Fun Facts about Chateau d’Eau in Paris

Fun Facts about Chateau d’Eau in Paris

One of my favorite parts about living in Paris is that there is seriously never a shortage of place to go, or new neighborhoods to explore.

Even after 5 years of living here, I am no expert on all 20 arrondissements, and I’m okay with that! I have my entire life to explore and get to know Paris, and I enjoy taking it one day at a time.

Certain arrondissements are even then separated again into smaller areas within the neighborhood! As I said: there is never a shortage of areas to explore in Paris!

Today I want to tell you some interesting information about an area in the 10th arrondissement called Chateau d’Eau. My Paris experts will perhaps recognize the name as the metro station on the line 9.

There’s much more to this neighborhood than the metro station! Keep reading for my favorite fun facts about Chateau d’Eau in Paris!

Chateau d’Eau used to be an actual fountain

I’m always curious as to how certain things in Paris get their names, and Chateau d’Eau did not disappoint!

The Place de la République in the 10th arrondissement was called Chateau d’Eau until 1879, and consequently a road that branched off of the place was named as such. Chateau d’Eau translates to “water tower” in English, and can also be used to describe a large fountain. In the 19th century the water in the fountain could be used by Parisians, similar to modern water towers that exist today!

The original fountain was called the Girard Fountain, and was briefly integrated into the other fountains at the Place de la République. If you’ve never been to the place, I definitely recommend it! Not only is the fountain beautiful, it’s the epicenter of most Parisian protests, marches, and there are even sometimes concerts there.

Paris – Fontaine du Château d’Eau at the Place Félix Éboué by Fred Romero – Flickr

Now, the fountain sits at the Place Félix Éboué in the 12th arrondissement, and although it is not in the Chateau d’Eau area anymore, it’s worth going to see!

Place de la République, 75011 Paris

Place Félix Éboué, 75012 Paris

Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière is one of the latest foodie locations in Paris

Parisians are always on the hunt for the latest and greatest in food choice in the city, and I’m right there with them!

Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière (Paris) by Coyau – WikiCommons

Located on the west side of the Chateau d’Eau area is a street called the rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, with plenty of other small side streets branching off it it, culminating into an area just begging to be explored by your tastebuds.

I recommend restaurants like L’Ancienne Maison Gradelle, Papelli, Nous Paradis, and Manicaretti for fresh ingredients, and a great ambiance you can’t deny.

L’Ancienne Maison Gradelle – I love the decor in this restaurant! Dark wood, liquor and wine bottles, and curiosities line the walls, making it the perfect place for a date night or a dinner with friends. Another great thing about this place is that they source all of their products from merchants in Paris!

8 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Monday-Wednesday 12-2:15pm, 7-10pm, Thursday 12-2:15pm, 7-10:15pm, Friday 12-2:15pm, 7-10:30pm, Saturday 7-10:30pm

Papelli – Finding good pizza in Paris is not only possible, there just happens to be some truly delicious options! Papelli in the Faubourg-Poissonnière area just happens to be one of them. Head to this restaurant for either lunch or dinner, and you won’t be disappointed.

61 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Everyday 11am-3pm, 6pm-12am

Nous Paradis – This one goes out to all of my fellow vegetarians in Paris. Nous Paradis has plenty of healthy choices, with the majority of their products being organic and French in origin! I love heading here for a fresh salad, bowl, or their speciality: the Nourrito! Think of the Nourrito as a healthy and nutritious version of those burritos we all know and love.

16 Rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Monday-Friday 12-2:30pm, 7-10:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 12-3pm, 7-10:30pm

Manicaretti – This is another great Italian restaurant, and Manicaretti is serving up some seriously delicious pasta for lunch! Bonus? Everything on the menu is gluten free and lactose free, and there are vegetarian options. Without any less taste, of course!

60 Rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30am-5:30pm, Friday 8:30am-4:30pm

Head to Chateau d’Eau for delicious Indian food

Passage Brady, Paris by David Pendery – WikiCommons

If you don’t like any of the options I’ve laid out for you above, don’t worry: Chateau d’Eau is also famous for it’s excellent Indian food.

The Passage Brady is famous across the city for it’s authentic and affordable Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi options. It is located in what is called a Passage couverts de Paris, or a glass covered arcade in English. Paris is crawling with these arcades and one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon is to wander around the city to scout them out.

My suggestions? Pooja Namo and Yasmin. Don’t miss the Indian grocery store Velan as well to stock up on supplies for your own kitchen!

Poojma Namo

91 Passage Brady, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 12-3pm, 7-11pm, Sunday 7-11pm

Yasmin

73 Passage Brady, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Everyday 11:30am-11:30pm

Velan

87 Passage Brady, 75010 Paris

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-8:30pm

You’ll find 7 theatres in the area

Paris Théâtre Antoine by GFreihalter – WikiCommons

Not only are there plenty of places to grab bite in the area, there is also plenty to do! There are at least 7 theatres, perfect for watching a show before or after you’ve eaten. The Théâtre Antoine, the Théâtre Libre – le Comédia, the Théâtre du Gymnase, the Le Splendid, the Théâtre Renaissance et Eldorado are just a few! Famous French actor Gérard Depardieu has performed in many of these theatres, so keep your eye out for his and other big names!

Don’t miss the concert venue and bar New Morning for jazz, alternative rock, electronic music, and more.

Théâtre Antoine

14 Boulevard de Strasbourg, 75010 Paris

Théâtre Libre – le Comédia

4 Boulevard de Strasbourg, 75010 Paris

Théâtre du Gymnase

38 Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle, 75010 Paris

Le Splendid

48 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010 Paris

Théâtre Renaissance et Eldorado

4 Boulevard de Strasbourg, 75010 Paris

New Morning

7/9 Rue des Petites Écuries, 75010 Paris

Shows and showtimes vary per locale.

There is an amazing covered market at Chateau d’Eau

Find fresh produce like this at the Marché Saint-Martin – pixabay

The variety of markets in Paris is something else that makes living in this city so great. There is always an option to find fresh and local produce in Paris! For those of you who are wary of high prices, you may be surprised but most of the time the prices are comparable or lower to what you may find in a standard supermarket.

The Marché Saint-Martin in Chateau d’Eau is a covered market that opened for the first time in 1854. After the local market of the area, the Marché Saint-Laurent was destroyed, the area was lacking a place for it’s residents to stock up on food, necessities, and flowers. The Marché Saint-Martin was born! Locals enjoyed getting their shopping done in the glass covered market, when suddenly on a snowy day in December of 1879, the glass ceiling collapsed under the weight of all of the snow. The market was then rebuilt in 1880, which is the same structure that exists today! I told you there is a story behind everything in Paris!

Collapse of the Saint Martin Market in 1879 under the weight of snow – WikiCommons

Keep your eye out for the selection of fresh spices, and even a German grocer that offers specialty beers and smoked meats.

Not only does the market sell fresh produce, there is also a delicious Moroccan restaurant located inside!

31-33 Rue du Château d’Eau, 75010 Paris

Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-8pm; Sunday, 9am-2pm.

Chateau d’Eau is famous for its hair salons

Paris Station Metro Château d’Eau By Reinhardhauke – WikiCommons

The moment you step out of the Chateau d’Eau metro station, be prepared to be bombarded by solicitors, or rabatteurs in French, asking if you’d like to get your hair done, braids put in, eyebrows waxed, or threaded.

The area specializes in ethnic hair, but there is honestly something for everyone if you keep a look out! Don’t miss the nail salons, waxing salons, and wig shops too for all of your beauty needs.

Conclusion

If you weren’t sure what the Chateau d’Eau area had to offer, I hope you do now! All of the neighborhoods in Paris are worth exploring, and it’s exciting for me to know that there is never a shortage of place to go and stroll around.

If you’d like to wander around Paris with one of our expert guides, click here to learn more about all of our walking tour options in the city! Happy adventuring!