Châtelet: 10 Chic and Stylish Addresses in the Heart of Paris

© Bourse de Commerce - Brasserie Casel - Mégie by Maximilien Forget

The Ventre de Paris still has plenty to say for itself. Long reduced to its seedy streets, mediocre shops and rushing crowds, the Châtelet - Les Halles area has, against all odds, become one of the most desirable neighborhoods in central Paris. Between cultural institutions, stylish new restaurants, Paris’s Japanese HQ, a hair salon overlooking the Seine and a designer chocolate shop, we’re revealing our favorite spots for lunch, drinks, an exhibition, some pampering or simply taking the time to rediscover the neighborhood in all its glory.

La Nouvelle Garde has done it again, and in a big way. After reinventing the Parisian brasserie across the capital and even across the Channel, the group has set up shop just steps from the Théâtre du Châtelet. A terrace for sunny days, a large bar for aperitifs, generous spaces, a sumptuous interior by B3 Designers with velvet curtains, round olive-fabric armchairs and Versailles parquet flooring, plus a maturing cellar: Brasserie Casel is already one of our favorite addresses in the group. The menu naturally delivers that same taste for generous, feel-good food: homemade foie gras to die for (€18), wonderfully tender steak and fries (€20), steak à cheval (€18) and artisan cheeses (€11). This is clearly the place to treat yourself. For dessert, it’s hard to resist the crêpe Suzette flambéed tableside (€9), crème brûlée (€8) or the irresistible, deeply indulgent chocolate opera cake (€10). Properly comforting brasserie food, with a thoroughly contemporary feel.

Brasserie Casel, 16 avenue Victoria, Paris 1st. Open daily from 10am to midnight, with the kitchen open from 12pm to 2:30pm and 7pm to 10:30pm Monday and Tuesday, from 12pm to 2:30pm and 7pm to 11pm Wednesday to Friday, from 12pm to 3pm and 7pm to 11pm Saturday, and from 12pm to 3pm and 7pm to 10:30pm Sunday. Book online.

Facing the Seine, the quai de la Mégisserie has been transformed into an urban jungle with Mégie, a resolutely desirable new hybrid address. Part plant and flower shop, part botanical canteen, coffee shop (kombucha €7) and floral art space, the place feels like a little greenhouse in the heart of Paris. Come for a seasonal, resolutely plant-based and colorful lunch (6-course immersion €50), a coffee or a drink, or browse for a beautiful piece for your home (glass carafe €50), crossula (€12), artisan tableware, a plant, naturally (corokia €70), or a carefully chosen object (Moroccan jar €110). The decor mixes wood, stone, metal and abundant greenery. A lovely address that extends the historically plant-filled spirit of the quai de la Mégisserie.

Mégie, 2 ter, quai de la Mégisserie, Paris 1st. +33 1 40 26 64 12. Wednesday to Friday, 10am-6pm. Evening private hire available Monday to Sunday.
© Jeanne Lozay - Maximilien Forget

A stroke of genius from Margot Mélinand, who has created a collective of independent hair professionals who can welcome their clients into a lifestyle space designed like a little home. There’s a boutique stocked with the best haircare products, a coffee shop, a V.I.P. room, a work-from-home corner and private suites for those who would rather not face the world with a head full of foils. In short: the perfectly designed salon we had been dreaming of, where you can tailor your visit to your needs and schedule, making life easier for clients while giving independent professionals a real space of their own (cuts from €55, color from €85, prices varying according to the stylist). As a bonus, a bathroom-like cocoon at the entrance lets you help yourself, free of charge, to a Dyson Air Wrap, GHD straighteners, brushes and products for a quick styling session before dinner. Needless to say, we love this kind of detail designed to keep us coming back.

Martha - Maison de Coiffeurs, 8 Quai de la Mégisserie, Paris 1st. +33 6 87 62 93 12. Open daily from 9:20am to 7pm.

Right opposite the Canopée des Halles and open all day, The Bell takes its cue from British pubs with Indian-inspired flavors, in a setting designed by Scottish designer Jim Hamilton: wood paneling, deep leather, marble and low lighting. Inside, the central bar is an invitation to start with a globe-trotting cocktail, while the 50-seat terrace feels like a front-row seat to the neighborhood’s constant buzz. In the kitchen, chef Felipe Da Silva delivers comforting food with a serious spicy twist. Order the cauliflower and onion pakoras with Ossau-Iraty (€7.50), Mumbai Rarebit topped with cheddar (€6), before moving on to the butter chicken with garlic sauce (€15). The ultimate banger: the haddock Fish Finger sandwich, fresh, crunchy and packed with salad, pickles, crispy fish and a divine vadouvan mayo, a wonderfully mild curry (€17, also available to take away). Special mention for dessert goes to the mango-lime sorbet and, above all, our favorite cardamom yogurt ice cream, seriously indulgent (€7).

The Bell, 8 place Marguerite de Navarre, Paris 1st. Open daily from 11am to 1am.

Some people just have a better instinct for the zeitgeist than others. That’s the case with Charlotte Bereaud (formerly of Prunier and Baccarat), who created Lotta, a Mediterranean restaurant on rue du Louvre. Spread across three floors, the decor by architect Juliette Rubel draws inspiration from Milanese apartment entrances: travertine, mirrors, wood, metal and Marcel Breuer chairs. The mezzanine houses an open kitchen and large communal table, while upstairs there’s a bar and a dining room perfect for larger groups. With chef Zoumana Meité, the menu offers contemporary Mediterranean cooking, designed for sharing, aperitivo-style or over generous plates. On the menu: escabeche mussels, leeks with seaweed and bottarga, asparagus cavatelli and beef cheek trofie. Bigger appetites will go for the sharing roast chicken (€56) or the pepper-sauce sirloin and rib steak (€81). Even the desserts are worth a detour, with an affogato given a twist with hay cream or madeleines baked to order with coconut caramel. Lunch menus from €28 and DJ sets Thursday to Saturday night.

Lotta, 8 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Paris 1st. +33 1 88 90 12 39. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner.
© Romain Moriceau - Pierre Lucet-Penato

It would be impossible to talk about the neighborhood without stepping through the doors of one of its most spectacular landmarks: the Théâtre du Châtelet. Located on Place du Châtelet since 1862, this grand Parisian theater still has a taste for XXL productions, from musical theater and opera to dance, jazz and concerts. Its program (Les Misérables arrives on November 11!) brings together great classics and contemporary creations. But the Châtelet can also be visited: guided tours, singing tours, workshops and treasure hunts offer new ways to discover its historic interiors. The perfect excuse for a very Parisian night out, even if you’re not a seasoned theatergoer.

Théâtre du Châtelet, 1 place du Châtelet, Paris 1st. +33 1 40 28 28 40. Telephone box office: Monday to Friday, 10am-1pm and 2:30pm-5:30pm. Box office opens 1.5 hours before each performance.
© Dimitri Bourriau - Thomas Amouroux

For lunch or dinner with Paris as your backdrop, head to the seventh floor of the Cheval Blanc Paris palace, where Langosteria brings the Milanese elegance of the Italian institution to the City of Light. Here, fish and seafood take center stage: carpaccios, shellfish, seafood pasta and Mediterranean-inspired dishes make up a menu that is both chic and sunny. The restaurant’s spectacular setting is the real showstopper, with sweeping views over the Seine and Paris rooftops, from Notre-Dame to the Sacré-Cœur. The terrace is naturally one of its biggest assets when the weather is fine. An address to book for a chic lunch or dinner that fully embraces Parisian grandeur. Our go-to dishes? Sicilian Gambero rosso with marinated beetroot (€48), gazpacho with langoustines (€48), signature Paccheri with line-caught sea bass for two, olives, capers and lemon (€52/person), and Linguine with Brittany blue lobster (€82).

Langosteria, Cheval Blanc Paris, 8 quai du Louvre, Paris 1st. +33 1 79 35 50 33. Lunch Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm-3pm. Dinner daily, 6pm-11pm.
© Nolwenn Pernin

Under the grandiose dome of the Bourse de Commerce, François Pinault has created one of Paris’s most fascinating contemporary art scenes. The historic building, transformed by Tadao Ando, houses works from the Pinault Collection in a program combining temporary exhibitions, monumental installations, performances, talks and screenings. Even if contemporary art leaves you puzzled, the building is worth the trip for its architecture and extraordinary rotunda, now a Parisian landmark in its own right. Our recommendation? Extend the visit with a table at La Halle aux grains, the restaurant by Michel and Sébastien Bras, on the third floor. And to avoid the crowds, note the Friday late opening until 9pm, when you can visit Remember Me, the current photography exhibition featuring spectacularly staged works by Gustave Le Gray, Cindy Sherman, Dorothea Lange and Man Ray.

Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, 2 rue de Viarmes, Paris 1st. +33 1 55 04 60 60. Open Monday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm, except Tuesday. Late opening Friday until 9pm. Free late opening on the first Saturday of the month from 5pm to 9pm.

All you have to do is walk through the doors of iRASSHAi to find yourself in a completely different world. This vast destination dedicated to Japanese cuisine brings together a grocery store, canteen, café-bar and more gastronomic restaurant under one roof. In the grocery section, stock up on miso, sauces, noodles, sake and other Japanese treasures to take home. For a casual bite, head to SHOKUDO and its unfussy Japanese plates, while BIWAN offers a more refined dining experience. And for a lighter break, KISSABA serves coffee by day before transforming into a temaki bar in the evening. A little slice of Japan on rue du Louvre, just steps from Les Halles.

iRASSHAi, 40 rue du Louvre, Paris 1st. +33 1 84 74 35 30. Open 7 days a week. Grocery store: 10am-10pm. SHOKUDO: 11:30am-3:30pm then 6pm-10pm. BIWAN: Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm-2pm and 7pm-10pm. KISSABA: 8:30am-7pm then 7:30pm-10pm.
© Clémence Sahuc

Facing the Seine, LV Dream is the kind of place where you can easily spend an hour… or an entire afternoon. Conceived by Louis Vuitton as a destination combining culture, gastronomy and shopping, it houses an exhibition dedicated to the Maison’s artistic collaborations, featuring works by Frank Gehry, Yayoi Kusama, Virgil Abloh and Marc Jacobs, among others. The experience continues with a gift shop, followed by the Café Maxime Frédéric, overlooking the Seine, and its couture-like chocolate shop, the ultimate idea for a seriously stylish gift. A particularly effective stop for anyone who likes to leave with a souvenir: chocolates in a monogrammed box, a collector’s item or a small leather good. The exhibition is free and requires advance booking.

LV Dream, 2 bis rue du Pont-Neuf, Paris 1st. +33 9 77 40 40 77. Open daily, 11am-8pm. Free exhibition with advance booking. Café Maxime Frédéric: 11am-7pm.

Also discover our guide to things to do in Paris this weekend and 10 cool addresses to know in the 11th arrondissement.