Belleville
Paris's most genuinely multicultural hill, where street art and market stalls outnumber postcards.
The essential Paris guide, the places worth knowing.
The short version
Multicultural, artistic, and unpolished by design
- ·Solo travelers
- ·Street art and design lovers
- ·Adventurous eaters
- ·Budget-conscious travelers
- ·Skip if you want a polished, postcard version of Paris.
- ·Skip if steep hills are hard for you to manage daily.
- ·Skip if you'd rather have nightlife concentrated on one walkable strip.
Where to stay
Hotels in the neighborhood that are a good match.
Hôtel Scarlett
1 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
A design-forward boutique hotel near Parc de Belleville, with a warm, considered interior that fits the artistic side of the neighborhood rather than feeling like a chain interior dropped into it.
Couples and travelers who want some style and comfort without paying for a luxury address.
Check availabilityBabel Belleville
3 Rue Lemon, 75020 Paris
One of the best-reviewed stays on the hill, on Rue Lemon in the heart of Belleville, with genuine sustainability and Travel Proud certifications behind the good photos, not just marketing claims.
Design-conscious travelers and LGBTQ+ travelers in particular, given its Travel Proud certification.
Check availabilityRésidence Le Belleville
32 Rue Frédérick Lemaître, 75020 Paris
A furnished aparthotel rather than a classic hotel room, with a kitchen and living space, built for travelers staying long enough in Belleville to want to live a little locally rather than tour a checklist.
Longer stays, solo travelers or small groups who want to self-cater. Also LGBTQ+ friendly.
Check availabilityWhere to drink coffee
Belleville Brûlerie (Cafés Belleville)
- Coffee
- Specialty coffee
- Roastery
A specialty coffee roaster and bar that gave the neighborhood its coffee-scene reputation, roasting on site and pouring a serious espresso in an otherwise unpolished stretch of the 19th.
Moncoeur Belleville
- Coffee
- Laptop friendly
A relaxed café, bar and restaurant near the top of Parc de Belleville, with fast wifi and enough room to settle in for a work session at prices that respect the neighborhood rather than a destination-café markup.
Floréal Belleville
- Coffee
- Laptop friendly
A neighborhood café close to Parc de Belleville's Couronnes-side entrance, useful as a laptop-friendly stop between the park and the rest of the hill.
Where to eat
Lao Siam
- Thai
- Laotian
- Local favorite
A Thai-Laotian kitchen open since 1985, still run by the same family, and one of the most consistently recommended restaurants on the entire street. Expect a wait and go anyway.
Café des Délices
- French
- Good value
An affordable, unpretentious restaurant at the corner of Rue Dénoyez and Rue Lemon, from the team behind Le Grand Bain and Le Petit Grain, in the middle of Belleville's street-art heart.
Mian Guan
- Chinese
- Noodles
- Good value
Hand-stretched noodles pulled to order, a straightforward, wallet-friendly spot that draws students and locals rather than sightseers.
Dong Huong
- Vietnamese
- Good value
A pho and bo-bun mainstay close to Belleville metro, making the same soups for more than 25 years. Closed Tuesdays, otherwise reliably busy with regulars.
For an evening out
Le Grand Bain
- Natural wine
- Small plates
A small-plates and natural wine spot on Rue Dénoyez, right in the middle of the street-art strip, with one of the more ambitious wine lists in the neighborhood. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
La Cave de Belleville
- Natural wine
- Cheese
- Charcuterie
Part wine shop, part bar, part cheese and charcuterie counter, tucked into the upper reaches of Rue de Belleville since 2015. A mainstay rather than a new arrival.
La Cave à Michel
- Natural wine
- Lively
A narrow, standing-room natural wine bar with a shelf-lined selection that changes often. Informal and lively rather than a sit-down destination.
Things worth doing
Parc de Belleville
- Parks
- Views
A steep hillside park terraced down the slope, with amphitheater-style seating and some of the widest skyline views in the city, without an entrance fee or a queue.
Belvédère de Belleville
- Views
- Landmark
The specific viewpoint terrace at the top of Parc de Belleville, decorated with mosaics and murals, and generally considered the best sunset spot on this side of the city.
Rue Dénoyez
- Street art
- Walks
An open-air street art gallery where the murals turn over constantly, anyone with a can of spray paint can add to it. The most concentrated stretch of street art in the neighborhood.
Belleville Market
- Market
- Food
An open-air market along Boulevard de Belleville on Tuesday and Friday mornings, with North African pastries, fresh herbs and produce reflecting the neighborhood's mix of communities rather than a curated food hall.
Ateliers d'Artistes de Belleville
- Culture
- Art studios
The organization behind Belleville's annual open-studios weekend each May, when over 150 local artists open their workspaces to the public. The gallery space itself keeps more limited hours the rest of the year.
Where to work
Moncoeur Belleville
- Coffee
- Laptop friendly
A relaxed café, bar and restaurant near the top of Parc de Belleville, with fast wifi and enough room to settle in for a work session at prices that respect the neighborhood rather than a destination-café markup.
Floréal Belleville
- Coffee
- Laptop friendly
A neighborhood café close to Parc de Belleville's Couronnes-side entrance, useful as a laptop-friendly stop between the park and the rest of the hill.
A few local picks
- Moncoeur BellevilleA work session · Local favoriteOpen in Google Maps →
- Belleville MarketA market morning · Local favoriteOpen in Google Maps →
- Le Petit GrainA pastry to go · Local favoriteOpen in Google Maps →