Paris: Why the Latin Quarter is the capital’s coolest neighbourhood

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A few streets to the east of storied Saint Germain-des-Pres, this Left Bank locale has everything a newcomer to Paris could want – underground jazz bars open till dawn, ultra-trendy restaurants and gardens so pretty they’ll clog your phone with photos. open image in gallery Saint Germain-des-Pres has numerous cafes, restaurants and jazz bars It is eminently possible to spend an entire weekend in Paris without leaving the confines of this one arrondissement. open image in gallery The Jardin du Luxembourg is over four centuries old Then walk to the Grande Mosque de Paris – a Hispano-Moorish construct that is the spiritual heart of Paris’s Algerian-dominated Muslim population. open image in gallery If you’ve seen ‘La La Land’ you may recognise this mythic club Other standout addresses include Kitchen Terre, which specialises in homemade pasta, Alliance, a Michelin-starred spot that focuses on seasonal ingredients, and Baieta, which is owned by Julia Sedefdjian – one of France’s rising-star chefs.