Perusing the Passages of Paris

Passage Jouffroy back in the day 

If you don’t know about the Paris passages, you must learn. I don’t mean to sound professorial, but I made the same mistake—coming to Paris for an embarrassingly long time before I finally made the discovery. The passages are old-fashioned shopping malls from the late 1700s and early 1800s that provided cover from rain, mud and horses for the chic shopping ladies of yesteryear. Let’s not even discuss the city’s open sewers during that era—you can understand why someone had the bright idea to build a passage. They come in all different shapes and sizes, so one will surely strike your fancy. All have domed skylights, and most have some serious interest for architecture buffs; many have unique shops and all are uniquely Parisian. 

passage des panoramas 

Several years ago I took a trip of the passages with a trip guide—a lovely older lady who made up in kindness for a somewhat thin veneer of knowledge (I won’t offend her by outing her here). We triped the most famous passage, Vivienne, in the 2nd arrondissement, plus Passage Colbert, Panoramas, Choiseul, Jouffroy, Brady and Verdeau, among others. There is something special about each of these secret little passageways. Walking into each one feels like you are unwrapping a different gift. 

Galerie Vivienne, photo via myprivateconcierge.com 

Vivienne is probably my favorite, with its spectacular mosaic tiles and great shopping. Here you’ll find Photo Vivienne who sells sepia toned and black and white prints, a fabulous florist, Emilio Robba; a killer tea salon, A Priori Thé; and a bookshop of rare finds, Librarie Jousseaume. There’s even a bistro (Bistro Vivienne), plus a fine wine shop, Legrand Filles and Fils. (We love that “filles” comes first!) But the crème de la crème is Jean Paul Gaultier’s shop—oh la la, and there’s more.

Le Grand Colbert restaurant 

Passage Colbert is also quite beautiful, possibly more grand than Vivienne in style, but the only commercial thing there is the brasserie Le Grand Colbert, of Something’s Gotta Give movie fame—remember the romantic scene where Diane Keaton orders the roast chicken? Reviews are mixed, though David Lebovitz loves it—then again, he dined there with the director of the movie. Other tripists are not as keen. It is one of the few independently owned historic bistros left in Paris.Not to be missed is Galerie Véro-Dodat, with the überfamous Christian Louboutin—do I hear a flock of girls running? And as if that weren’t enough, you’ll find Il Bisonte for Italian leather goods, Discover antique dolls at Robert Capia’s store.

Rickshaw boutique in the passage du grand cerf 

The funkiest passage we triped was Passage Brady, which is chock-full of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Passage du Grand Cerf originally opened in 1825 is home to fashion and home design and was declared the hippest of the arcades by the New York Times back in 2003. It houses Satellite, a fun costume jeweler with several outposts throughout Paris. Rickshaw is a fun store for interior accents with a Bollywood vibe. There’s also MX Sylvie Branellec for stunning pearls and PM Co Style for interesting interiors with Buddhas and such.

Satellite for fun costume jewelry 

Passage des Panoramas is the oldest passage and has many restaurants and cafés, most notably Passage 53, with two Michelin stars, Racines and Coinstrot Bistro – wine bars with excellent food the former French and later Italian. And for a quick affordable bite, try Gyoza, serving…you guessed it nothing but gyoza’s.

There’s even an apartment you can rent in Passage du Bourg l’Abbé, which is in the 2nd with many of the other passages. (They tend to center around the 2nd and the 9th.) This apartment looks pretty nice and is priced well, too. Plus, the 2nd is an area you’ll enjoy beyond the passages, especially the charming rue Montorgueil. 

Hotel Chopin, photo by telegraph.co.uk 

In Passage Jouffroy there’s also a small quaint hotel by the name of Hôtel Chopin opened in 1845. Cheap sleep, a bit shabby chic but affordable in a completely unique location, if you can deal with the tiny rooms and dated decor. 76–100 euros a night!

passage jouffroy via paripolis.canalblog 

Passage Verdeau has antiques, comics, musical instruments and engravings. Passage des Princes specializes in toys. Jouffroy also has a darling toy store, Pain d’Épices. Old movie posters, Lebanese pastries and the wax museum of Paris, Musée Grévin, can also be found in Jouffroy.
There are nearly 30 passages, share tell us about your favorites on Facebook. Happy triping! 

INFO
All info on Vivienne here.
Le Grand Colbert
Hotel Chopin
Passage des Panoramas
Passage du Bourg l’Abbé apartment rental
Map of the passage locations in Paris

If you want to explore more charming areas like this one, consider getting a downloadable set of our walking trips. There are 18 in all, and they help you uncover the best parts of Paris.