The Marais at the Table, a Selection from Rue du Temple

We are often asked where to dine when staying on rue du Temple. The honest answer fits in one sentence: almost anywhere, as long as you know what you are looking for. The Marais has the rare quality of gathering, within a few streets, a seventeenth-century covered market, falafel counters, tea rooms beneath the arcades and cocktail bars behind discreet doors.

So here is a selection rather than a ranking. Marais addresses change, open, close, change chefs: before each stay, our concierge confirms which are open and books those that require it.

Morning and midday

Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, on rue de Bretagne, is the oldest covered market in Paris. Lunch is taken elbow to elbow, among counters serving cuisines from around the world. Arrive early at the weekend.

Café Charlot, opposite, is the great café of the Upper Marais: a corner terrace, a brasserie menu, and the spectacle of rue de Bretagne.

Breizh Café, on rue Vieille-du-Temple, serves buckwheat galettes and crêpes made with carefully chosen produce, along with a fine list of ciders.

L'As du Fallafel, on rue des Rosiers, is a neighbourhood institution. You eat standing, or walking, after queuing like everyone else.

Afternoon

Jacques Genin, on rue de Turenne, makes his pastries to order, and his caramels made his name. The tea room lends itself to a slow pause.

Carette, beneath the arcades of the Place des Vosges, is the elegant address for the afternoon: pastries, hot chocolate, and the most beautiful square in Paris before your eyes.

Evening

Chez Janou, near the Place des Vosges, is a generous Provençal bistro, with a much-sought terrace in fine weather and a chocolate mousse served by the ladle.

Le Comptoir des Archives, on rue des Archives, is the neighbourhood bistro as it should be: a short menu, market produce, a terrace on the street.

Derrière, on rue des Gravilliers, sets its tables inside an apartment: living room, bedroom, smoking room. You come as much for the place as for the plate.

Le Mary Celeste, on rue Commines, pairs small plates and cocktails around a central bar.

Miznon, on rue des Écouffes, serves street food from Tel Aviv with infectious energy.

And on the edge of the 2nd, Frenchie, on rue du Nil, for a more precise dinner; book well ahead.

A last drink

Candelaria, on rue de Saintonge: a taqueria at the front, a cocktail bar at the back, behind a door.

Little Red Door, on rue Charlot, changes its menu with the seasons; the room is small, so come early.

Le Barav, on rue Charles-François-Dupuis, for a glass of wine at the counter and a board to share.

Dining in

There are also evenings when you stay in. Our two apartments on rue du Temple have large tables and equipped kitchens; a basket brought back from the Enfants Rouges is enough to make a dinner. It is another way to live the neighbourhood, and often one of the finest.

For a precise table on a precise evening, write to us: the concierge takes care of the rest. The Upper Marais guide and the 3rd arrondissement page will tell you more.

The ACT 3 Team