As the elevated No. 2 Métro train approaches the station at Barbès-Rochechouart from the west, the Louxor springs into view: an Art Deco fantasy straight out of Egypt.
It is not a temple for pharaohs. It is a movie theater, built in 1921, in Barbès, which has long been one of Paris's grittiest neighborhoods. Last spring, it reopened after a 25 million euro restoration by the city. It is now a place to watch a film or sip a drink on the terrace, which offers an excellent view of the Sacré-Coeur basilica.
The restored theater, in the 10th Arrondissement near the boundary of the 18th, is also a symbol of the transformation of the ragtag district. It sits on the fringe of Goutte d'Or ("Drop of Gold"), an ethnic African and Arab stronghold within Barbès that was the setting for "L'Assommoir," Émile Zola's novel that portrayed the lives of alcoholic laborers. Belgians, Italians, Poles, Spaniards and Frenchmen migrated here first, then North African Arabs, and finally sub-Saharan Africans. It remains one of the most ethnically diverse parts of Paris.
In recent years, Barbès's location near Montmartre and lower-than-average Parisian real estate prices have attracted younger, hipper, professional residents. But you'll also find grocery stores selling Moroccan spices, Indian teas and Cambodian rice in 50-pound sacks; abandoned fields transformed into collective vegetable gardens (including one with a field for playing boules). It is a travel destination for adventurers seeking a more hidden Paris.
When visiting, look as if you belong and keep your wits about you. Stay away on market days (Wednesdays until 1 p.m. and Saturdays until 3 p.m.), when the streets are clogged with overzealous merchants.
From the Barbès-Rochechouart Métro station, a glass, iron and stone structure dating from 1903, head to Rue des Gardes, which is lined with small artisanal shops. The best is Créatrice de mode Sakina M'Sa, which offers original women's pieces, many of them with intricate geometric patterns, bits of leather and recycled fabrics. Ms. M'Sa, who is 40 and immigrated to France from the Comoros, has been designing since she was 14.
The surrounding streets are dotted with African fabric shops, so I asked for a recommendation. She took me to meet a friend, Adikatou Beaurepaire, who came to France from the Comoros 13 years ago when she was 24. She owns Ojabtex, an upscale fabric shop up the street. "Textiles speak to me," she said. Her handmade wax print fabrics and woven textiles from Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo can cost more than 20 euros a yard, much more than the merchandise in shops nearby. "There's a reason why," she explained. "Ours are from Africa. Theirs are from China."
Nearby is the microbrewery La Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or. It is not a bar but offers tastings and sells the five beers it makes on site. All are named after places in the neighborhood.
For great couscous, there is Les Trois Frères on Rue Léon, opened more than three decades ago by three Algerian brothers and now run by their sons. It serves classic bistro starters that have long disappeared from most Parisian menus: hard-boiled egg mayonnaise, smoked herring fillets, grated carrots. The "house couscous" (beef, a chicken skewer and merguez lamb sausage served with a saffron-scented chickpea stew and a mountain of fluffy couscous), its signature dish, costs just 11.50 euros.
For more upscale dining, there is La Môme on nearby Rue Stephenson, owned and run by two sisters. It specializes in Moroccan tajines, among them lamb with prunes; duck with cherries, pistachios and cloves; and chicken with olives, potatoes and preserved lemons. It offers La Môme beer made especially for the restaurant by La Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or.
Another neighborhood fixture is the teahouse Isabelle Cherchevsky Atelier. Its motto: "We nourish and dress you." In addition to hot beverages and food, it sells a small selection of custom-made women's clothing, mostly leather, and jewelry made from Nespresso coffee capsules.
A few blocks away, at the intersection of Rue Saint-Bruno and Rue Affre is Saint-Bernard de la Chapelle, a 19th-century neo-Gothic church that became famous in September of 1996 when police expelled the illegal immigrants who had taken refuge there. The church is framed by low buildings; when you stand facing it, you feel transported out of Paris to a country village.
Another rustic setting is the Villa Poissonnière, a narrow, gated, pedestrian street off Rue de la Goutte d'Or that is easy to miss. Behind the ivy-covered walls that line the cobblestoned walkway are small, adjoining private houses dating from the first half of the 19th century. You can peek through the locked gate at the entrance or wait until someone comes out and politely ask if you can have a quick look.
For a truly hidden gem, head to 3 Rue Pierre l'Ermite. There is no sign on the door, and from the outside it looks like a grand private home. Ring the bell during business hours and you will be invited into Chez les Libraires Associés, an emporium of rare, old and modern collectible books. Among its specialties are children's pop-up books, old and rare volumes about homosexuality, signed first editions and assorted photographs and prints. You can find an out-of-print illustrated children's book published by Harlan Quist for 5 euros or a signed first edition of a collection of Samuel Beckett in French for 1,600.
End the visit by leaving the Goutte d'Or and heading west, crossing the Boulevard Barbès until you find Rue Muller. There, the Splendens Factory, a collective of artists, musicians and photographers, has taken up residence. One of its creations is Le Blue Club, an alternative music nightclub that serves pastries prepared by one of its members.
With its vintage stools, old tiled floor and zinc-topped bar, the bar Au Clair de Lune is cozy and welcoming, especially during its four-hour-long happy hour when cocktails cost 5.50 euros. Nearby is the bar and bistro Le Soleil de la Butte, which hosts a nightclub in the basement from midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends.
Turn a corner and you'll find yourself at the top of a staircase leading into the heart of Montmartre, which marks the end of a tour of Barbès. As the neighborhood evolves, the time to visit is now, while the cacophony of its competing cultures is still preserved. It will be a very different place in a decade.
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