Rue des Martyrs, a rendezvous for epicureans
It is said that the Rue des Martyrs takes its name from a fatal event: Saint-Denis, the oldest bishop of Paris, is said to have picked up his head after being beheaded under the Roman Empire with other companions. He would then have gone up this famous street before dying a few kilometers to the north, where the Saint-Denis Basilica was founded. Rest assured: our walk along this inclined shopping street for nearly a kilometer, straddling the 9th and 18th districts, will be nothing bloody!
Discover the Rue des Martyrs
The years have seen some issues of Rue des Martyrs brothels, as well as cabarets, such as the Michou cabaret. Moreover, you can still attend shows and dance in the first transvestite cabaret in Paris, Madame Arthur, opened in 1946.
Rue des Martyrs is not just a place to party: it is good to stroll there, especially on weekends, when it is entirely reserved for pedestrians. The axis has in fact been forbidden to cars on weekends and public holidays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. since 2019, and there are no longer any parking spaces there, replaced some time ago by vegetation. Throughout the walk, we take a look at the details of the facades and facades, which sometimes have some vintage surprises in store.
Rue des Martyrs : our favorite spots
An ideal setting to start the day off on the right foot with breakfast at the Pain Pain Bakery, on The Montmartre hill, at the very top of Rue des Martyrs. Winner of the best baguette in Paris in 2012, Sébastien Mauvieux makes beautiful loaves made with Île-de-France flour from morning to evening, as well as generous pastries, like the pistachio-chocolate roll. In order to enjoy everything at best, we stop at Jehan Rictus Square, a little further north, where the tourist “Wall of I Love You” is located.
For lunch, we treat ourselves to a getaway to the Caucasus, halfway between Europe and Asia, at Colchide, a restaurant whose name refers to the mythical Georgian region of the Golden Fleece. While meat lovers can enjoy “Tchkmerouli”, a coquelet served in garlic sauce, they can also taste “Soko Ketze”, mushrooms stuffed with cheese and cooked in butter in a clay pan. The wine list is particularly worth a visit, with a fine selection of wines vinified using the ancestral method in “qvevri”, those terracotta jars that are buried and in which the grains macerate with the skin.
After our Georgian feast, we go down the street towards KB Coffee Roasters for a coffee break: this coffee shop at the corner of Avenue Trudaine And of Rue des Martyrs offers drinks made from beans roasted by the house. An excellent place for any time of the day, with a particularly attractive menu of snacks and desserts. A 3-minute walk away, fans of Petit Noir will also stop by MOMUS, a publisher of exceptional cafés. In store, you can even create your own custom coffee accompanied by a barista!
Summer and winter alike, it's impossible to ignore ice cream from Glazed, which dares with original flavors such as, this fall, “Smashing Pumpkin”, a pumpkin and Tonka bean ice cream, or a dark beer ice cream. Not to mention comforting waffles and “frozen yogurt” made from farm yogurt from Île-de-France.
Going down the Rue des Martyrs, stop at number 59, access to which is normally possible during the week: this is where the Malesherbs city, home to unusual buildings, opens. The house located at number 11, built in 1856 by Anatole Jal for the painter Pierre-Jules Jollivet, has in particular a beautiful polychrome facade, with famous paintings from the Bible.
Another unmissable spot in Quartier Saint-Georges : the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette church, which marks the end of Rue des Martyrs. From the outside, it's impossible to guess that this neoclassical building hides the most colorful church in the capital! You have to enter the premises to discover its walls entirely covered with decorations.
After having taken in the sights with these two visits, we go to Bleu Bao to enjoy Dim Sums and other decadent baos in an old Chinese family home decor. To start, we will choose one of the 8 cocktails that pay tribute to the 8 Chinese regions, before getting serious. Among our favorites, the “Dongpo” pork, braised and ultra-tender, served with bok choi. One Must !
Conclusion
La Rue des Martyrs has everything to please: a haven for epicureans of all kinds, nocturnal entertainment and a peaceful stroll along the cobbled streets. Are you looking for a property in The Saint-Georges district ? We are listening to you.