Montmartre Guide

Talking about the most famous hill in Paris where everyone can enjoy the romantic and stunning view of this beautiful city, "Montmartre" will surely be the one. The hill of Montmartre is located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. From this hill, we can appreciate the epic panoramic view of Paris and also experience the artistic atmosphere where well-known artists like Picasso and Renoir used to spend their time creating their famous works of art. Apart from the Basilica Sacré Cœur that impresses the locals and the tourists at all times, O’bon Paris team is now ready to share an easy guide that will help you better discover this area. 

Each stone of its narrow winding streets, every centimeter of its squares and parks preserves the history and memory of artists and writers ... Montmartre is its own world inside Paris, full of indescribable charm, a village that has preserved its atmosphere until now. A walk through the most popular quarter of Paris will bring great pleasure. We have compiled a guide for you in this beautiful area so that you can just navigate and find all the most interesting places for a walk, shopping, and a delicious dinner.

Where to shop in Montmartre? 

Montmartre may not be the most popular area for shopping purposes but after having spent some time in Paris, our team has found out that Montmartre has actually offered us quite a lot of choices for souvenirs, clothing, textile and other unique vintage shops as well as a very likable chocolate shop. Hence, we decided to give you the name of some spots where you can get fun shopping experiences in Montmartre.

Montmartre Je t'aime 

Located in the heart of Montmartre, the Montmartre je t'aime boutique is the main place of sale for souvenirs from the Mur des je t'aime, located just opposite. Many derivative products - made in France or in Europe - of the Mur des je t'aime are available: magnets, mugs, signed posters, pens, postcards... All these items are also on sale in the other shop called 'Paris est toujours Paris,' located on the Grands Boulevards, at 47 Passage Jouffroy, a superb 19th-century covered passage.

Address : 4 Rue la Vieuville, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses Station
Opening hours : Monday – Friday 10:00 - 19:00, Saturday - Sunday 10:00 - 20:00
Telephone :  +33 1 42 58 76 44

La Halle Saint-Pierre

Within a beautiful Baltard-style architecture, facing the gardens of the Butte Montmartre, the Halle Saint Pierre houses a museum and a gallery, a bookstore, an auditorium, and a café. It is in this harmonious and luminous setting that the major temporary exhibitions and the many artistic and cultural activities dedicated to the most unexpected forms of creation are presented. Temporary exhibitions, around art brut, popular art, singular art, and contemporary art.

Address : 2 Rue Ronsard, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses Station/ Bus line 85 Rochechouart-Clignancourt stop/ Metro line 4 Barbès- Rochechouart Station
Opening hours : Monday – Friday 11:00 - 18:00, Saturday 11:00 - 19:00, Sunday 12:00 - 18:00
Telephone :  +33 1 42 58 72 89

Pâtisserie Gilles Marchal 

After being elected pastry chef of the year in 2004 and medalist of the city of Paris in 2008, Gilles Marchal settled in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, on the Montmartre hill at 9 rue Ravignan. Born in Lorraine in the land of Madeleine, Gilles Marchal chose this cake, which is grown up together with him from his childhood, as the emblem of his pastry. The secret of these exquisite specialties is, among other things, the freshness; The cakes are baked several times a day and arrived at the shop, being lukewarm in diverse flavors: plain, glazed, or filled, with lemon, chocolate, pine honey, pistachio, orange, and salted butter caramel.

Address : 9 Rue Ravignan, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses Station
Opening hours : Wednesday - Friday 08:30 - 13:00, Saturday 08:30 - 19:30, Sunday 08:30 - 18:00, Monday - Tuesday Closed
Telephone :  +33 1 85 34 73 30

Héritage Laulhère

French people and beret are something that cannot be separated from each other. Hence, we thought to put the shop of beret like Héritage Laulhère into this article for those who are looking for a nice French original beret house. Héritage Laulahère provides you with various choices of beret from Laulhère brand; both classic and modern designs. Laulhère is a French brand founded in 1840 and continues its activities until today in the traditional way of making berets. If you are eager to see more of Héritage Laulhère shop, we invite you to check our article by clicking here. Apart from the information about the shop, we also provide you with a discount of 10% which can be downloaded here.

Address : 7 Rue la Vieuville, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses Station/Bus line 40 Orsel stop
Opening Hours : Daily 11:00-18:00

Where to eat in Montmartre?

Walking around in Montmartre, we noticed a lot of restaurants and small cute cafés. The list of the places that you should not miss is below.

ADN Montmartre

As a restaurant, a bar, a delicatessen, a greengrocer, and a wine shop, this place is a 100% vegetarian bistro, sharing cuisine from around the world. With seasonal and local products, ADN offers homemade dishes without additives as well as fresh products from their collaboration with local farmers. Only fresh, high-quality seasonal ingredients are used, but the price is very affordable. If you want to get away from restaurants visited by tourists and feel the local atmosphere, this is the place that you must never miss in the Montmartre area.

Address : 14, rue Muller, Paris 75018
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses Station, 
Opening Hours : Daily 12:00-00:00
Reservation : https://www.adnmontmartre.fr/a-propos/ 

Pink Mamma

Pink Mamma is an Italian trattoria renowned for its grilled meat, prepared like in Tuscany. It occupies the 4 floors of a beautiful building in SoPi (South Pigalle). The products are fresh and all the food is homemade. Nice cellar of Italian wines, and the prices are sweet. For a review of Pink Mama Restaurant, please refer to this article.

Address : 20bis Rue de Douai, 75009 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 2, 12 Pigalle station
Opening hours : Monday - Wednesday 12:00 - 14:30 / 18:45 - 22:45, Thursday - Friday 12:00 - 14:30 / 18:45 - 23:00, Saturday 12:00 - 15:15 / 18:45 - 23:00, Sunday 12:00 - 15:15 / 18:45 - 22:45
Reservation : https://www.bigmammagroup.com/fr/reservation

Moulin de la Galette

This restaurant has become popular thanks to the painting by Renoir called « Bal du Moulin de la Galette ». The highlight of the restaurant is a windmill on the roof which was originally used to produce the flour. Then, the windmill house was turned into the outdoor dance floor which inspired the famous painting by Renoir. Now, the windmill is being used as a decoration as well as a symbol for one of the best restaurants called « Le Moulin de Galette ». At the same time, it also attracts a lot of tourists who follow Renoir’s inspiration for his paintings.

Address : 83 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Lamarck-Caulaincourt station, Bus 40 88, Rue Lepic stop
Opening hours : Daily 12h00-23h00

Le Très Particulier

Located in the heart of the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, Le Très Particulier stands out for the originality of its setting divided between a green garden blooming in all seasons, a glass roof with lush vegetation and the interior bar decorated in a Garden of Eden style. You can enjoy creative cocktails there, day and night.

Address : Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, 23 Av. Junot Pavillon D, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Lamark - Caulaincourt station
Opening hours : Everyday 18:00 - 02:00

Sapajou

It is a small natural wine bar with a trendy and casual yet chic atmosphere. The customer base is young French people in their twenties and thirties, and if you want to feel the local young vibe, there is no place like this place. You can meet unique and quality natural wines carefully selected from private French wineries. The side dishes such as cheese and sausage are sold together, which have great taste and quality.

Address : 10 Rue de la Font du But, 75018 Paris 
Transportation : Metro line 7 Le Peletier station
Opening hours : Tuesday-Thursday 11:30-13:00, 17:00-23:00 / Saturday 12:00-23:00

Cafe Renoir  

The Café Renoir is the ideal base for alone, with two or more, to be disconnected from the hustle and bustle of the city. Its glass roof decorated in the spirit of a winter garden opens into the delightful Renoir gardens. You can have some coffee, a light lunch, or just a snack. We savored every second spent on this verdant terrace that makes us feel like time stands still... The Café offers a snack menu that changes by every season with a selection of gourmet products.

Address : 12 Rue Cortot, 75018 Paris 
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses station
Opening hours : Monday - Thursday 11:30 - 17:00, Friday - Sunday 11:30 - 18:00

Grenouilles Paris

An easy baguette sandwich can definitely be a better choice to avoid the long queue for the restaurant. GRENOUILLES is a small sandwich restaurant that serves you with a big smile from the staff and great quality ingredients. The shop may look small but you will not regret entering into this small studio. The easy-cooking sandwich will surprise you with the amazing smell of French baguettes at first, then after, with the taste of dried ham and sausage plus with the delicious sauce that is put in the baguette to spice up your sandwiches.

Address : 55 Rue du Chevalier de La Barre, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 4 Château Rouge station, Bus 85  Muller stop
Opening hours : Monday to Friday 09h00 - 20h00, Saturday 09h00 - 22h00, Sunday 09h00 - 20h00

 Where to stay in Montmartre?

Montmartre Romantic

Since the guest room in the center of Montmartre is run by a French artist, it has an artistic and trendy interior. Even though it is in a crowded neighborhood, the room is very quiet during the night. The interior facilities, including the bed, are also very good. The surrounding area is full of addresses loved by locals, such as the ADN restaurant introduced earlier. The owner will give you useful information such as nice chocolate shops, bakeries, restaurants, bars, and flower shops loved by Montmartre locals. They even bring you croissants made by the best pastry chefs in the morning. As it's less commercial than Airbnb or a hotel, it will make you feel like being a local Parisian, which will be a unique experience. Since the owner lives in the same building, you can easily contact them if there is any problem. A highly recommended accommodation.

Address : 13 rue muller 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 4 Chateau Rouge, line 9 Abbesses, line 2 Anvers 
Contact : [email protected] 
Site https://www.montmartreromantic.com/fr/contact 

Hôtel Particulier Montmartre

Previously used as a family house, the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre is located between the very chic avenue Junot and the lively rue Lepic. The Hôtel Particulier Montmartre has not only 5 unique and original suites each designed by different artists, but also a Le Grand Salon restaurant, a Le Très Particulier cocktail bar, and the largest hotel garden in the capital. Its elegance and refinement make you feel a cozy and rural atmosphere.

Address : 23 Av. Junot Pavillon D, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 9 Abbesses, line 2 Branche
Contact : https://www.montmartreromantic.com/fr/contact

What to see in Montmartre?

Being called an artistic district, Montmartre is full of aesthetic corners for photos and is also a place marked with some historical events. Let's find out what to see in Montmartre.

Musée de la vie romantique

Musée de la Vie Romantique is considered one of the places where you can spend time walking and enjoying the artworks created under the movement of Romanticism, such as the work of Delacroix or Chopin. Once entering there, you will feel like you are in the countryside due to the trees and the garden around the museum. On one side of the museum, there is a small café in the garden, which provides seats both inside the glass room and outdoors in the garden.

Address : Hotel Scheffer-Renan 16, Rue  Chaptal 75009 Paris 
Transportation : Metro line 7 Le Peletier station, Bus 74 Pigalle-Chapelle stop, Bus 40 Gustave Toudouze stop
Opening hours : Tuesday to Sunday 10h00 - 18h00, Closed on Monday

The wall of je t'aime

Before going straight to the Basilica of Sacré Coeur, take some time to see another artwork called “Le mur de Je t'aime.” Yes, I mean the wall of 'I love you'. It is a big blue wall full of the sentence ‘I love you’ in 250 languages, created by Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito. Apart from ‘I love you’, you will also notice the small red fragments which refer to the pieces of broken hearts that are supposed to be healed by the love words.

Address : 14 Place des Abbesses, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses station 

Musée de Montmartre

Montmartre has been well-known for being a gathering place for artists, especially in the 19th century. This museum also used to be a place where artists like Suzanne Valadon spent their time creating artwork. The famous painting 'Bal du moulin de la Galette' by Auguste Renoir was also created here in the Montmartre. The indoor museum will impress you with the artworks of well-known artists and the scene of each room used as the atelier or the studios where those artists spent their time painting and living. Also, you can go out of the building and enjoy the garden which makes you relaxed with the view of the vineyard near the museum.

Address : 12 Rue Cortot 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Lamarck-Caulaincourt station, Bus 40 Les Vignes stop
Opening hours : Daily 10h00 - 19h00

Place du Tertre

Place de Tertre is the lively square near the Basilica of Sacré Cœur. This square is full of restaurants and street artists carrying their paint boards around and drawing people's portraits. Apart from the street painters and the restaurants in this area, you can also buy some souvenirs from Montmartre and go inside the Church of Saint-Pierre of Montmartre, which is considered one of the oldest churches in Paris.

Address : Place du Tertre, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 12 Abbesses station, Bus 40 Orsel stop

La basilique du Sacré-Coeur

The walk in Montmartre can not be completed without the Basilica of Sacré Coeur. This is a spot where you can usually enjoy the music from street artists and be overwhelmed by the panoramic view of Paris. The small grass field, called Square Louise-Michel, on the way up to the Basilica, is also a nice place to relax especially in summer. You will see a lot of Parisians having picnics with their friends and family. Sacré Coeur is a Byzantine basilica built on the ground of the victory of France over the Prussian army and to build moral support. To make this guide more impressive, we decided to climb up 300 steps to get to the top of the basilica. We knew that this would not be easy but let’s think about the view. It will make you more motivated. On our way up to the basilica, we stopped from time to time for a break in a quite narrow stairway. I cannot deny that it was hard to climb up there, but once we saw the view from the top, we all agreed that, it was “Magnifique.”

Address : 35 Rue du Chevalier de La Barre, 75018 Paris
Transportation : Metro line 4 Château Rouge station, Metro line 12 Abbesses station, Metro line 2 Anvers station, Bus 85 Muller stop
Opening hours : Daily 06h00 - 22h30 (timing can be differed on All Saint’s day)

O’bon Paris' tips

Despite the stunning romantic atmosphere, Montmartre can also be dangerous for tourists. It is recommended to avoid talking with people having a small rope in their hands. They are normally gathered on the way up to Sacré Cœur, around the square Louise-Michel. They will play with your hand by using their rope and then will ask you to pay them for the rope, telling you it is a souvenir from Montmartre. Then, it can be hard to just leave them without paying as your hand is already tied up by rope.

Words and Photographs by O'bon Paris Team