The considered guideParis

The Left Bank, from books to live jazz

Sculpture, a garden chair, bookshop shelves, a proper dinner and a cellar full of swing. Five ways to stay on the Left Bank a little longer.

The garden and studio at Musée Zadkine in Paris, photographed in November 2013

Serein / Wikimedia Commons. Captured: 2013-11-03 17:22:59. Resized and compressed; display crops vary. · CC BY-SA 3.0: License (including resized version where share-alike applies); Source

Start small at Zadkine, where sculpture sets a slower pace, then take that mood into the Luxembourg gardens. The afternoon has room for a bookshop detour beside the Seine before dinner at Le Procope and live music on rue de la Huchette.

This is a day that changes texture rather than collecting landmarks. Leave a generous gap between the daytime stops and the jazz club’s evening opening. The places supply their own current hours and practical information; choose your date to leave out recorded closures. Dinner and club admission are separate, and the route does not reserve either.

01.

Musée Zadkine

Begin with sculpture and a quieter courtyard. One small museum is enough to set the mood.

100 bis rue d’Assas · Port-Royal & Observatoire
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02.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Take a garden chair or make a slow loop before turning towards the Seine.

Place Paul-Claudel (Porte Odéon)
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03.

Shakespeare and Company

Browse without a reading list. This is the pause for a book that follows you home.

37 rue de la Bûcherie
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04.

Le Procope

Let dinner have its own space in the day. Check the menu and reserve directly if this is your table.

13 rue de l’Ancienne-Comédie · Odéon & Saint-Germain
€€€ · French
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun · See full hours at the restaurant
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05.

Caveau de la Huchette

Finish below street level with the band and the dancers. Check the evening’s programme before arriving.

5 rue de la Huchette
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