Butte aux Cailles {Paris}

Butte aux Cailles is one of those Paris neighborhoods tucked in the 13th arrondisement that you would never know was there unless someone told you it was there. I first heard about this area earlier this fall, and luckily I picked the perfect day to go visit. I must admit, I was even a little hesitant to post about this amazing little area, as I love how Parisian it is with its complete lack of tourists.
The area feels typically Parisian, but with pops of the urban landscape that have made their way in. It helped that the trees were in bloom – and that it was trash day – but I loved having the pops of green in contrast to the neutral facades. Turn the street and you’ll find yourself in front of a few buildings that make you feel like you’ve traveled to Alsace.
In the center park, there’s fountain linked to the spring below (which also fills the nearby swimming pool) where you can fill your water bottles or take a refreshing drink (or take funny photos, as my friend Marisa and I did).
But after a few hours of wandering the streets and checking every twist and turn of this little “village,” nothing could have ended the outing better than lunch at Chez Gladine’s. The little basque restaurant runs like a well oiled machine, and gets people in and out fast (without feeling rushed). The food is not only highly affordable (try the 2,50E sangria and the 11E cassolet), but delicious and satisfying. Even if the place looks packed, don’t hesitate to check in at the bar. Despite lots of people waiting outside, our wait was only 10 minutes, and worth every second of it.
To get to Butte aux Cailles, take metro line 6 to Corvisart [not far from Place d’Italie] and head up the stairs underneath the apartment buildings at Rue Eugene Atget.

Click HERE for more pictures from my Saturday in Butte aux Cailles.

10 comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *