A Food Walk Around Rue Cler, a Self-Guided Paris Walk
1h30. 0.7 miles. From Rue Cler to Champ de Mars.
A short, delicious walk through a genuine Parisian market street in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Cheese, bread, charcuterie, chocolate, tasted stop by stop, with a picnic on the tower lawn to finish.
The local move
Build a picnic as you go: a baguette from the boulangerie, cheese from the fromagerie, fruit from the greengrocer, then eat it on the Champ de Mars with the tower right there. Cheaper and better than any restaurant nearby.
Best time to go
Mid-morning, when the market street is busiest and everything is fresh. Closed-ish on Monday.
When to avoid it
Mondays, when many rue Cler shops shut or open late.
The stops
Rue Cler
A pedestrian market street, one of the most pleasant in Paris, lined with food shops and cafe terraces.
Tip: Walk the whole street once first to see it, then double back to buy. It's short and entirely traffic-free.
Marie-Anne Cantin
A classic cheese shop with a counter of raw-milk wheels from all over France.
Tip: Ask for two cheeses for a picnic and say when you'll eat them; they'll pick by ripeness. A soft and a hard is the move.
Davoli
A century-old Italian traiteur on Rue Cler, its counter full of pâtés, cured meats, cheeses and prepared dishes to take away.
Tip: A few slices of jambon or saucisson wrapped for the picnic. Point and ask for a small amount; they're used to it.
Martine Lambert
Ice cream and raw-milk butter straight from Deauville, made by one of the great dairy artisans of Normandy. Her caramel fleur de sel scoop is a rue Cler ritual.
Tip: Even in the morning, a small scoop is allowed on vacation. The butter travels well wrapped for a picnic.
À la Mère de Famille
A chocolate and confectionery shop to finish the shopping on a sweet note.
Tip: A small box of chocolates for dessert on the lawn. Ask which are the house specialties.
Champ de Mars
The great lawn running from the Eiffel Tower, the picnic spot with the best view in Paris.
Tip: Sit on the grass with your rue Cler haul and the tower above you. Come at dusk for the sparkle on the hour.
About these walks
This is one of the free self-guided Paris walks written by the Chic Trip team, locals who plan and book full Paris trips for American travelers. Get our free insider Paris guide at chic-trip.com/free-paris-guide, or have us plan your whole trip at chic-trip.com/paris-travel-planner.
