Le Marais, Paris, France

A quick tour around Le Marais, in Paris. Our favorite Marais hotels, restaurants, and places to explore. 

It’s been quite some time since our last travel guide installment, but I’m so happy to finally share the details from our adventures in Paris. 

As this was our family’s first time in Paris, we spent awhile researching and asking friends where to stay. We couldn’t have been happier with the lovely Marais district, which is spread over parts of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. 

To get to the Marais neighborhood, I recommend taking the Metro to the Bastille stop, or walking from Notre Dame. While some parts of Paris felt very busy, le Marais mostly felt like a very peaceful small neighborhood. 

Place des Vosges 

At the heart of Le Marais sits the Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris. Writer Victor Hugo resided here from 1832-1848, and his apartment is now a museum. 

The Place des Vosges is a beautiful park for kids to run around or to have a picnic. 

The Place des Vosges is lined with elegant arcades filled with art galleries, shops, restaurants, and boutique hotels. It’s the perfect spot to sit and sip a cappuccino while people watching. We adore Carette, whether for a coffee, pastry, or escargots! 

Le Marais Hotels 

Pavillon de la Reine Review

Thanks to saved up AmEx points, we were able to stay at the beautiful small boutique hotel, Pavillon de la Reine. Tucked away just off the Place des Vosges, the Pavillon feels like you’ve stepped into a secret garden. The afternoon tea and breakfast were dreamy, and the service wonderful. Can’t a suit-clad gentleman open doors for me while saying Bonjour Madame every day? 

Arriving at the hotel was easier than I could have ever imagined, as they sent a driver to pick us up from the airport and whisked us to the front of the customs line. 

While I love exploring on foot, bicycling around Paris is always lovely too. The Pavillon de la Reine has a few bicycles available. 

The honesty bar at Le Pavillon de La Reine. 

View from our family suite at Le Pavillon de la Reine. 

Other Hotels in le Marais 

La Chambre du Marais has great reviews at a slightly lower price point. Our family has also had success with VRBO and Airbnb in the past. 

Le Marais Restaurants 

Verger Saint Paul

Well obviously my first choice of “restaurant” is a produce stand. We stumbled upon this one along Rue de Rivoli next to baroque church Saint-Paul Saint-Louis. There are other beautiful gourmet shops nearby as well. Like in Florence, it’s wonderful to find such beautiful produce in the midst of a bustling city. 

Falafel to-go in the Jewish Quarter 

There are several fantastic inexpensive Middle Eastern restaurants near Rue des Rosiers, which are great for non-meat-eaters like myself. Try L’As du Fallafel for a falafel sandwich, eggplant, or even just some hummus and pita to go. 

Amorino

The girls just had to get one of these rose ice cream cones at Amorino in the Place des Vosges. 

Carette 

Aaaah, Carette… the epitome of classic Parisian cafes. Each pastry a work of art, delicious coffee, small sandwiches to go, and enormous salads similar to our Spring Nicoise. Conveniently located just outside of le Pavillon de la Reine. 

Juice Lab & Co. Le Marais

If you find yourself needing a break from croissants and coffee, you can find fresh juices, chia pudding, and acai bowls at Juice Lab. Juice Lab is also located in the Place des Vosges. 

What to do in Le Marais, Paris

• Have a picnic. Grab sandwiches to go at Carette, then head across the street to the Place des Vosges garden. 
• Shop: Karl Lagerfeld is fun but out of my budget, the kids got a few new items at Petit Bateau, and I got few new things at Comptoir. We also brought home a special sculpture from an art gallery in the Place des Vosges. 
• Take a walk. I recommend heading toward the river, past Notre Dame, and over the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which took us about half an hour.