Defiantly Belleville: a foodie trip to Paris’s multicultural heart

From Tunisian tripe stews to Caribbean lobster fricassee, a world of flavours awaits in this proud quartier that has so far escaped gentrification

Several years ago, a series of serendipitous events led me to temporarily swap houses with a stranger. The fortuitous exchange would introduce me to an area of Paris I had never previously heard of, and one that I would subsequently revisit numerous times. Compact enough to explore on foot but large enough to regularly reveal new treasures, its unrefined charms, the eclectic array of local residents and, perhaps most prominently, the range of delicious and affordable food to be found all captivated me.

Straddling four arrondissements, Belleville has a rich history steeped in working-class rebellion. Its former residents were among the staunchest supporters of the Paris Commune, and when the Versailles army came to reconquer Paris in 1871, they faced some of the fiercest resistance from this vibrant quartier.