Favorite spots on Canal St. Martin

The canal emerges from the tunnel at a lock at Rue Faubourg du Temple, just east of Republic Square. North to Jardin Villemin, near Gare de l'Est, is a pleasant park along the canal, high arched cast iron pedestrian bridges. Check out the swing bridges when a tour boat comes through. There are tour boats that run from south of Place Bastille to the Bassine de le Villette. The first part is in a tunnel until it emerges at Rue Faubourg du Temple. Yes, there are restaurants and cafes on the street along the open canal.
http://www.canauxrama.com/en/cruise/cruise-of-the-old-paris_9.html

My favorite stretch of Canal St Martin is the curve near Hôspital St Louis (it has a medieval/plague part) --check opening hours and price, from Square des Récolettes to Square Eugene Varlin. I believe this has the most iron bridges and a couple of locks. My favorite day to go is on a Sunday when they close the adjacent streets on both sides so people can stroll and bike more easily. We looked in some of the boutiques along the curve but ventured away from the canal for lunch. We've stayed in the neighborhood (19e) several times and love walking the canal.

Our other favorite "canal" is the Bassin de la Villette which connects Canal St. Martin to Canal d'Oraq, however I don't recommend walking the less scenic Northern most stretch of Canal St Martin. Metro Louie Blanc serves the canal pretty well.

If you go up to the Bassin I highly recommend the inexpensive restaurant Le Juares near the upper lock and Metro stop of the same name. We ate there last week and will go back in July, yum. Have a nice walk and exploring.

Chez Prune is a pleasant spot for an afternoon aperitif and a light snack while you people watch.

The most picturesque point on the canal imo is the Square des Recollets with its lock and swing bridges. Nearby are two famous spots, Le Verre Vole (a pioneering organic wine bar) and the Hotel du Nord, featured in a film by Carne.

Thanks very much, this is really helpful.

Brad

I agree with Mona. We stayed in this area our first trip to Paris and fell in love. We really enjoy the blocks between Rue du Faubourg du Temple and Rue de la Grange aux Belles. There are several places to eat or have a drink a long this stretch. A few favorites are La Marine, Cork and Cavan, and Marcel. A block a way is Pink Flamingo pizza which will deliver a pizza to you on the canal. There's also a few shops along the way if you want to shop. Have fun!

I second the recommendation for La Marine. We have eaten there a number of times very pleasantly. Not gourmet dining, but friendly service, moderate prices, and a good vibe. https://www.lamarinecanalsaintmartin.com/

I've stayed out there - the Holiday Inn Express by the bassin - and enjoyed the area near the canal quite a lot. I haven't followed it any further than Sebastopol, but the area full of walkers, dog walkers, joggers and generally happy people is very much the locals - of all the various ethnic groups who live out there and around there, but mostly Parisians. Everybody from schoolkids to hipsters to young families to elderly. A great cross section of real locals.

If you have a problem speaking French, there is much less English spoken than in a smaller number arr.

Thanks for the comments. On my second stay, I'll be near Republique, a short walk from the Canal so these sound like perfect places to visit.

Some might find the Canal area seedy. In case you do, above Stalingrad at the Bassin de La Villette is a wider, more modern walking space. The swimming pools in the Bassin might be installed at the time of your visit. There are peniches serving drinks and food anchored along the banks and La Rotonde a historic building now redone, is a wonderful place to eat drink and enjoy the sun. Boats are available for rental

http://www.grandmarchestalingrad.com/
https://www.sortiraparis.com/news/in-paris/articles/143669-come-and-swim-in-the-largest-artificial-lake-in-paris-from-june-2018/lang/en

Thank you for asking this. I've been along the canal closer to the river, but I want to explore further away next month. I wonder if doing the boat trip on the canal is worth it?

The canal boat trip is enjoyable, but it is quite slow. While you get to see how the locks operate, your ability to wander at your own speed, explore the shops, and stop for a bite is lost.

Philou.
La Petite Cambodge.
That's all you have to know.

Thanks nukesafe.

Another vote for Le Petit Cambodge. Their Bobun is outstanding - I would describe it as Pad Thai on steroids.

Seconding Le Verre Vole.

We ate at Ober Mamma. It was very good, but trendy. The restauranteur has a few other popular restaurants in Paris. We actually went twice on our last visit, but I'd recommend going on a weekday. It was still busy on a Thursday, but much less crowded getting in. They don't take reservations so you need to show up early and put your name on "the list." Our friends described Canal St. Martin as the "Brooklyn" of Paris which is an apt description. Trendy, hipster hangout.

As Andrea said, thanks for this question Brad... very helpful.
See you in Paris soon!

Philou. All I have to know. ;-)

Thanks everyone for taking time to respond. I'll try to post a quick note after I get back.

Brad

Swimming in the Bassin sounds like something I'd really enjoy.

Brad

We had dinner at the Bassin last week with a friend who lives near Parc Butte Charmont and she said last year was the first time they'd allowed people to swim directly in the Bassin. They made special "pools" to keep people and boats safe in the past but swimming directly in the Bassin was new. She said the water is getting cleaner. We are going back to this area in July and will do some more exploring.

Went to Philou my first night in town. Excellent food. My total was more than normal (50 euro) so I'll visit only occasionally. I'll try La petit cambodge before I go home.

Brad, Andrea and I plan on going to La Petite Cambodge so we’ll be interested to hear how you like it when we see you on the 16th. Enjoy.

One fun thing is going to the pizzeria Pink Flamingo . . . if you like, they'll give you a balloon once you order, and they'll come find you to deliver your pizza - fun to go to the park across the canal! (Of course you could also just sit along the canal)

Here's their map that shows their location within their delivery area.

http://www.pinkflamingopizza.mobi/livraison6

If you look to the left of where the flamingo's chest is pointing, you see a deeper pink area that says "Sq. Villemin" - that's the park.

(note that it's hard to tell since the Flamingo is so big on the map, but the pizzera is NOT on the frontage of the canal -- it's a street back, 67 rue Bichat - that is, the street that the "7" of the circled "67" abuts up against, across from the Hopital St Louis).

If you get the urge for a North American brewpub with a view of the boat basin, consider La Paname. Burgers, sports TV, artisinal beer, and a huge deck for a sunny day watching the water-borne traffic. It occupies a former warehouse with Le Bassin's water lapping at the foundations. http://www.panamebrewingcompany.com/en
From there it is a few blocks walk to the music and technology museums and new philharmonic hall at La Villette itself.

Flew home yesterday. Here's a little report:

Little Cambodia (La Petit Cambodga) was really good. As a general rule, I've avoided Asian food in Europe but this was the best I've had since I lived in Asia. I had Beef Satay and green tea with mint. Total was a little under 20 euro (on the low side of what I normally spend on dinner).

Thanks for the recommendation.

I also enjoyed walking the area on Sunday afternoon. I went up around five or six on a Sunday afternoon and a DJ was playing music in a small park area near the bend. I listened for a while from across the river, then bought a bottle of beer and some cheese to snack on, at a nearby supermarket, and enjoyed the park until dinner time (7:30) which is also when they turned off the music.

There is a section that is now filled with (I'd guess) Syrian refugees in tents. It's between the bend in the canal and the wider section further north. That area isn't very scenic right now but I didn't see any reason to be alarmed, people seemed to be simply going about their business.