Les Passages de Paris (The Covered Passage Shopping Markets of Paris)

The passages are a peaceful form of the crowd. It controls itself better there, it stretches out; it warms itself up by rubbing against the walls. The pace of the pedestrians no longer slows down humbly, winding around the line of cars like ivy on oak trees. They no longer wade through the mud or the elements. The passage shelters them and envelops them in an almost domestic gentleness. It is a street that gathers itself together, or an interior that constantly undoes itself.

JULES ROMAINS « Puissances de Paris » – 1911

One of the most interesting places to go for shopping and eating are in the covered passages of Paris. In these privately owned covered walkways between two streets, shops and restaurants line the tight pathway with apartments and hotels rising above them. These passages are also known as arcades. While there were about 60 of these passages built during the 19th century, only about 15 of these still exist to this day. The city government of Paris produced a pamphlet which explains their history and which ones are still open today (https://web.archive.org/web/20150216013205/http://www.paris.fr/viewmultimediadocument?multimediadocument-id=120848).

In these glass-covered passages, you can find old fashioned bookstores, nick-knack shops, traditional french restaurants, and many international restaurants as well. I recently spent a day exploring a number of these passages to look at the shops and restaurants that have a lot of character and charm.

I went to Passage Jouffroy (9th), Passage Verdeau (3rd), Passage des Panoramas (2nd), and Passage Molière (3rd). The passages made me feel like I was walking through 19th century Paris. Cafe tables lined the tight pathways. Bookstores displayed hundreds of books on tables as well as inside the stores. Nick-knack shops invited shoppers to explore old Paris with exotic home decor. It was a good thing I haven’t moved into my long-term apartment yet, or I would have been sorely tempted to pick up a few items.

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Each passage had it’s own unique character and various shapes of the pathways. Usually the passages zigzagged between buildings and often made a little maze with interesting finds in out-of-the way corners.

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Even though cafes throughout Paris usually have tables lined up outside the restaurants along the sidewalks, the passages seem even more cramped as the pathways are already only a few people wide. With tables on both sides of some passages, there was a lot of waiting for others to pass. In order to rest my traveled feet, I ended up getting a good appetizer of croquette de cheddar, a burger, and fries at One&One restaurant (https://www.oneandonerestaurants.com/), 7 Passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris France.

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The passages, though, have felt the effect of COVID with some shops and restaurants now closed. Passage Molière, for instance, only had one place open, a hotel. The rest of the passage was a series of empty shops.

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It has been fun looking for the more unique or fascinating corners of Paris. I will continue to explore this city and share with you these adventures.

Until we meet in Paris.