Arc de Triomphe: An insider's guide
Leave the hordes behind with this list of the best locals' spots around Napoleon's iconic arch...
The Arc de Triomphe is the iconic centrepiece of traffic-heavy place de l'Etoile (the meeting point of twelve, elegant, Haussmannian avenues including the Champs Elysées) and a must-see for first-time visitors. But that doesn't mean you have to sightsee like a fresher. The area is both a heaving business and residential district, frequented by well-healed Parisians who love nothing more than avoiding the tourist crowds. Follow in their footsteps with our list of the best places to shop, eat, drink and sightsee around the Arc de Triomphe.
Click here for more information on the arch.
Around the Arc de Triomphe...
Museum: Musée Jacquemart-André
Long terrace steps and a pair of stone lions usher visitors into this grand 19th-century mansion, home to a collection of objets d'art and fine paintings. The collection was assembled by Edouard
- 158 boulevard Haussmann, 8e
Museum: Musée Cernuschi
From the Arc de Triomphe, head down avenue de Wagram to Ternes, then take boulevard de Courcelles to the beautiful, neo-classical Parc Monceau. On it's east side lies one of the city's best kept
- 7 avenue Vélasquez, 8e
Restaurant: La Fermette Marbeuf
La Fermette Marbeuf 1900 restaurant in Paris just a few steps from the Avenue George V and the Champs-Elysees is also the shortest route into Belle Epoque Paris of a century ago. This jewel of a
- 5 Rue Marbeuf, 8e
Restaurant: Philippe et Jean Pierre
If you're looking for a decently-priced, semi-gastronomic meal just off the Champs Elysées follow the suits and high-heels to Philippe et Jean Pierre, a beautiful art deco restaurant with a very
- 7 Rue du Boccador, 8e
Pub: Sir Winston
Sir Winston is one of the oldest English pubs in Paris, ensconced just around the corner from the Arc de Triomphe. Though the Champs Elysees professionals who pack this chicly eccentric bar are too
- 5 Rue Presbourg, 16e
Bar: Charlie Birdy
Not a reference to Charlie Parker, but to Winston Churchill’s parrot. A stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe, this enormous pub is a cross between a New York loft and a colonial gentleman’s club,
- 124 Rue de la Boétie, 8e
Shop: Alléosse
If you're a fan of walk-off-your plate cheese do not miss Alléosse (10-minutes from the Arc de Triomphe on foot), where varieties from almost every French region are represented. People cross town
- 13 rue Poncelet, 17e
Shop: Byzance Champs-Élysées
A place to go piggy in: Spanish hams here have the Bellota-Bellota label, meaning that the pigs have been allowed to feast on acorns. Manager Philippe Poulachon compares his cured hams (€98 a kilo)
- 11 rue Clément-Marot, 8th