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Unlike how Paris is often depicted in pop culture, the city is not just croissants and berets. Paris today has areas that are characterized by the colorful mix of ethnicities from as far as Asia and Africa. This INSIDR guide is a brief look into the diverse ethnic neighborhoods in Paris. From the one-street Little Tokyo to the many corners of the Jewish quarter in Le Marais, you can travel the world in Paris!
Japanese quarter
Where in Paris: Rue Saint-Anne (1st arrondissement)
Metro: Pyramides (Line 7 / 14)
In the 1st arrondissement of Paris, just a short walking distance from the Louvre and the Palais-Royal, is where you’ll find Paris’ Little Tokyo. It was in the 1990s when Japanese entrepreneurs started opening restaurants in the area. Today, it is where the growing Japanese expat community go to for their home comforts of sushi, udon, ramen, and imported Japanese ingredients. This area has also given many Parisians the opportunity to sample authentic Japanese cuisine.
Local spots in the neighborhood:
Kunitoraya for udon
Happa Teï for okonomiyaki
Aki for Japanese-style breads and pastries
Kotteri Ramen Naritake for ramen
K-Mart or Kioko for Japanese groceries
Chinese quarter
Where in Paris: Rue au Maire and Rue Volta (3rd arrondissement)
Metro: Arts et Métiers (Line 3 / 11)
Despite having a big chinatown in the southeast corner of Paris, the real Chinese quarter, and the oldest, is actually just made up of 2 small streets in the 3rd arrondissement just next to Le Marais. It was in the 1900s when immigrants from the Wenzhou province in China came to Paris and set up leather workshops and handicraft shops in the Arts et Métiers. Now that decades have passed, the original shops are no longer there but the area has remained to be full of Chinese establishments like restaurants, grocery stores, and even a hair salon!
Rue au Maire is unlike your typical Parisian street. The shop signs are mostly written in Chinese characters and you’ll find restaurant staff and cooks busily running up and down the street. Another thing you must observe while in the area would be the half-timbered building located on 3 Rue Volta which is rumored to be the oldest house in Paris dating back to the 13th century!
Local spots in the neighborhood:
Chine Store for Chinese groceries
Song Heng for pho
Restaurant Wenzhou for Chinese food
If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, head to Belleville in the 20th arrondissement where there are a number of Chinese establishments as well.
‘Little Asia’
Where in Paris: Avenue d’Ivry, Avenue Choisy, and Boulevard Massena (13th arrondissement)
Metro: Porte d’Ivry (Line 7)
Paris’ Little Asia is known by locals as Quartier Asiatique or Petite Asie. The 3 main streets that make up this neighborhood have a very lively atmosphere of restaurants and shops that stand amongst the colorful streetart in the 13th arrondissement. You’ll know you’re in the right place as soon as you spot the local McDonald’s!
Despite its status as the largest Chinatown in Europe, the neighborhood actually has significant Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian populations who first came to Paris in the 1970s. This mix of Eastern cultures have made the 13th arrondissement the go-to area for delicious and authentic Asian cuisine.
So if you’re massively craving for hard-to-find Asian ingredients like lemongrass, choi sum, and even exotic fruits like durian, make sure to head to this neighborhood. Apart from coming for the food, you should also come here for the colorful festivities like the Lunar New Year celebrated around January and February.
Local spots in the neighborhood:
Tang Frères or Paristore for Asian groceries
Lao Douang Chan for Laotian food
Hang Meas for Cambodian food
Pho Bành Cúon for Vietnamese food
Indian Quarter
Where in Paris: Passage Brady (10th arrondissement)
Metro: Château d’Eau (Line 4)
Since the 1950s, the northern areas of Paris have been home to many migrants from the subcontinent of India. Today, you’ll find that no other area in the city has a more concentrated Indian presence and culture than in Passage Brady. Passage Brady is one of the few remaining shopping arcades in Paris that were built in 19th century.
Your visit here would be no less than a visual, sensory and aromatic journey. The arcade is lined with Indian restaurants, shops of colorful fabric, and exotic spices that you’d have difficulty finding elsewhere. And though it is popularly known as ‘Little India’, it also houses numerous Indo-Pakistani, Mauritian and Reunion Island businesses. Definitely come here to experience a different side of Paris!
Local spots in the neighborhood:
Pooja and Madras Cafe for Indian food
Urfa Durum for Kurdish-style pizzas
African quarter
Where in Paris: Goutte d’Or neighborhood (18th arrondissement)
Metro: Château Rouge (Line 4)
Head to Goutte d’Or in the 18th arrondissement for a glimpse of the vibrant northern African culture in Paris. As soon as you get off the Château Rouge station, you’ll feel as if you were transported to a local town in Africa. Quartier Africain is bustling with vendors, restaurateurs, and tradesmen who provide many exotic products you won’t find in your local department store. From spices plucked from Gambia to wax couture fabrics from Nigeria, this neighborhood will most definitely have it.
Local spots in the neighborhood:
Rue DeJean and Rue Poulet for the street markets
SAWA Shoes for stylish Africa-made sneakers and clothing
Le Café d’Ici for Franco-African cuisine
Jewish quarter
Where in Paris: Rue des Rosiers in Le Marais (4th arrondissement)
Metro: Saint-Paul (Line 1)
Of course you’ve already probably heard of the buzzing neighborhood of Le Marais. While it is more likely to be known today as the gentrified neighborhood on the right bank full of stylish retail spaces like LE BHV MARAIS and home of Paris’ LGBTQ rights movement, Le Marais is where many Jews first settled in the early 19th century and still live in to this day. Though the Jewish community can be found in many places like in the 19th and 20th arrondissements, the most well-known Jewish area would be in Le Marais.
When you walk around the neighborhood, especially along Rue des Rosiers, you’ll observe that Jewish history and culture is all around. You’ll find Jewish restaurants, bookshops, bakeries, and butchers along with synagogues. Not only will you travel with your eyes but with your stomach, too!
Local spots in the neighborhood:
MAHJ (Le Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme) to learn about the Jewish culture and history
L’As du Fallafel for the best fallafels you’ll ever have
Miznon for delicious pita sandwiches by Israeli cooks
Florence Kahn for Jewish sandwiches and breads
Arab Quarter
Where in Paris: Jussieu (5th arrondissement)
Metro: Jussieu or Place Monge (Line 7)
One of the ethnic neighborhoods in Paris you can’t miss is Jussieu in the 5th arrondissement on the Left Bank. Its is the perfect place to learn about Arab culture through art and food. The best couscous can arguably found at Fountir Agadir restaurant just a short walking distance from the stunning Grande Mosquée de Paris. Institut du monde arabe is also a great place to learn about the history and culture of 18 different Arab countries. Don’t forget to head to the rooftop for sweeping views of Paris.
Arabs are France’s largest ethnic minority with most of the origins coming from northern African countries like Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon from the Middle East. Much like the Chinese and Jewish communities, the Arab community is pretty spread out in Paris but a number of Arab-run establishments are concentrated on Boulevard de Barbès in the 20th arrondissement. Some have compared the busy street to a local market in Marrakech. This area has gotten a reputation for being a seedy part of town but if you know where to look, you’ll be surprised by the discoveries you’ll find.
Local spots in the neighborhoods:
Fountir Agadir for Moroccan cuisine
Le Café du Zyriab by Noura for Lebanese cuisine
Boulevard de Barbès for the Arab street market
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