Saint-Germain-des-Prés: the ultimate area guide for 2025

Villa-des-Prés is a five-star gem perfectly tucked between the brilliant Cravan, the Italian spot Localino, and Ralph’s café – and it fits right in with the neighbourhood. Nothing here is left to chance. Its 34 rooms and suites stand out for their generous size (even the smallest is at least 22m²), their warm, distinctive feel, and above all, their bathroom game – seriously top-tier. Throughout the hotel, you’ll spot the signature style and rich colour palette of designer Bruno Borrione (of Madame Rêve and Katorze Hôtel fame). Downstairs, there’s a wellness area with a spa, pool, and gym. This is an intimate place, so chances are you’ll find yourself with the sauna or poolside all to yourself – it almost feels like home. Almost. 

Address: 29 Rue de Buci, 75006 Paris

That’s a wrap. The quiet battle for Paris’s best handrolls is already over – and the winner is packing out its little spot in Odéon. Meet Takuto (formerly called Kaïto, before it switched names in January 2025), a sleek, stainless-steel Japanese enclave whose name means ‘man of the sea’, run by sushi master Takuya Watanabe (of the unforgettable Jin). The place is small but striking: a bluish marble counter runs along the open kitchen, with just a few spots to lean in and eat – standing up, Tokyo-style, like at the fish market bars. And the assortment of rolls, maki, salads and soups are exceptional. 

Address: 71 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris

Since 1999, Mennour has been pouring his boundless energy into Saint-Germain-des-Prés with a bold programme of contemporary art. He played a key role in introducing artists like Kader Attia and Adel Abdessemed to the Paris scene in the early 2000s – and that dynamism paid off quickly. By 2007, just under a decade in, Mennour confirmed his gallery’s growing stature by relocating to the grand 18th-century Hôtel de la Vieuville on Rue Saint-André des Arts. Today, generations, styles, and mediums all come together in Mennour’s beautifully atmospheric space – a hub of creative energy showcasing the work of artists like Daniel Buren, Camille Henrot, Claude Lévêque, Huang Yong Ping, and Anish Kapoor.

Address: 47 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006 Paris

Cravan, the second of its name, takes over an entire building just a stone’s throw from the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church – four floors and three bars. You settle in on the first floor, a cosy cocoon of gleaming chevrons, and dive into a seriously stacked cocktail list: 22 options, including four made with champagne. Cocktails are expensive but expertly done, and the chef gives just as much love to the food: crisp mushroom tempura with black garlic toum, baby leeks smothered in mousseline sauce, a little bowl of soba noodles – everything here is a total delight.

Address: 165 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris

Okay, so it’s not technically in Saint-Germain, but it is just across the river in the Latin Quarter – and it’s on a mission to bring back the area’s nightlife, with free entry, a vaulted cellar (aluminium, red, 70s-style), an oversized smoking room, and a cracking cocktail list – try the cheeky Rose Royce (€15), made with vodka, rose liqueur, lychee purée, lime and sparkling water. The club gets its name from Pamela Courson, muse and partner of Jim Morrison. Fittingly, this was the site – then known as the Rock’n’Roll Circus – where Morrison suffered a fatal heart attack, in the toilets, on 2 July 1971. He’s also rumoured to be the hand behind the naive paintings on a door near the cloakroom. Don’t worry though – the music’s moved on from psychedelic rock, and the vaulted ceilings now bounce to the sound of underground, house-heavy DJ sets. In short, at Pamela, it’s definitely not the end, my friend.

Address: 40 Rue du Petit Pont, 75005 Paris