A weekend in Pigalle
Montmartre and Pigalle are possibly one of the most “touristy” neighborhoods in Paris that I’ve barely spent any time in: I’ve never been too drawn to the Moulin Rouge (I’ve still never seen the movie!), and although I have eaten at the famous Amelie cafe, once was enough. 
But on this last trip to Paris, my boyfriend and I decided to start our trip with a weekend at the super cool Le Pigalle hotel–and that forced me to explore a brand-new neighborhood. Honestly, I’d been put off before on my brief trips to Pigalle/Montmartre by the seediness of it all (case in point: when we arrived to the hotel, Facebook asked if I wanted to check in to “The Dirty Dick”–the not-super-classy bar across the street!) but it seems like there are a lot of cool new establishments opening up in the area, even if they are right next to long-standing sex shops. That said: not the area I’d recommend for a family, but there is plenty of fun stuff to explore a young couple or group of friends.
First things first: if you’re staying in this neighborhood, I can’t recommend Le Pigalle enough. Paris is kind of like New York in that a lot of the hotels are tiny and cramped and sort of force you (in the best possible way) to explore the city. And although our room wasn’t exactly overly spacious, it was designed in such a cool way to make it so comfortable to hang out in. Our absolute favorite part: the record player and selection of vintage records! I’ve never really had a record player before (at least not since childhood) and this weekend really made me want to have one of our own. We really enjoyed just relaxing in the room and listening to the Rolling Stones while enjoying the view of Parisian rooftops from our balcony.
One of the things I was most excited to check out (because I saw it on Instagram, of course): the Love Wall! It’s covered with “I Love You” in what seems like every single language. The delightful surprise was the shady garden that it was in: I would have loved to relax here with a book.
Don’t let this photo fool you: we wandered around Montmartre on a Saturday afternoon, and most of the streets were PACKED with tourists. The best part was meandering off onto little cobblestone side streets and discovering ivy-covered walls and adorable cafes (like that one!). 
The steps of Sacre Coeur are one of my favorite place to people watch: can you spot the three different couples taking selfies in the photo above? 
Very good Saturday night decisions to be making. We actually went to Buvette for dinner since it was just a few blocks from Le Pigalle, and I was interested to see how it compared to my favorite West Village spot. Happy to report that it’s just as cute and just as delicious! My boyfriend especially enjoyed the “French Manhattan” cocktail, and I thought the tartines were just perfect. 
After dinner, we took a long walk around the neighborhood: crazy to think that the above photos were taken after 9pm! I love how it stays light so late in Paris in the summer, although it’s a little trippy. We stopped for a drink at Le Sans Soucis, which felt like a hipster dive bar taking over a normal French bistro. 
Another great part of Le Pigalle: it was just a few blocks away from KBCafe, which serves up some of the best coffee in Paris! There’s plenty of nice sidewalk seating, so we started both mornings with cappuccinos, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a couple of pains aux chocolats that I picked up at a bakery down the street. Perfect! 
Have you spent much time in the Pigalle neighborhood before? Any recommendations or things you’d like to check out?
Many thanks to Le Pigalle for kindly offering us a complimentary stay; however, all opinions are my own.
