It's a pleasure to stroll along the Rue des Rosiers

5 January 2020
Category Visit Paris

The Rue des Rosiers (Street of the Rosebushes) is situated in the heart of the picturesque Marais district and is undoubtedly one of the capital’s most emblematic, friendly and pleasant streets. We invite you to discover the special atmosphere that reigns there. Widely known as a good location for shopping, it also hosts various restaurants where you can taste the delicious specialties of the Middle East, the best of their kind in Paris!

A little history...

The origins of the Rue des Rosiers date back to the beginning of the 13th century when the street ran adjacent to a section of the city wall built by King Philip II, the French ruler known as Philippe Auguste. It owes its name to the many roses present in the surrounding gardens. Next to the street’s number 10, you’ll find a passage leading to the Jardin des Rosiers, where some vestiges of the old city wall can still be seen.

At the time, the street housed a neighbourhood where the first Jewish settlers, warrior pilgrims who came from the Holy Land following a crusade, put down roots. They brought with them spices and other exotic products that they hoped to sell. The Rue des Rosiers, immortalised by Pia Colombo in a song from the 60s, is today the epicentre of a small and picturesque district.

Exotic and interesting food stores

The Rue des Rosiers is full of establishments topped by beautiful Hebrew signs, including food stores and kosher restaurants. Here you can wander amidst a unique and friendly ambiance where you often need to squeeze by as there’s so many people! To make the most of everything that the Rue des Rosiers has to offer, avoid going there during the period from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Almost all the shops are closed then due to the Shabbat, Judaism’s day of rest.

Thanks to the many restaurants you’ll have ample opportunity to taste Levantine cuisine such as the famous falafels, chickpea patties mixed with various spices and fried in oil. Stop by l'As du Falafel to find the best falafels in town or call in at the Finkelstajn patisserie, which offers delicious apple strudel. And if you like Lebanese cuisine, pop into Marianne. There’s nowhere better than the Rue des Rosiers for a gourmet break with a difference!

A top street for ready-to-wear

The paved and entirely pedestrianised Rue des Rosiers is ideal for a shopping spree, especially as it’s situated in the avant-garde and very fashionable Marais district. Ready-to-wear boutiques (open on Sundays) flourish here, particularly the luxury stores (clothes, perfumes and accessories) that have been gathering here since the 1980s. For example, the COS brand, part of the H&M group, has replaced the old hammam at number 4. Do you like vintage and inexpensive second-hand clothes? Vintage Désir is the perfect boutique for tight budgets. Visit it and the chances are you

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Hotel Les Tournelles, a 3-star hotel in the heart of the Marais