Rue Montorgueil – A Foodie’s Paradise

Rue Montorgueil Is a Must-Visit for Anyone Who Loves Food:

rue Montorgueil archway

One of the more interesting and vibrant streets in the 1st and 2nd arrondissements of Paris is rue Montorgueil. The bustling nature of this pedestrian street was captured by Monet in his 1878 painting. Today rue Montorgueil is famous for its food shops and you can shop for cheese, wine, fish, meat, fruit and vegetables – just about anything here.  There are also ice cream parlors, chocolate shops and some famous restaurants.

Rue Montorgueil

Rue Montorgueil is a north-south oriented street with the northern part situated in the 2nd arrondissement and the southern section on the other side of rue Etienne-Marcel in the 1st arrondissement. The Montorgueil street name which translates to “Mount Pride” is the heart of one of the city’s trendiest neighbourhoods and it gives its name to the Montorgueil district in which it is located.

When Les Halles, the former wholesale market for Paris was relocated to the Marché Rungis over forty years ago, the food shops on Rue Montorgueil took on the role of supplying produce to the restaurants in the area. Some historical and famous shops and restaurants include:

L’Escargot Montorgueil

• L’Escargot Montorgueil at No. 38 was a favorite of Charlie Chaplin and the restaurant names other famous guests such as Marcel Proust, Picasso and Salvador Dali.  The restaurant is still graced by a giant golden snail on its roof.

Maison Stohrer on rue Montorgueil

• Maison Stohrer at No. 58 – has been baking elaborate tartes since 1730.   Nicolas Stohrer was pastry chef to King Louis XV and for those who like Rum Baba, this dessert was invented by him.  When Queen Elizabeth visited Paris, she too visited Maison Stohrer and there are postcards for sale showing this royal visit. You cannot visit this famous pâtisserie without buying something, so I treated myself to a small bag of chocolate-coated orange peel for 12 Euros – an indulgence, but they tasted really good.

• Au Rocher de Cancale at No. 78 – This historic restaurant was a fashionable hangout during its heydays.  It was frequented by Honoré de Balzac and his band of 19th-century writers and has been mentioned in a number of French literature.

If you like cheese, La Fermette at 86 rue Montorgueil is a great cheese shop.  Pick up some sourdough bread at Boulanger de Monge at no. 53, some wine and you have yourself a nice French meal.

If you only have a short time in Paris, rue Montorgueil is a great place to visit for its atmosphere, food shops, cafes and restaurants.  The street is evidence of the French love affair with food and as food lovers, we thoroughly enjoyed our stroll down rue Montorgueil.

You can see more photos of rue Montorgueil Here.

Other Paris Food Streets: Rue Cler | Rue Mouffetard

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