Paris/15th arrondissement

The 15th arrondissement of Paris (also called arrondissment de Vaugirard) is in the city's southwest on the Left Bank of the Seine. Quite up-market and quiet, it is the largest arrondissement by both area and population. Housing over 230,000 inhabitants and providing around 150,000 jobs, it is dense with residential and office developments, including the high rise skyline of Front de Seine along the northern part of the 15th's bank of the river. On the other hand, it sees relatively little tourist traffic — but that does not mean it is devoid of attractions.

The famous skyscraper Tour Montparnasse and the neighbouring railway station Gare Montparnasse are on the eastern border of the 15th arrondissement, although the actual district of Montparnasse is right across the border in the 14th arrondissement.

Understand

The 15th arrondissement is further broken up administratively into four quartiers: Grenelle, Necker, Saint-Lambert and Javel.

Grenelle is the quarter closest to the 7th arrondissement and thus directly neighbouring the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. Therefore, it houses many hotels advertising the proximity of the Tower. The waterfront part of Grenelle is home to the 1970s high-rise residential development of Beaugrenelle, and the eponymous shopping mall. The more inland parts of the quarter are filled with 19th-century Haussmannian buildings, interspersed with some more modern ones.

The quarter of Necker, situated between Grenelle and the quarter of Montparnasse of the 14th arrondissement, is home to some of the locations named after Montparnasse, most notably the Tour Montparnasse and Gare Montparnasse. It also houses more large public service and commercial buildings, such as the expansive Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades. Otherwise, it is full of late 20th-century residential buildings, with many fewer Haussmannian structures than Grenelle.

The southeast quarter of Saint-Lambert is most known for the Parc des expositions de la porte de Versailles, which is one of the largest and most important exhibition centres in France and Europe.

The southwestern quartier Javel had long been an industrial area of Paris, but has been reclaimed as office, residential, and recreational over the decades. It contains the Parc André Citroën, created over the former Citroën factory grounds, and the Heliport of Paris in its southern extremity.

Get in

By train

The Gare Montparnasse is at the northeastern extremity of the arrondissement and offers many good connections within the district and all of Paris. Also a direct train to Chartres. The Transilien N ends its run here.

RER C runs along the left bank of the Seine across the 15th arrondissement and beyond with stops including Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel, Musée d'Orsay, Saint-Michel-Notre Dame and Gare d'Austerlitz. In the other direction it is a direct line to Versailles-Château. Also to Orly airport through Pont de Rungis stop.

By metro

The following lines go through the 15th arrondissement:

  •  6  crosses the northern part of the 15th from east to west over an elevated estacade. It forms a southern ring through Paris, running between Étoile and Nation and also stopping at Gare Montparnasse.
  •  8  runs from the south of the 15th arrondissement northwards, continuing through the 7th onto the right bank of the Seine, including stops at Opéra, République and Bastille.
  •  10  takes an southwest/northeast tangent through the 15th, connecting it to the 5th, 6th and Gare d'Austerlitz from one end, and the 16th as well as Boulogne-Billancourt from the other.
  •  12  runs north-south through the eastern 15th, entering it at the north at Gare Montparnasse. It also stops further north at Saint-Lazare.

Major changeover stations:

  • Montparnasse-Bienvenüe  4  6  12  13  (at the foot of Gare Montparnasse).
  • La Motte-Picquet–Grenelle  6  8  10 
  • Porte de Versailles  12  - also trams T2 and T3a pass here.

By tram
  • T2 from La Défense ends its run at Porte de Versailles, where it connects to T3a and M12
  • T3a runs across the south of the 15th arrondissement, starting from the Seine and continuing into the 14th, 13th and 12th

By bus
  • Lines: 39, 62, 42 (from Gare du Nord), 88, 80, 70, 39

By Batobus

Station Beaugrenelle, Port de Javel Haut

See

Landmarks
  • 🌍 Tour Montparnasse (Next to the Gare Montparnasse station). 09:30-22:30. If the queues at the Eiffel Tower are just too much for you and your time is limited, consider a trip up the Montparnasse Tower. This is an office building with an observation and shopping area on the 56th floor, where the elevators stop, and an open viewing area on the roof. Arguably the view is better than from the Eiffel Tower: you are not so high up so things are more visible, and you can see the Eiffel Tower! €11.50, with discounts, children under 7 are free of charge. 
  • 🌍 Île aux Cygnes (Pont de Grenelle – Pont de Bir-Hakeim). One of the three islands on the river Seine 
  • 🌍 Square Béla Bartók, Front de Seine. A small park between two highrises on the Front de Seine featuring two interesting sculptures dedicated to the musician 
  • 🌍 Statue de la Liberté (Pont de Grenelle). Replica on the site where Bartholdi had his workshop 
  • 🌍 St Christophe de Javel, 28 Rue de la Convention (Métro Javel - André Citroen), ☏ +33 1 45 78 33 70. The first concrete church 
  • 🌍 Pont de Bir-Hakeim. Two-level bridge. (updated May 2015)
  • 🌍 Pont Mirabeau (Metro Javel). 19th-century bridge. (updated May 2015)

Museums and galleries
  • 🌍 Galerie Michèle Broutta, 31 Rue des Bergers (Métro: Charles-Michels, Boucicaut RER: Javel), ☏ +33 1 45 77 93 71, . Quality etchings, prints and collectors' books. 
  • 🌍 Musée Bourdelle, 18, Rue Antoine Bourdelle, ☏ +331 49 54 73 73. Sculptures by Antoine Bourdelle. 
  • 🌍 Musée Mendjisky, 15 Square de Vergennes, ☏ +33 1 45 32 37 70. 11:00-18:00. Écoles de Paris housed in a Mallet Stevens Building. 
  • Musée du Général Leclerc de Hautecloque et de la Libération de Paris (Musée Jean Moulin). This museum has relocated to 4 Avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy
    75014 Paris.     
  • 🌍 Musée Pasteur (Pasteur Museum), Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Dr-Roux (Métro Volontaires). Closed for renovation. The Pasteur Museum is housed in the apartment where the great scientist spent the last 7 years of his life. Hardly touched since that time, the museum is full of personal memorabilia and scientific instruments. Pasteur is buried on the grounds in a flamboyant mosaic-decorated mausoleum. The museum was closed to individual visitors for security reasons after the 13th November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. Entry €14, students €7. 

Parks

There are several parks, the biggest of which is the Parc André Citroën.

  • 🌍 Jardin atlantique, 1, place des Cinq Martyrs du Lycée Buffon. Suspended above the train tracks this garden is surprisingly calm and chilled-out. 
  • 🌍 Parc André Citroën, 2, rue Cauchy. 08:00-17:45. The large park occupies the 14 ha formerly occupied by a Citroën factory. Several gardens have specific themes, including water games. On sunny weekends or vacation days many people chill out or jog there. 
  • 🌍 Parc Georges-Brassens, rue des Morillons. 

Other
  • 🌍 Parc des Expositions (Porte de Versailles). Paris's international exhibition centre (the 4th largest in Europe) has millions of visitors annually. 

Do
  • 🌍 Aquaboulevard, 4 rue louis Armand. Biggest swimming pool and recreational center inside Paris. 
  • 🌍 Ballon de Paris (Paris Balloon or Ballon Generali), Parc André Citroôen, ☏ +33 1 44 26 20 00. Get a unique bird's eye view of Paris on board an air-balloon, from an altitude of 150 m. €12. 
  • Front de Seine. Take a walk along the Front de Seine to appreciate the modern mixed use architecture between Bir-Hakeim bridge and Garigliano bridge, some of the buidings were designed by world renowned architects; The view is probably best from bridge Pont Mirabeau. 
  • 🌍 Maison de la culture du Japon, 101Bis Quai Branly (Métro Bir-Hakeim), ☏ +33 1 44 37 95 01. The location hosts several expositions, a library and a concert hall. 
  • Tapovan Paris, 9 rue Gutenberg, ☏ +33 1 45 77 90 59. This Ayurvedic centre offers treatment and professional training in various Ayurvedic healing arts: hatha & nada yoga, reiki, Ayurvedic massage, reflexology, oil treatments (e.g. Shirodhara). 
  • 🌍 Tour Montparnasse, Top deck, 33, Avenue du Maine, ☏ +33 1 45 38 52 56. 09:30-22:30. Panoramic view of Paris from the 56th floor. €15. 

Learn
  • 🌍 le Cordon Bleu (Culinary School), 13-15 Quai Andre Citroen, ☏ +33 1 85 65 15 00. 8:30 - 22:00. Le Cordon Bleu is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with over 50 schools on five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its education focus is on Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, and Gastronomy. Offering Diplomas in Cuisine, Pastry and Bakery for the aspiring chef as well as short courses, workshops, and guest chefs demonstrations for gourmet enthusiasts. Julia Child, who famously popularized the art of French cuisine in America, graduated from this school in the 1940s, as portrayed in the movie Julie & Julia by Merryl Streep. (updated Feb 2017)

Buy

Eat

The quarter of Saint-Lambert contains many cafés and small restaurants, some of them in nice and quiet pedestrian streets or squares. You get out on the Metro station Convention and explore the myriads of small streets. Ideally not wandering too far off Vaugirard street, which fully traverses the 15th arrondissement. If you choose to go up to Montparnasse, there are several good places with fair prices before getting to the train station. On the other hand if you go in direction of Porte de Versailles you will have more choice, but with very fluctuating quality.

Budget
  • 🌍 Café Zinc-Zen, 114, rue de la Convention (Boucicaut), ☏ +33 1 45 58 08 40. Small café with 2 seating areas - seats in the windows and a darker back room. Elegant but not expensive, great lunches/dinners, and superb crème brûlée for a night cap with coffee. 
  • Choux d'enfer, Intersection rue Jean Rey and quai Branly (Métro Bir-Hakeim or RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel), ☏ +33 1 47 83 26 67. Daily 09:00–20:30. Street food + haute pâtisserie française = sweet food in a designer "kiosk". 
  • 🌍 Café Beaugrenelle, 89 rue St Charles (Metro:Charles Michels), ☏ +33 1 45 77 72 21. Brasserie on lively Place Charles Michels 

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Le Café du Commerce, 51, rue du Commerce (Métro Emile Zola), ☏ +33 1 45 75 03 27. 12:00-15:00, 19:00-24:00. Authentic French food and ambience. (Be sure to go to number 51 rue du Commerce, as there is another place nearby with a similar name.) 
  • 🌍 La Plage Parisienne, Port de Javel ht, ☏ +33 1 40 59 41 00, . May-September 12:00-14:30, 19:30-23:00. Along the River, rather pleasant. They also offer cocktails at their bar. 
  • 🌍 Le Volant, 13 rue Beatrix Dussane (Metro: Dupleix), ☏ +33 1 45 75 27 67. M-Sa 12:00–14:30, 19:00–23:00. The Basque restaurant excels in meat. If you are lucky the soup of the day is the "soupe au marron". There is a possibility to get a 3-course evening menu including entrée, plat and dessert. The home-made "mousse au chocolat" is really big. Also the bistro is generous on the sides: Usually one gets "purée", rice and polenta. Inside the restaurant, the former tricot of the famous French football player Zinedine Zidane is on display. As the small place fills rapidly, reservation is recommended. €30 evening menu. 
  • 🌍 Au Roi du café, 59 rue Lecourbe (Sèvres-Lecourbe), ☏ +33 1 47 43 48 50. Daily 06:00-02:00. Belle-Epoque decor, true bisto spirit 
  • 🌍 Bermuda Onion, Centre commercial Beaugrenelle, Ilôt Verseau - 3rd floor, 7 rue Linois, 75015, ☏ +33 1 45 78 83 62, . 08:00-00:00. Eat or drink. View of the river even better in the evening. 
  • 🌍 Eclectic, 2 Rue Linois, 75015 Paris (Métro Charles Michels or Javel), ☏ +33 1 77 36 70 00, . Daily 08;00-00:00. Brasserie fashion. Decor Tom Dixon 
  • 🌍 Le Baribal, 186, rue de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris (Metro: Volontaires), ☏ +33 1 47 34 15 32. Daily 11:45-00:00. 40-year-old neighborhood bistro run by Louisette and her partner George. Traditional simple fare. €20-25. 
  • 🌍 Frame Brasserie, 28, rue Jean Rey, 75015 Paris, ☏ +33 1 44 38 57 77. Californian-style restaurant : a new take on the traditional Parisian brasserie. (updated May 2015)
  • Le Cappiello, 59 Rue Letellier, ☏ +33 9 83 31 80 86. €20-30. (updated Jan 2018)

Splurge
  • 🌍 Afaria, 15, rue Desnouettes (Convention), ☏ +33 1 48 42 95 90. This Basque restaurant mainly serves meat or some fancy tapas on the bar. €8-28. 
  • 🌍 Le Beurre Noisette, 68 Rue Vasco de Gama (Metro Porte de Versailles), ☏ +33 1 48 56 82 49. Tu-Sa 12:00–14:00, 19:00–23:00. The restaurant of Thierry Bianqui offers interesting food all year long. Remember to reserve in advance for this cosy place. The menu are written on chalk boards and they can arrange custom demands for vegetarians. The desserts are recommended. 3 courses for €35. 
  • 🌍 Le Ciel de Paris, Top of Tour Montparnasse (33, avenue du Maine), ☏ +33 1 40 64 77 64. 360° view. 
  • 🌍 Restaurant Benkay, Hotel Novotel Front de Seine Grenelle, 61 quai de Grenelle, ☏ +33 140582126. Japanese cuisine. Great views. 
  • 🌍 le Quinzième, 14, rue Cauchy – 75015 Paris (Métro line 10, station Javel. Bus : 88), ☏ +33 1 45 54 43 43. The restaurant, lies alongside Parc André Citroën. By 2005, wide audiences were following Cyril Lignac on TV as he opened his own restaurant, Le Quinzième, on the popular French series “Oui Chef!” Here he brilliantly demonstrated his know-how and good taste, producing refined and slightly off-beat cooking, always made with his trademark top quality ingredients. 

Drink
  • 🌍 Celtic Corner Pub, 21 Rue Lakanal, ☏ +33 1 42 50 74 11. A nice little Irish pub with charming service and fair price. Sports men from the nearby Gymnase "Croix Nivert" like to hang out here for a beer or two. 
  • 🌍 Crocodile Vert, 6 Rue du Hameau (Métro Porte de Versailles), ☏ +33 1 56 08 15 4. The small hidden Cuban bar is a bit away from rue de Vaugirard. It is quite popular for the salsa music on the weekends. At later times you'll recognise it by the number of people standing outside. 
  • 🌍 Le square café, 139 Boulevard de Grenelle, ☏ +33 1 43 06 80 84. In spring time sun is shining on the outdoor terrace. It is a nice spot for a tea with soft background music. 
  • 🌍 Le César Palace Paris, 23 Avenue du Maine (Station Montparnasse-Bienvenüe (Ligne 4,6,12 ou 13)), ☏ +33 1 45 44 46 20, fax: +33 1 42 22 50 30, . Diner and show - Parisian cabaret show and dancing. 

Sleep

Budget

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Campanile Paris XV - Tour Eiffel, 30, rue Saint Charles / 21 Rue Sextius-Michel (2 min from the Dupleix metro station, Line 6; 2 min from the Charles Michels metro station, Line 10; and 5 min from the RER C station, Champ de Mars), ☏ +33 1 45 78 61 33, fax: +33 1 45 79 41 13, . English & Spanish spoken at reception. €70-120. 
  • Eiffel Seine, 140, boul de Grenelle, ☏ +33 1 45 78 14 81, fax: +33 1 45 79 46 96. 
  • 🌍 Hotel Mirabeau Eiffel, 35 rue Sebastien Mercier, ☏ +33 1 40 58 14 81. Though it is off centered, It is new, clean and somewhat affordable 
  • Hôtel Oceania Paris Porte de Versailles, 52, rue d'Oradour-sur-Glane, ☏ +33 2 98 44 38 38, fax: +33 2 98 43 69 69, . €100-205. 
  • 🌍 Mercure Paris Centre Tour Eiffel, 20, rue Jean Rey (Station Tour Eiffel (RER C) / Bir-Hakeim (Metro 6)), ☏ +33 825 80 17 17, . A relatively large mid-range hotel very close to the Eiffel Tower, in a nice, quiet and green area of Grenelle. Despite the closeness, only about a quarter of the rooms, designated as such and commanding higher rates, feature a view of the tower itself. All of the rooms and common spaces have been renovated and feature modern decor inspired by the tower and the metro. The rooms are very functional and feature operable windows, but the amounts of plastic and the violet theme may not provide for a romantic Parisian experience. €145+. 
  • 🌍 Mercure Paris Tour Eiffel Grenelle, 64, boul de Grenelle (Dupleix Station, Metro 6), ☏ +33 1 45 78 90 90, . Not to be confused with the other Mercure, this one is not far away but in quite a different setting, facing the busy Boulevard Grenelle and the overground Metro 6 line. Neither as quiet nor as modern or comfortable as the other Mercure. On balance it is one of the cheaper hotels in its class close to the core tourist centre of Paris. €125+. 
  • 🌍 Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel, 61 Quai De Grenelle. The largest Novotel in the world was built as a Japanese hotel Nikko, and retains many interesting design elements of the former, like the capsule-style windows, and the Japanese restaurant Benkay. It is by now not ageing that well though and awaits the long-overdue renovation. 
  • 🌍 Novotel Paris Gare Montparnasse, 17 Rue Du Cotentin (Metro: Montparnasse-Bienvenüe or Pasteur). Located in a quiet corner of Montparnasse, and if you don't mind a 10-min walk to the Metro, this is a nice and relatively new hotel. Easy access from the Montparnasse-Bienvenüe Metro: just take the stairs all the way up to the train platforms, exit on Boulevard de Vaugirard, take a left and follow the street up to the hotel. There is a Velib' City Bike Rental park just outside the hotel. 

Splurge
  • 🌍 Hotel Sublim Eiffel, 94 Boulevard Garibaldi (Métro Sèvres-Lecourbe), ☏ +33 1 40659595, fax: +33 1 42730713, . Funky decorated rooms located within 15min walk from the Tour Eiffel. 
  • 🌍 Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel, 18 avenue de Suffren (entrance is from 22 rue Jean Rey), ☏ +33 1-44385600, fax: +33 1-44385610, . The former Hilton was taken over by Accor's upscale business hotel brand Pullman and underwent extensive renovation to its rooms and public spaces. It continues to offer close-up views of the Eiffel Tower from the balconies of its relatively spacious for Paris Deluxe (32 m²) and Superior (26 m²) rooms, while the Classic rooms (26 m²) face the courtyard. Room-only rates starting from €205, breakfast is €25 per person. 

Connect

Paris Wi-Fi is free of charge and accessible in a number of parks (Parc Georges Brassens, Parc André Citroën, Jardin Atlantique, Jardin Nicole de Hautecloque) or squares (Saint Lambert, Violet, Clos Feuquières, rue Blomet, Alleray Labrouste), and in the Starbucks and rather fancy McDonald's on Place Charles Michels.

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