Baba Cool at the Comptoir Général

To be completely honest with you, the main reason I participated at Sunday's Cupcake event was its location: the Comptoir Général. Now, back home in Switzerland a "Comptoir Général" is usually quite a vintage-funky places to go, either for lunch or drinks and often for vernissages or exhibitions. I figured I'd see what it entails in Paris...

Therefore curiosity got the better of me and on a whim we were off with our cupcakes. What I discovered was what I was hoping for. First, I came across (literally) the Canal Saint-Martin area, a neighborhood nestled between Gare du Nord and République in Northeastern Paris, in the 10th arrondissement.

On Sundays, two streets running parallel to the canal, Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes, are reserved for pedestrians and cyclists—perfect for renting a bike and seeing the city from a fresh angle. Cafés and quirky boutiques flank the water and iron footbridges. I have discovered that Napoléon ordered the construction of the Canal Saint-Martin in 1802. It was originally built to link to the Canal de l'Ourq, further north, to supply fresh water to the city. The canal feeds into the Seine River in the South.

As for the Comptoir Général: under the glass roof of the bar, everyone talks to everyone. Imagine a mix between a Cuban Bar and Café Baghdad with the entrance of an colonial run-down Grand Hotel. Old trunks travel - witnesses of past decades - one end and a room full of witchcraft the other end. The word "Bohémian" doesn't even start to describe this place ... you need to see it for yourself!

Why not stroll down next weekend to try their baba-cool brunch with family and friends!

Le Comptoir Général, 

80 quai de Jemmapes, 75 010 Paris

Fridays to Sundays from 11am to 11pm

 Tél : 01 44 88 24 46