Book review: Quiet Paris

Quiet Paris
Siobhan Wall £12.99 Frances Lincoln

It might be the most visited city in the world, but the author of this new guide has searched out an impressive 120 places in Paris where peace and quiet reign supreme.

Inside are listings for calm cafés and motionless museums, as well as bookshops, libraries, parks and gardens. They are accompanied by lovely full colour and black and white photos.

If you want an excuse to pop over to Paris, you’ll find (at least) one in here. We’ve already got A Priori Thé in our sights – a charming café in a pretty 19th century shopping arcade.

If you’re in the market for distinctive cloth, made-to-measure shoes or handmade pastels, there’s a chic muzacfree boutique with your name on it. After that you could try one of the capital’s relaxing spa retreats… on the menu: rose petal baths, aquabikes and yoga for children.

The vast majority of establishments in here are new to us. But what we can say of the ones we’ve been to is that Siobhan is spot on in her assessment of their suitability for this book.

For those listings without a website, this book is one of the only ways we have of discovering such secret and secluded little gems. There’s another side to Paris and it could have us converted.

[mrb]

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