Latin Quarter - Lonely Planet

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd
205
Latin Quarter
Neighbourhood Top Five
the incredible panorama
from the roof.
Moyen Âge (p207) Time-
travelling back to the
Middle Ages at France’s
foremost medieval museum.
(p209) Strolling around
Paris’ sprawling botanic
gardens and visiting its historic greenhouses, zoo and
the many branches of the
Natural History Museum
located here.
fascinating exhibits inside
the stunning Jean Nouveldesigned building before
heading to the top to catch
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homage to France’s greatest
thinkers buried beneath this
domed neoclassical mausoleum.
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pany (p219) Browsing the
shelves of Paris’ most magical bookshop and refuelling at its wonderful new
literary-themed cafe.
3 Jardin des Plantes
2 Institut du Monde
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For more detail of this area see Map p398 and p400A
206
Lonely Planet’s
Top Tip
While hungry first-time visitors are often drawn into the
maze of tiny streets between
the Seine, rue St-Jacques
and bd St-Germain, you’d
be wise to simply avoid this
area altogether. Instead,
consider grabbing some
bread, cheese, charcuterie
and wine from local speciality shops and enjoy some
multimillion-dollar views with
lunch or dinner. Best bets?
The quays along the Seine,
the place du Panthéon (a
fave with students) and the
leafy Jardin des Plantes.
L ati n Q ua rte r 
Best Places
5 to Eat
Explore: Latin Quarter
The centre of Parisian higher education since the Middle
Ages, the Latin Quarter takes its name from the classical
language spoken here by students and professors until
the French Revolution. A serene spot to begin the day
is in the botanic gardens, the Jardin des Plantes, before
sipping sweet mint tea in the Mosquée de Paris or strolling through the engaging Arab World Institute.
But there’s no better strip to see, smell and taste the
Latin Quarter than the thriving market street rue Mouffetard, so it’s worth combining a flit from food stall to
fabulous food shop with lunch at one of the restaurants
utilising its produce (skip it on Mondays, when the market stalls are shut).
After admiring the Panthéon’s vast interior, the hollow of the afternoon is a contemplative time to meander
through the Musée National du Moyen Âge for the ultimate medieval history lesson.
After dinner at a local bistro, head down into a medieval cellar (many used as Revolutionary prisons) for
jazz and jam sessions, or join the area’s students in the
quarter’s lively pubs.
¨¨ Restaurant AT (p215)
¨¨ Shakespeare & Company
Café (p210)
Local Life
¨¨ Sola (p215)
¨Sporting life
¨¨ Café de la Nouvelle
Mairie (p212)
For reviews, see p210.A
Best Places
6 to Drink
¨¨ Little Bastards (p217)
Join the locals playing boules and
football in the 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre
Arènes de Lutèce (p217).
¨Academic life Clink drinks during extended Latin
Quarter happy hours and there will almost certainly
be a student or academic affiliated with the Sorbonne
sitting next to you.
¨Cinema life Independent cinemas are scattered,
screening cult, classic and rare films.
¨¨ Caffé Juno (p216)
¨¨ Mosquée de Paris (p208)
¨¨ Le Verre à Pied (p216)
For reviews, see p215.A
Best Jazz
3 Clubs
¨¨ Café Universel (p218)
¨¨ Le Caveau des Oubliettes
(p219)
¨¨ Le Petit Journal St-Michel
(p219)
¨¨ Caveau de la Huchette
(p219)
For reviews, see p218.A
Getting There & Away
¨Metro
The most central metro stations are St-Michel
by the Seine; Cluny–La Sorbonne or Maubert-Mutualité
on bd St-Germain; and Censier Daubenton or Gare
d’Austerlitz by the Jardin des Plantes.
¨Bus Convenient bus stops include the Panthéon for
the 89 to Jardin des Plantes and 13e; bd St-Michel for
the 38 to Centre Pompidou, Gare de l’Est and Gare du
Nord; and rue Gay Lussac for the 27 to Île de la Cité,
Opéra and Gare St-Lazare.
¨Bicycle Handy Vélib’ stations include 42 rue
St-Severin, 5e, just off bd St-Michel; 40 rue des
Boulangers, 5e, near Cardinal Lemoine metro station;
and 27 rue Lacépède, 5e, near place Monge.
¨Boat The hop-on, hop-off Batobus (p334) docks
opposite Notre Dame on quai de Montebello.