Our town
vol.04Paris
- Illustrations by Adrian Hogan
Photography by Mari Shimmura
Text & Coordination by Masae Takanaka
UNIQLO is part of the community. Here’s the news from Paris, where our artistic new store opened in fall 2021.
Home to our Paris Opera store, open since 2009, and our Rivoli store, opened last year, this is the hub of Paris, with the opera house just around the corner and the Musée du Louvre and Palais-Royal Garden close by.
This time around, we’re showcasing spots recommended by the editors of stylish Parisian magazine l’étiquette, a collaboration with whom can be found within this issue. Salut, Paris! Enjoy a cup of coffee roasted that same morning, as you walk down a street that hasn’t changed in two centuries. From classic brasseries and gorgeous old bookshops, to lively markets, let’s be flâneurs and peruse these spirited institutions.
UNIQLO Rivoli
Opened last fall on Rue de Rivoli, one of the main thoroughfares in Paris. Located in a corner of the iconic La Samaritaine department store, reborn after sixteen years of renovations that preserved the striking art deco facade, like something from the 1930s. With the partnership of the Musée du Louvre, our close collaborator, we’ve built out the interiors in an artistic fashion. The third floor even has a reading area, where you can browse art books and picture books selected by iconic local bookstores and take a breather on the sofas.
67 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
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Take a walk
Saint-Honoré Market
Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
Every day in Paris, there’s a market being held somewhere in the city, where locals do their shopping. In Saint-Honoré Market, you’ll find a modern glass-roofed building from architect Ricardo Bofill, around which fresh markets are held every Wednesday and Saturday. There you’ll find everything from produce and cheeses from the provinces, bread and raw oysters ready for snacking, and seasonal flowers. On the first Thursday of the month, a flea market focused on antiques is held in the plaza of the former Paris stock exchange. Though on the smaller side, this sale is full of treasures like ornate vases and tin toys. Well worth a visit.
Place de la Bourse Antique Market
Place de la Bourse 75002 Paris
Morning in Paris
Café Verlet
Café
Founded in 1880 and beloved by native Parisians. Said to be the oldest place in Paris roasting in-house, they import beans from South and Central America. The menu includes over thirty kinds of beans, along with over forty-five varieties of teas. Treat yourself to a classic Paris breakfast with Oeuf à la Coque, toast with a soft-boiled egg eaten out of the shell. The perfect complement to drip coffee served in one of the Du Belloy pots, with matching filters that have been used here since the 1800s.
256 Rue St Honoré, 75001 Paris
256 Rue St Honoré, 75001 Paris
Galerie Véro-Dodat
Shopping arcade
The shopping arcades are a central pleasure of wandering around Paris. These “passages,” as they’re fondly called, have the air of a bygone century. Built in 1826, the Neoclassical structure of Galerie Véro-Dodat features diamond-shaped floor tiles. In its heyday, this was a place of smart boutiques and galleries, teeming with travellers waiting for carriages. There’s no better place than the terrace of Le Café de l’Epoque for savouring the arcade’s bourgeois history.
19 rue Jean-Jacque Rousseau - 2 rue du Bouloi 75001 Paris
19 rue Jean-Jacque Rousseau - 2 rue du Bouloi 75001 Paris
Bourse de Commerce -
Pinault Collection
Museum
French businessman François Pinault, one of the world’s top art collectors, remade the historical Bourse de commerce building into an art museum. Here visitors can peruse a massive private collection including sculpture by Urs Fischer, humorous works by Maurizio Cattelan, and portraiture by Peter Doig. The interiors were designed by Tadao Ando. Spend a moment underneath the breathtaking rotunda, which bathes the space in an artistic blend of light and shadow.
2 Rue de Viarmes, 75001 Paris
2 Rue de Viarmes, 75001 Paris
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Take a walk
Saint-Honoré Market
Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
Every day in Paris, there’s a market being held somewhere in the city, where locals do their shopping. In Saint-Honoré Market, you’ll find a modern glass-roofed building from architect Ricardo Bofill, around which fresh markets are held every Wednesday and Saturday. There you’ll find everything from produce and cheeses from the provinces, bread and raw oysters ready for snacking, and seasonal flowers. On the first Thursday of the month, a flea market focused on antiques is held in the plaza of the former Paris stock exchange. Though on the smaller side, this sale is full of treasures like ornate vases and tin toys. Well worth a visit.
Place de la Bourse Antique Market
Place de la Bourse 75002 Paris
Afternoon
Bouillon Chartier
Restaurant
Founded in 1896 by the Chartier brothers, this unfussy restaurant is housed in a former railway station. Step inside, and you’re transported back into the Belle Époque. Waiters zip around the busy dining room, scribbling down orders. Offering traditional French cuisine like Blanquette de Veau at reasonable prices, it’s been wildly popular since opening more than 120 years ago.
7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
7 Rue du Faubourg
Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Dary's
Antique Shop
Antique jewellery shop in operation for four generations. It takes some gumption to press the buzzer and go in, but it’s worth it. Among the precious stones and 24K gold (charms starting at 950 euros), you can find silver items for as little as 30 euros. “This is where I picked up my favourite pendant,” says Marc Beaugé, editor in chief of l’étiquette.
362 Rue St Honoré, 75001 Paris
362 Rue St Honoré, 75001 Paris
Librairie Jousseaume
Book shop
An ideal bookstore located in Galerie Vivienne, the premier arcade in Paris. In business since 1826, it has a great supply of antiquarian tomes, including old collections of Verlaine, classical literature, photo books depicting life in Paris, and various art books. Check out the vast supply of picture postcards, which the store manager describes as “a great treat for friends back home while you’re exploring Paris.” Tote bags featuring drawings of the storefront are popular as well.
45-46-47 Galerie Vivienne, 75002 Paris
45-46-47 Galerie Vivienne, 75002 Paris
Evening
Hôtel Châteaux Voltaire
Hotel
A two-minute walk from the Pyramides metro station, this incredibly chic five-star hotel opened in October 2021. Under the art direction of Franck Durand, the mind behind Holiday magazine, the interiors were designed by iconic Parisian design duo Festen. Blending nouvelle vague colourways inspired by the films of Claude Sautet with modern Parisian style, the refined space feels at once nostalgic and new. No need to spend the night; make plans to meet up in the lobby or enjoy an Aperol at the bar.
55-57 Rue Saint-Roch, 75001 Paris
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Take Paris home
Cookies from Poilâne
The sablés from this old-fashioned bakery are tasty, plain and simple. You won’t be able to eat just one. Available at their storefront location, or in gift boxes from the gourmet department at Galeries Lafayette. €7.90
Opera House Snow Globe
The gift shop at the Palais Garnier opera house is a treasure trove of darling original items. This souvenir snow globe fits in the palm of the hand. €6.95
Papier d’Arménie
Paper incense cherished since 1885. Tear off a sheet, fold like an accordion, and light a corner to release a gentle vanilla aroma. Said to have deodourising properties, it adds a nice touch to a closet, a card case, or a letter. 2,20 €, booklet of 36
*All prices and information current as of July 2022.
