Paris 7, the prestige of the left bank

 

From the legendary Saint-Germain des Prés to the elegant Champ-de-Mars, from the Hôtel des Invalides or the Palais Bourbon to the Eiffel Tower, the 7th arrondissement is inarguably the upmarket district of the city’s left bank. You’ll find embassies, ministries, museums and private mansions here, their majestic silhouettes extending along the banks of the Seine and the wide avenues lined with chestnut trees. When it comes to shopping, meanwhile, the theme here is “chic”, from Le Bon Marché department store to the luxury boutique, while on the dining front the area’s Michelin-starred restaurants are thriving, and the area is also home to a number of prestigious schools training the elite of the future.

The real estate market

Prices have increased by 11-30% over the past five years, depending on the neighbourhood. Average prices currently range from €13,000 per sq.m on the Gros Caillou side to €18,000 per sq.m in Saint Thomas d'Aquin. The area surrounding the Ecole Militaire would set you back around €14,000 per sq.m, with prices in Les Invalides reaching €16,000 per sq.m. And prices can spike for certain properties that are popular with a foreign clientèle, including private mansions and extraordinary pied-à-terre.

Our advice

Those who are fond of peaceful surroundings and green spaces should favour the Les Invalides and Ecole Militaire districts, while those with a certain nostalgia for the spirit of Saint-Germain-des-Prés will enjoy Saint Thomas d’Aquin, and the village feel and shopping opportunities of Gros Caillou will no doubt appeal to families and those seeking opportunities to socialise.

Inside tip

The many institutions located in the area means that the 7th arrondissement is quiet and safe, which are major assets when it comes to a long-term investment. -Thierry Chomel Director BARNES Bac Varenne

Art of living

With cultural venues to really get excited about and food shops and restaurants guaranteed to set the taste buds alight, the 7th arrondissement represents the very essence of the Parisian spirit.

Culture

Musée Rodin

Musée Rodin

@museerodin

Collections by both the sculptor and his protégé Camille Claudel are displayed here in the museum’s interior galleries and the green walkways of its garden, offering an open-air art experience that will have visitors giving Rodin’s very own The Thinker a run for its money.

77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris

La Pagode

la_pagode

@lapagode

The city’s most exotic cinema, tucked away in a former pagoda, will be back up and running in 2023 following several years of restoration work. An opportunity to enjoy the great classics, from Cassavetes to Pasolini, in what is ultimately a pretty unique setting.

57 Rue de Babylone, 75007 Paris

Musée d'Orsay

@museedorsay

@museedorsay

This former railway station, since converted into a sanctuary for 19th-century Impressionist and Symbolist painters, remains one of Paris’s greatest museums. In addition to its extremely rich permanent collections, it will also be offering an insight into the work of Norwegian Edvard Munch and the wonderful fate of painter Rosa Bonheur this autumn.

Esplanade Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, 75007 Paris

Shopping 

The Conran Shop

@theconranshop

@theconranshop

Design really is king here. With minimalist furniture, stationery that comes in a whole host of colours and technology that’s not only modern but also pleasing to the eye, the Conran Shop offers the ultimate in home shopping.

117 Rue du Bac, 75007 Paris

Mori Yoshida

@moriyoshida

@moriyoshida

Japanese precision combined with French savoir-faire: that’s what this pastry chef is all about, the result being a plethora of sweet treats that really are works of art in their own right. Beautifully assembled Mont Blanc? Deliciously coated eclair? Decisions don’t come much tougher than this!

65 Avenue de Breteuil, 75007 Paris

Quatre homme

@fromagequatrehommes

@fromagequatrehomme

This expert cheese ripener and Meilleur Ouvrier de France has been supplying the country’s top restaurants for four generations. And if that’s not enough to tempt you in, you’ll also find various classes and tastings on offer, allowing you to discover everything there is to know about this tradition with such a strong regional air.

62 Rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris

The hottest reservations in town 

L'Arpège

restaurantarpege

@restaurantarpege

Alain Passard’s triple Michelin-starred restaurant certainly lives up to its name, with the culinary notes concocted here blending to create delicious ‘arpeggios’ of flavour. The menu showcases the very finest of vegetables that change with the seasons, served in the form of a tangy vegetable tartar, for example, or maybe a trio of dumplings...

84 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris

L'Ami Jean

@lamijean

@lamijean

An upmarket neighbourhood bistro where you can warm up and lose track of time as you sample the tasty culinary delights of chef Stéphane Jégo in what is always a vibrant atmosphere. We’d recommend the lamb followed by the rice pudding—magnifique!

27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris

Lily Wang

@liliwangparis

@liliwangparis

From the Chinese lanterns to the velvet sofas, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the middle of Shanghai here, but it’s in Paris, in fact, that Lily Wang serves up her fusion menu of Franco-Chinese dishes, enabling diners to enjoy locally farmed produce under the shelter of the bamboo trees lining the terrace.

40 Avenue Duquesne, 75007 Paris

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