Place de la Contrescarpe
Place de la Contrescarpe
4
Full view
The area
Neighbourhood: 5th Arr. - Panthéon
How to get there
- Place Monge • 4 min walk
- Cardinal Lemoine • 4 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
10,000 within 5 kms
Attractions
4,272 within 10 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
29 reviews
Excellent
12
Very good
11
Average
2
Poor
1
Terrible
3
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Vinny M
6 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
Such a great area close to the hotel I stayed in for 5 days in France. I wouldn’t have known until I checked my phone on Google Maps in search of restaurants.
The place is lively, especially during Happy Hour. Plenty of different restaurants to choose from, a good amount of travelers & locals alike.
The place is lively, especially during Happy Hour. Plenty of different restaurants to choose from, a good amount of travelers & locals alike.
Written August 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RGSOUNDF
Mercerville, NJ10,753 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
If we had to give an American name to the place it would be 'Four Points', for this square is being formed by 4 streets, rue Lacépède, rue Mouffetard, traditionally a place of bustling street trade, now more a touristy area with lots of restaurants and little souvenir shops, more busy during the day hours, rue Blainville, with a high-class restaurant La Truffière, located in the medieval-looking cellar (off the corner with place de la Contrescarpe), and, finally, rue du Cardinal Lemoine, richly steeped in history, with the remarkable apartment of Hemingway (right off the place de la Contrescarpe, at No, 74; memorial plaque), and James Joyce's too, (he lived in the apartment of the important French writer and poet, Valery Larbaud (1881-1957), at No. 71; Joyce did there some of the final work on Ulysses), the remnants of the Wall of Philip II Augustus, and other historical buildings and sites. Walking all the way down the street, rue du Cardinal Lemoine, would take you to the banks of Seine, to the Pont de la Tournelle.
On the corner of rue Mouffetard (or as the French refer to it as Mouff), at No. 14, next to the corner of rue Blainville, used to be a very picturesque store sign, in existence since 1897. We were dismayed to find out, this time around, that it was removed, after 120 years, due to certain sensitivity issues. If you take rue Mouff all the way down, you may take a look at the interesting, though relatively recent (1906) church Saint-Médard and enjoy the picturesque place Georges-Moustaki (French singer, 1934 – 2013).
Being an integral part of the student citadel of Quartier Latin, the place de la Contrescarpe never sleeps (well, for Parisian standards). Grab a cup of coffee or a drink of your choice, take a seat at one of the square's many cafes, and enjoy the life, as you can only do in Paris!
On the corner of rue Mouffetard (or as the French refer to it as Mouff), at No. 14, next to the corner of rue Blainville, used to be a very picturesque store sign, in existence since 1897. We were dismayed to find out, this time around, that it was removed, after 120 years, due to certain sensitivity issues. If you take rue Mouff all the way down, you may take a look at the interesting, though relatively recent (1906) church Saint-Médard and enjoy the picturesque place Georges-Moustaki (French singer, 1934 – 2013).
Being an integral part of the student citadel of Quartier Latin, the place de la Contrescarpe never sleeps (well, for Parisian standards). Grab a cup of coffee or a drink of your choice, take a seat at one of the square's many cafes, and enjoy the life, as you can only do in Paris!
Written September 16, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rumples
Tucson, AZ11,708 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
Years ago, when I lived for a while near Jardin des Plantes, I came across this delightful square — about a 10-minute walk away — for the first time. I considered it to be lively then. It seems to be even more so now. The relatively small square features a shaded circle with fountain in its center, surrounded by a roundabout. Cafes, bars and shops line the perimeter. Day and night, in good weather, customers sit at small outside tables, sipping wine and watching passersby, a perennial Paris pastime. At night, their voices seem to carry further into the neighborhood because the din reaches me about half a block away as I approach.
I often am trudging up rue Mouffetard, which has its northern end here. That market street pulls me in on my regular Paris visits. Further north, and also nearby, stand attractions, such as the Pantheon and Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. Place de la Contrescarpe makes a nice stop for a respite when exploring these destinations or simply wandering around the Latin Quarter.
As a Hemingway fan, I am reminded of his book, “A Moveable Feast,” whenever I am at the square. He lived just around the corner at 74 rue du Cardinal between 1922 and 1923 and mentions the neighborhood. A building plaque marks the spot
I often am trudging up rue Mouffetard, which has its northern end here. That market street pulls me in on my regular Paris visits. Further north, and also nearby, stand attractions, such as the Pantheon and Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. Place de la Contrescarpe makes a nice stop for a respite when exploring these destinations or simply wandering around the Latin Quarter.
As a Hemingway fan, I am reminded of his book, “A Moveable Feast,” whenever I am at the square. He lived just around the corner at 74 rue du Cardinal between 1922 and 1923 and mentions the neighborhood. A building plaque marks the spot
Written August 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA17,506 contributions
Oct 2019
We have friends who live here so we come often to one of the cafes and always marvel at the huge crowds, mostly young people enjoying the atmosphere. One of our favorite parts of town for cafe-sitting.
Written October 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Bellflower, CA24,403 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
We rented an apartment on Rue Mouffetard just around the corner from the Place de la Contrescarpe, this is one of Paris's oldest and liveliest neighborhoods and a great place to explore from. While walking along the cobblestone Rue Mouffetard, taking in the smells and sounds of a vibrant city towards Place de le Contrescarpe, one can imagine James Joyce or Earnest Hemingway and his 1st wife Hadley doing the same thing, all those years ago. Our favorite place to sit and people watch on Place de Contrescarpe, was under the awning at cafe Delmas. It was from here one day we witnessed a very strange ritual, a group of young women in what appeared to be a bridal party came into the Place De Contrescarpe and proceeded to secure the bride to a tree with duct tape, then retired to a close by bar to watch her struggle to get free.
About half an hour later another group of women proceeded to do the same thing but this time they included the maid of honor, it was very entertaining watching them to struggle to get free. There are so many places to eat and drink in and around the Place de la Contrescarpe, every day we found some where new.
TIP: Be bold try some where new and something different to eat.
About half an hour later another group of women proceeded to do the same thing but this time they included the maid of honor, it was very entertaining watching them to struggle to get free. There are so many places to eat and drink in and around the Place de la Contrescarpe, every day we found some where new.
TIP: Be bold try some where new and something different to eat.
Written July 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ethan C
8 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
So much good nightlife in the Latin quarter in Place de la Contrescarpe. So many small food vendors and a great nightlife chill spot.
Written June 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noraatc
Sudbury, MA39,132 contributions
Jun 2018 • Business
My coworker and I passed lovely Place de la Contrescarpe on the way to Rue Mouffetard for dinner. Charming, lively semi-circle surrounded by charming cafes with vibrant mix of the locals and tourists alike.
Written September 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elindoo
Stuart, FL2,199 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
Came to Paris with my grandson and we decided to follow Hemingway through his writings. In the book, The Sun Also Rises he mentions meeting friends at Place de la Contrescarpe. I can see why as his first apartment is just around the corner from here, literally less than a half block away (see photo). There's even a plaque above the entrance that talks about him living here in 1922. So it was pretty cool to see this small square. I'm sure it's changed dramatically over the years.
Written July 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cheminfaisant2014
Paris, France67 contributions
Mar 2024 • Friends
On the terrace, in the sun, just in time for the daily menu, before 3 p.m.!
An absolutely delicious little simmered dish!
Perfect service by friendly professionals!
Traditional brasserie setting as we like them in Paris.
Thank you for this moment!
An absolutely delicious little simmered dish!
Perfect service by friendly professionals!
Traditional brasserie setting as we like them in Paris.
Thank you for this moment!
Written April 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mariana Franco
Goiania, GO105 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Very cozy little square full of restaurants. A very nice place to visit. It was very busy when I went.
Written December 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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