Off the tourist trail
Although not far from usual tourist areas (Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Jardin des Plantes), this is a small square boxed in my high buildings which makes it invisible to most outsiders. It’s a square complete with fenced gardens, shady trees, bubbling fountains, and sandy walkways.
It's a place where many Parisians spend their weekend afternoons. In fact, it's best to avoid coming in the afternoons in summer if you're looking for peace and quiet and to have more than 2 square meters to yourself. The garden is surrounded by some of the most expensive homes in the area. Having an apartment overlooking the square is a luxury very few can permit. Much of the area's charm, apart from the stunning architecture, comes from the fact that many important historical figures resided there. Victor Hugo’s house, for example, is on the corner. Today, it’s a museum but the interior has been preserved in the same state as when the author was alive.
The shops on the ground floor of the buildings are devoted to art, up-and-coming (but no less expensive) clothing designers, handicrafts, and musical instruments. There are also plenty of small Parisian-style bars and restaurants, all slightly bohemian and with a casual, leisurely attitude that's hard to find in the center or around Défense. They make for perfect places to sit at a small round table and enjoy a snack with a beer or glass of wine. Again, it's not cheap. In addition to "French" food, it's easy to find kosher restaurants (this being basically the center of the Jewish Quarter) as well as other ethnic restaurants.


