Paris Digest
Paris city guide since 1997
Most Paris left bank hotels are boutique hotels set in old and charming houses. They usually combine confort and quietness. The hotels and apartments in 5th and 6th arrondissements are ideal for a Parisian stay. Hotels in Paris.
Staying in a romantic boutique hotel in the left bank is the ultimate experience in the city. Immerge yourself in Paris left bank, the quiet and lovely district Parisians prefer.
We selected left bank boutique hotels and residences that are particularly well located and have the charming atmosphere of Paris, so different from the atmosphere of international modern chain hotels. These hotels will always be around. They feature French art de vivre at various prices.
A category by itself, Hotel Lutetia, located near Hermès store, is one of the best known and largest five star hotels in the city.
Hotel d'Aubusson is a 17th-century private mansion set in the heart of the left bank, just 350 m from Odéon metro station.
The five star hotel offers a jazz bar and an interior courtyard with a fountain. Guest rooms feature original beams, antique furniture and a monumental fireplace made of Burgundy stone. Some suites feature a four-poster bed and a view of the courtyard with its marble statues. Each room at Hotel D'Aubusson has a marble bathroom, a coffee machine and high-speed WiFi. A full English breakfast is served.
The Seine river banks are one of the most beautiful urban landscapes in the world. In between Notre-Dame and the Louvre Museum, the concentration of sights is amazing. Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés apartments are located on the river banks. Some have a beautiful Seine river view.
Hotel Le Littré is one of our favorite hotels in the city. Very close to Montparnasse and rue de Rennes shopping and nightlife district, it is located in a quiet street.
Set in an early 20th century building, it offers soundproofed rooms with panoramic views over the city. The air-conditioned rooms and suites are equipped with Wi-Fi access, double glazed windows, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom. Some rooms have a separate living area and a balcony or terrace with views of the capital.
This hotel is located between La Sorbonne and the Luxembourg Gardens in rue Monsieur-le-Prince, a very old street of Paris Left Bank.
It offers air-conditioned and soundproofed guest rooms with flat-screen TV and free Wi-Fi access. Guests can relax in the shared living area, with an open fireplace.The Saint-Paul serves a buffet breakfast in the hotel's 17th-century arched cellar. Room service offers a choice of hot drinks.
Hotel Le Relais is set in a 17th-century house located a 5-minute walk from Saint-Germain-des-Prés metro station.
This elegant hotel offers luxury rooms with a minibar and an LCD TV. Rooms at Hotel Le Relais Saint-Germain feature original wooden beams and period furniture. Each offers a marble bathroom with bathrobes and a hairdryer. The Relais Saint-Germain restaurant is among the best in town. Priority booking for hotel guests.
Located 250 m from Luxembourg Gardens and close to Le Panthéon, hotel Le Petit Paris offers luxurious guest rooms set in an 18th-century building in the heart of Quartier Latin.
It features a small courtyard. The soundproofed guest rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and a minibar. The decor in each air-conditioned room is inspired by French historical periods. Free Wi-Fi is available Le Petit Paris.
Hotel Delavigne is just 250 m from Odéon metro station and 650 m from the Luxembourg Gardens. It is set in a very quiet street leading to Théatre de l'Odéon.
The hotel offers soundproofed accommodation with free Wi-Fi. Each room mixes contemporary decor with antique furniture and has a flat-screen TV. Individual private bathrooms are equipped with a bathtub or shower. The rooms on the upper floors offer views over the rooftops of central Paris.
Geographically speaking, the left bank is the area on the left bank of the Seine river and the right bank the area on the right bank of the river. But, for parisians, it is smaller. The left bank district is bordered by Le Panthéon, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Musée d'Orsay and the Seine river. Its leaving heart is Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
See top sights on left bank Paris map. Rue de Sèvres is a famous shopping street in the district. With adjacent streets, it is home to a myriad of fancy French fashion stores at walking distance. Rue de Sèvres is a nice alternative to the department stores and a great place for shopping in a relaxed environment. Paris left bank has many restaurants, bookstores, antique and fashion stores. Its narrow old streets are the authentic city. Most parisians prefer Paris left bank (Rive Gauche) over the busy right bank (Rive Droite). To discover the left bank, try our left bank Paris walk.
It can be said that the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district is the beating heart of the left bank and one of the most Parisian districts in town. Dominated by the tower of the very old and prestigious Saint-Germain-des-Prés Church, Saint-Germain-des-Prés has long been famous as the intellectual district of Paris with the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre and Boris Vian being regulars in cafés and night-clubs. Many visitors have a drink at Café de Flore or Deux Magots, the two most famous literary Cafés in Paris. It is too a top shopping area.
The Saint-Germain-des-Prés district around rue de Sèvres, rue du Four, boulevard Saint-Germain, rue Bonaparte has many French fashion stores, including Hermès (17, rue de Sèvres), one of the most spectacular fashion stores in town. Discover the lovely Musée Delacroix Place Furstemberg.
At walking distance from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Luxembourg Gardens are certainly the preferred gardens of Parisians. Spread with statues, fountains and flowers, they are the most romantic gardens in Paris. They are crowded on sunny days. North of Luxembourg Gardens, the area around Saint-Sulpice church is quite lovely.
Since 1799, the Luxembourg Palace houses the Senate, one of the two chambers of the French Parliament with the National Assembly. Members of the two Houses are chosen by different electoral systems. The 348 senators are assisted by specialized civil servants and parliamentary aides. 2000 people work for the Senate. The Speaker of the Senate ensures the stability of France’s institutions. He is called upon to replace the President of the Republic in the event of his death or resignation. The Palace cannot be visited.
Housed in the spectacular 1900 Orsay train station in the Left Bank, Orsay is the 19th century art museum of Paris. Orsay Museum is a must. Its impressionist painting collections are worth the trip. Monet, Van Gogh, Manet, Renoir, Gauguin and Sysley are specially well represented. Orsay, Marmottan Museum and Giverny Gardens together turn Paris into the impressionism capital of the world.
In between the Seine River and Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the left bank, Relais Louis XIII is housed in a 17th century house, featuring old stones, noble wooden beams, engravings, stained glass windows and antique chairs.
Very attached to traditional French cuisine, Manuel Martinez, the cook, revisits it and brings an elegant modernity to his classical dishes. The cook is obsessed with finding the truth in flavors, through a meticulous produce selection process. Great gastronomy. 70 euro signature menu at lunch time.
One of our favorites restaurants in town. We are regulars.
We would like to be able to recommend many Le Petit Olivier, but there are few in central districts. In the lovely, trendy and expensive rue du Cherche-midi, this tiny and packed restaurant serves a good dish of the day and a desert for 10 euros. The chef, who also does the service, cooks traditional French disches, like baked sardines, smoked sausage and lentils or black pudding as daily specials. On the service side, no fuss. The best way to choose your dessert? “You get up, you look in the fridge. “Indeed, on the other side of a small corridor, banana chocolate fondants and speculoos mousse are waiting for gourmets. "The spoons are next," calls out the chef. For a bit, we would almost ask the neighbors if they want us to bring them something. Unbeatable. No web site. No reservation.
