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!
