Have you seen the Woody Allen movie Midnight in Paris? In it, Owen Wilson describes how he loves Paris in the rain, and the film does depict a romantic version of the City of Lights in La Pluie. That said, it can’t half put a dampener on a weekend in Paris – the answer? Head to the arcades for the individual boutiques, and cool restaurants. I stayed at Grands Boulevards last time I explored them , which is a) one of my favourite Paris hotels and b) perfectly located for exploring my favourite arcade, the Passage des Panoramas.
Anyway, here’s the article, which appeared in The Times (read it here).
Tour the hidden arcades of Paris
Discover the chic cafés, curious shops and breathtaking interiors in the city’s network of 19th-century ‘mini malls’
Rain. It doesn’t half put a dampener on a city break. There we were, imagining how we’d stroll down the chic avenues of Paris, window shopping en route. Then we’d sit in pavement cafés sipping coffees in the sun — how wonderful our weekend in Paris would be! Then we arrived. And it was raining. And then it rained some more. And more.
Funnily enough, this was an issue in the 19th century too, only then there was no such thing as a cagoule. The Parisians’ answer was to build small covered arcades and galleries between the streets, providing shelter so that the well-heeled could shop, dine and stroll without so much as a drop of rain ruining their attire.
At their peak there were about 100, but in the second half of the 19th century Baron Haussmann’s Grands Boulevards and the new trend for department stores drew the sophisticated crowds away and they fell into disrepair, were closed and built on. Thankfully, 20 or so survived and are hidden away in the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. With their independent, unusual boutiques and unique cafés and restaurants, they are the antidote to city centre Identikit shops.
So, after the obligatory saunter around the Louvre, we dodged the ever-filling drains in Rue de Rivoli and darted into the Palais-Royal, Cardinal Richelieu’s former residence with a long history of political and royal misbehaviour. Beyond the inner courtyard a manicured garden is surrounded by golden pillared arcades. Although these pre-date the 19th-century covered arcades, the elegant antiques shops and characterful boutiques whet our appetite for what is to come.
As we walked towards the north exit, we passed the historic restaurant Le Grand Véfour and admired its original 18th- century decor. With its opulent mirrors, gold fittings and ornate tiles, it was not the ideal hangout for two drowned rats. We strolled on in search of something more affordable and arrived at one of Paris’s most famous arcades: Galerie Vivienne.
Built in 1823, its glass roof lends a brightness even on a dull day. At the far end the Librairie Josseaume was a treasure trove of antique books, and the toy shop Si Tu Veux offered classic wooden toys. To the left of the exit on Rue Vivienne, Jean-Paul Gaultier’s flagship boutique marks out Galerie Vivienne as the chic destination it is.
We found its antithesis a few blocks north, tucked behind La Bourse, the city’s historical stock exchange. It would be easy to miss the south entrance of the eclectic Passage des Panoramas because of its rather ugly 1970s façade, but we found a certain magic once we stepped inside. Built in 1800, it’s the oldest of Paris’s arcades and was the first to be lit by gas, in 1817.
A narrow corridor winds between Kashmiri and Indian restaurants, and it felt a little like walking into one of the Arabian souks that inspired the arcades. A host of philatelist boutiques are sandwiched between buzzing cafés. We peered through the windows of several before the blackboard of the characterful bistrot Bar des Variétés caught our attention. The promise of classics such as boeuf bourguignon and escargots made our mouths water, but with so many diners inside we plumped for the terrace, with its glass roof.
Afterwards we spilt out on to the street and darted across the road to Passage Jouffroy to re-enter our hidden world.
Passage Jouffroy was built in 1845 on the back of Passage des Panoramas’ success, and its star attraction is the Musée Grévin, with its 1900 replica of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors. Jouffroy leads to Passage Verdeau, which has an elegant air about it — the original 19th-century clock marking time overhead, a beautiful haberdashery and the charming bookshop Librairie Santon.
Finally the rain stopped and we headed outside, eschewing the Metro in favour of a walk through the city’s elegant avenues.
As we strolled, the lights glistened in the puddles and I said to my friend: “Rain in Paris? Pas de problème.”
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Carolyn Boyd was a guest of Relais 12 Bis, a chambre d’hôte close to the Eiffel Tower that has doubles from €220 (£193) a night (sawdays.co.uk). She travelled with Eurostar (eurostar.com) from London to Paris