locales. In fact, its array of strip clubs and street walkers led to it being nicknamed “Pig Alley” by American soldiers at the end of WWII.

There’s still a bit of that going on, especially along Boulevarde de Clichy, home to the famous Moulin Rouge, but these days visitors are just as likely to head to Pigalle for its natural wine bars, design-oriented shopping and high-end hotels as they are for the sleaze. The hipsterfication has been so complete that the area even has its own New York-style nickname: SoPi, or South Pigalle. Here’s why you’ll want to add it to the itinerary on your next trip to the City of Lights.

The hotels

For starters, SoPi is home to some of Paris’ most sought-after lodgings. If you’re looking to embrace the trendy ethos of the place, look no further than Le Pigalle. Think of it as the French answer to the Ace Hotel, with 40 individually styled rooms featuring second hand furniture, objects de art and the work of local photographers. The coffee is good and the drinks are better, with exhibitions and DJs bringing the buzz on a regular basis. A minute’s walk down the road, Le Grande Pigalle is slightly less raucous but no less chic, with 37 sleek rooms in a classically Parisian building. Make sure to check out Frenchie, the cheeky Michelin-rated restaurant on the ground floor.

The food scene

That brings us to one of Pigalle’s main attractions: its impressive range of eating options to suit any budget. You can’t go wrong at Le Pantruche, a trendy little restaurant offering natural wines, streetside tables and a seasonal menu where proteins come in multiple preparations on the same plate. For a more homely feel, head to Les Canailles, a Breton bistro with a wallet friendly prix-fixe at lunch and dinner. Honestly, though, you can’t go wrong wandering the streets: you’ll find everything from wood fired pizza to madeleine dispensaries, old school brasseries to smash burgers. Oh, and the best pain au chocolat in Paris is at Pain Pain – but beware, the line starts early.

Instagram bait

To a certain extent, we all travel for the ‘gram these days, and Pigalle isn’t short on prime photo locations. One of the most popular spots is the Pigalle Duperre basketball court, painted in a gradient of iridescent pink, purple, blue and orange to match. Just watch out for the wannabe influencers lining up for a shot (and not a three-pointer). Less well trafficked - and a bit more edifying - are the area’s two main cultural institutions, the Gustave Moreau Museum, which features a spectacular spiral staircase, and the Musee de la Vie Romantique. Though the latter is actually named after an art movement, rather than pure romance, the sunny, flower-covered courtyard is the perfect place for a sophisticated selfie.

Coffee culture

Anyone who’s ever had a thermonuclear-heated café au-lait will agree that it’s surprisingly hard to find a good cup of coffee in the French capital. But not in Pigalle, where local roasters and cool cafes abound. KB Coffee Roasters, on the corner of the busy Rue des Martyrs, is the best place to grab a pew, pull out a book and watch the world go by, but there are plenty of others, including Marlette, which does a great line in fresh sandwiches and cooked breakfasts (sometimes a pain au chocolat just doesn’t touch the sides).

The drinking

For cool young Parisians with nothing to do on a Friday night, SoPi is the place to be. Rue des Martyrs and its side streets positively hum with activity and the party goes til late, so it would be rude not to join in. Start with a beer on the sunny terrace of the Brussels Beer Project, then make your way west towards even cooler spots like the Dirty Dick tiki bar. If things get really out of hand, head to Pigalle Country Club – it might close, but we never saw it.

The shopping!

Yes, it deserves an exclamation mark. If you’re in the market for something a bit more interesting than what the big brands on the Champs Elysée are offering, SoPi is the place to go. You can’t walk down a street without tripping over an incredible vintage store offering the kinds of 20th century designer clothing, jewellery and knickknacks you just can’t find back home. Debardeuse, Celia Darling and the simply named Vintage Shop are great places to start. There are also a number of interesting design-focused stores if you’re looking to bring some Pigalle cool to your apartment back home, try Le Rocketship, Oyat and The Cool Republic.

Originally published as Paris' 'seediest' neighbourhood is now its coolest