Look beyond the tree-lined plaza outside Cour Damoye: It’s hard to miss the Bastille’s
most imposing neighbor, L’Opéra Bastille. This cultural edifice, Europe’s largest and most
frequented opera house, opened in 1989 to celebrate the bicentennial of the storming of
its namesake. It is both home to the Paris Opera and a preeminent destination for world-
class ballet.
Cour Damoye is at the edge of the 11th arrondissement, across one street from the 4th,
the famed Marais. On this very street—Boulevard Richard-Lenoir—a minute from your
doorstep, discover Paris’s biggest and best roving street market. On Thursdays and
Sundays, over 200 vendors proffer cheeses, prepared dishes, charcuterie, fruits, veggies,
fresh fish: everything required to prepare a French feast chez vous in the studio’s modern
kitchen.
When you prefer dining out, cross Richard-Lenoir and order justly famous seafood at
nearby Bofinger, Paris’s oldest brasserie. When only the best will do, spend the mazuma
you’re saving by staying in the studio on a 3-star meal at the renowned L’Ambroisie, one
of only ten 3-star restaurants in Paris, and only a five-minute stroll away in Place des
Vosges. Should the expensive menu dampen your appetite, console yourself on a bench in
Paris’s most stunning square and count your own lucky stars. Innumerable renowned
eateries—simple or elegant—are nearby. Cooking in or eating out: that is the question!
