48 hours in Paris: A development insider's guide

A cinematic cliché it may be, but it rings true: Development professionals will always have Paris. The French capital is home to the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, along with a key outpost of the U.N. Environment Program; since France is a major player for bilateral and multilateral official development assistance, the French Development Agency is a required stop for many; and the Paris embassies of Africa’s two dozen Francophone countries often offer chances for serious face-to-face meetings without the agony of a red-eye flight to a far-flung capital. Plus all those French NGOs. Not to mention the fact that international African-bound travelers often need to make a European stop en route. With the OECD Global Forum on Development happening this week, why not schedule 48 hours in Paris? Paris is organized by arrondissements, or districts that are famously numbered in an expanding clockwise fashion, and that people like to compare to the swirl on a snail’s shell. There are 20 in all. About a half-dozen are of particular interest to development professionals in town on business. The 16th: OECD Let’s start way over in western Paris, in the upscale 16th arrondissement, near the headquarters of the OECD. Neighbors include the headquarters of blue-chip corporations and a smattering of embassies. The controversial Last Tango in Paris was filmed mostly in the district. If you are attending a major OECD event, they will likely provide you with morning coffee, a buffet lunch and maybe even post-event drinks. If not, or if you want to get away for personal meeting, OECD insiders offer a few tips. Le Mozart is an old hangout, where many OECD staffers go for a beer after work; real meals are served, even cassoulet, or just coffee. According to OECD staffers, La Gare has been called “the quintessential place for lunch on a day of meetings at the OECD.” “The room is fantastic, even better to sit on the terrace on what were once the train tracks in spring-summer. If you stick with the straight menu entrée-plat or plat-dessert, it's not too expensive. There's a happening bar-terrace, too, but a bit pricey,” noted one OEDC staffer, “many informal (sometimes VIP) meetings take place [there]. It’s chic, expensive and a little bit snobby but quiet and popular.” When it is time for pizza or pasta, there’s Non Solo Cucina, a Sicilian place, and the Pizzeria di Rebellato. Open from 8 a.m. straight through until 10:30 p.m., the Brasserie N°41 is an all-purpose stop for coffee, meals and drinks. The 7th-15th: UNESCO/UNEP Just across the River Seine, directly east, straddling the 7th and 15th arrondissements, you’ll find the headquarters and main offices of UNESCO, along with a major outpost of the Nairobi-based UNEP. The big news on this once bohemian “Left Bank” territory in 2017 is the reopening of a historic jazz club that dates to 1924. The Bal Nègre closed its doors in 2006. Rechristened to respect the concerns of activists who consider the old name racist, the Bal de la rue Blomet features a restaurant called La Table du Bal, that quickly became a favorite with U.N. staffers. For a late breakfast, afternoon tea, or some of the best pastries that Paris has to offer, the Rose Bakery au Bon Marché is within walking distance and opens at 10 a.m. The world’s first department store founded in 1852, the Bon Marché, is worth a pilgrimage in its own right. The 12th: AFD Tucked behind the Gare de Lyon — the historic train station that was nearly demolished during the Paris Commune in 1871 and later rebuilt — the AFD is surrounded by an assortment of top-notch French restaurants that run from “modern and creative” to “traditional and inventive.” AFD staff suggest Le Cotte Rôti, L’Ebauchoir, Maguey Restaurant, and Table. For good measure, they throw in Passerini, one of Paris’ best Italian eateries. After work, people from the AFD often favor a couple of nearby wine bars: Le Baron Rouge and Les Caves de Prague. You might also find them at a couple of local watering holes: Le Pop-up du Label (with live music around 8 p.m.) and La Terrasse de Lyon (still known to many by its former name, Le Killy Jen). The latter opens at 8 a.m., so also offers a good option for a midday coffee break. Speaking of coffee, if you have an early meeting at the AFD and want to grab some, or even breakfast, the train station is fully stocked with coffee shops and kiosks, including Starbucks. The 18th, 3rd, 11th and 16th: Little Africa The Château Rouge area that surrounds the metro stop of the same name (line 4) features lots of cheap African restaurants and (“most importantly,” says a transplanted African) grocery stores with items such as plantain bananas, fufu, and the peanut butter needed to make that West African favorite, mafé. Some of the most popular African restaurants in Paris can be found in the 3rd and 11th arrondissements not far from the Place de La République: Le Village, Le Fouta Djalon and Le Nilaja. In the Marais neighborhood, in another part of the 3rd arrondissement, you’ll find Le Petit Dakar. Diplomats can often be spotted at the African Lounge in the 16th arrondissement. The 8th: Tips from a nonprofit Paris serves as the headquarters for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa of a nonprofit called Business for Social Responsibility. BSR’s offices are in the Saint-Lazare neighborhood. For lunch, BSR staff often slip out to Twenty Peas, a small restaurant known for its salads, homemade quiches, and desserts. When colleagues visit from around the world, they are treated to drinks, and the view, from the rooftop of the Le Printemps Beauté/Maison department store. Private dinners and business lunches are often held at Pomze, located in a 19th century “Haussmann-style” building. After work people often hit a café called Colonel Moutarde just downstairs from the office. The 2nd: Convergences World Forum at the Paris Bourse France’s most important annual development conference is the Convergences World Forum, run by the Paris-based nonprofit that gives the event its name. It customarily takes place in the early fall. In recent years, it has been held at the Paris Bourse, the former home of the Paris stock market now converted to a conference space. If it is Tuesday or Friday, you’ll find sundry street food options just outside the venue. Not far away is Frenchie, a tiny, homespun bistro that is all the rage among foodies and requires reservations well in advance. The fixed menu changes daily. Frenchie also features a gourmet fast-food outlet and a coffee shop for breakfast. At the end of the day, many Convergences participants head over for beers at Dédé la Frite, a local bar. A 15-minute walk will get you to Harry’s New York Bar, a favorite of writer Ernest Hemingway and his cohorts of the Lost Generation. Harry’s claims to be the birthplace of the Bloody Mary. Another nearby option for drinks or dinner is Coinstot Vino, a wine bar and restaurant located in one of Paris’ famous 19th century shopping galleries. Regular events and hangouts The French might not be world-class networkers, but they do know how to throw a good seminar. The AFD and UNESCO both offer regular programs of interest to development professionals. So does a think tank called the Institute for International and Strategic Relations. An outfit called France-Amériques holds events on current affairs in Latin America. Many of these events are in French, but some are in English. If you want to meet the press, the Anglo American Press Association of Paris, one of a handful of foreign press clubs in France, welcomes interested professionals to its monthly happy hours. Co-working spaces A handful of co-working spaces have begun to spring up. An outfit called Hubsy runs two spaces, one near the Arts et Métiers metro station in the centrally located 3rd arrondissement, and the other in the 10th, not far from the Place de la République. Located on the other side of the Seine, in the 5th arrondissement on the Left Bank, La Permanence is open 24 hours a day. The American Library in Paris offers day-use rates which include access to the reading room and wifi. It is located in the 7th, not far from the Eiffel Tower. Getting around The metro goes just about everywhere a business traveler needs to be. You can buy individual tickets or a multiple days pass. The Parisian bike sharing scheme Vélib offers single day and seven-day passes for visitors, that can be purchased online. Uber has alleviated most of irritation associated with trying to get a cab in Paris, especially after the metro closes for the night (around 1 a.m. on weeknights, but actual times vary by station). A quick guide to the places development professionals recommend in the city of light: The 16th: OECD OECD 2, rue André Pascal, 75775 Paris Cedex 16 Metro La Muette (Line 9) Le Mozart 12, avenue Mozart 75016 Paris France La Gare 19 Chaussée de la Muette 75016 Paris France Non Solo Cucina 135, rue du Ranelagh, 75016 Paris La Pizzeria di Rebellato 138 Rue de la Pompe, 75016 Paris Brasserie N°41 41 av. Mozart – 75016 Paris The 7th-15th: UNESCO/UNEP Miollis Building (UNESCO & UNEP) 1 rue Miollis Fontenoy Building (UNESCO) 7, place de Fontenoy Metro: Ségur (line 10), Cambronne (line 6), and Sèvres Lecourbe (line 6) Bal de la rue Blomet & La Table du Bal 33 rue Blomet 75015 Paris Rose Bakery au Bon Marché 24 rue de Sèvres The 12th: French Development Agency French Development Agency 5 Rue Roland Barthes 75598 PARIS CEDEX 12 Metro Gare de Lyon (Lines 1 and 14) Cotte Rotie 1 Rue de Cotte, 75012 Paris L’Ebauchoir 43- 45 Rue de Cîteaux, 75012 Paris Maguey Restaurant 99 Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris Table 3 Rue de Prague, 75012 Paris Passerini 65 Rue Traversière, 75012 Paris Le Baron Rouge 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012 Paris Les Caves de Prague 8 Rue de Prague, 75012 Paris Le pop-up du label 14 Rue Abel, 75012 Paris La Terrasse de Lyon (still known to many by its former name, Le Killy Jen) 28 Boulevard Diderot, 75012 Paris The 8th: Tips from a nonprofit Business for Social Responsibility 85, Boulevard Haussmann Twenty Peas 59 rue des Mathurins + 6 rue Treilard Le Déli-cieux - Printemps Maison 66 Boulevard Haussmann : 9ème étage Pomze 109, boulevard Haussmann Colonel Moutarde 85 Boulevard Haussmann The 18th, 3rd, 11th and 16th: Little Africa Le Village 86 Avenue Parmentier Le Fouta Djalon 27 Boulevard Saint-Martin Le Nilaja 17 Rue de la Forge Royale Le Petit Dakar 6, rue ELZEVIR African Lounge 20 bis, rue Jean Giraudoux 75016 Paris The 2nd: Convergences World Forum at the Paris Bourse Frenchie 5-6 Rue du Nil Dédé la Frite 52 Rue Notre Dame des Victoires, 75002 Paris Harry’s New York Bar 5 rue Daunou (famously and phonetically “SANK ROO DOE NOO” for English speakers) Coinstot Vino 26bis Passage des Panoramas, 75002 Paris Regular events and hangouts AAPA Institute for International and Strategic Relations 2 bis rue Mercoeur France-Amériques 9 avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt Co-working spaces Hubsy 41 Rue Réaumur 9B Rue Lucien Sampaix 75010 Paris La Permanence 4 rue du Fer à Moulin, 75005 Paris American Library in Paris 10 rue de General Camou Getting around Paris Metro Tickets Vélib Our mission is to do more good for more people. If you think the right information can make a difference, we invite you to join us by making a small investment in Professional Membership.