The other side of Paris

If you have been to Paris and think you have seen it all — the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre Museum — there is an equally fascinating side to Paris that very few tourists get to see.

Nestled between the cobbled streets and the grandiose monuments are little corners of India, China and northern Africa.

This stunning city shares its charm with more than 60 million visitors every year.

Palette of cultures

This multicultural city is better known for everything haute — food, clothes and design.

One in seven Parisians is of another nationality. Many of them settled in Paris as a result of France's colonial past and have brought with them a plethora of cultural trends, cuisine and music.

To discover the other side of Paris you must leave the well-trodden path of the Champs Elysées, Louvre and Eiffel Tower and strike out on your own.

Walking is the best way to discover a city and that is definitely the way to go in Little India, in the tenth arrondissement, near the Gare du Nord.

You might be forgiven for thinking this is not Paris at all. And that you have entered a culture warp. On both sides of the street you will find Indian and Sri Lankan merchants selling everything from rose-petal jam and Kanchipuram silk to Tamil videos and sitars.

In the evenings, the place is alive with diners in the restaurants that dot the many side streets. This is definitely the place for authentic Indian food. Stock up on exotic vegetables, fragrant rice, pickles and spices.

After you finish browsing the emporiums, sit in one of the restaurants and enjoy a cool glass of lassi, a masala dosa or a thali.

Suththanantham's Sitar Store is a shop, museum and restaurant rolled into one. It houses a collection of musical instruments from all over India — sitars from Kolkata, a nadaswaram and flutes from South Indi and a harmonium from Delhi.

Suththanantham and his wife arrived from South India about 20 years ago.

“We realised it was really difficult to get authentic Indian food in Paris,'' says the entrepreneur, “so we decided to open a restaurant.''

The menu reflects his wife's love of food while the rest of the shop is devoted to her husband's musical instruments. Downstairs, you can enjoy Indian music and dance classes held regularly.

If you need a trim or a completely new look, wander into the arcade called Passage Brady, where hairdressers from Pondicherry to Mauritius, clip and snip all day long. The haircut usually finishes with an energising face-and-neck massage that leaves you feeling fantastic.

Chinatown

Chinatown is much bigger than Little India. In fact, Paris has two Chinatowns — one is in the 13th arrondissement and the other in the 19th.

Many Asians live in these neighbourhoods and the shops and restaurants reflect the customers' needs.

The 13th arrondissement was originally the quartier used by provincials moving to Paris. After the First World War, some of the migrants from former French colonies began settling here.

But the real wave of migration didn't come until the 1970s. The Cambodians, Vietnamese and Laotians were the first to arrive in Paris, followed by the Chinese from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.

They started with traditional food and catering businesses and later moved into other industries such as clothing and imports.

The frenetic activity in this area, particularly between Rue de Choissy, Rue de Tolbiac and Avenue d'Ivry is evidence of the success of these businesses.

There is something for everyone in this part of Paris. In Avenue d'Ivry there is a great market to explore. Wander through and take your pick from the fresh noodles, live ducks and Asian veggies.

Then there are restaurants you would expect to find in Bangkok or Hong Kong — people seated on low stools, enjoying delicious food with chopsticks.

Weekend fun

Another resident, hailing from Singapore, says she loves the weekend market.

“I'm a regular here on Sundays,'' she says. “My French husband and kids also find it fascinating.''

If you want to know more about the local Indo-Chinese community, there are quite a few organisations which can prove helpful.

The Chinese Cultural Centre at 78 Rue Danois, has art exhibitions, a reading room and sporting activities. The Amicale des Teochew at 44 Avenue d'Ivry, has a Buddhist temple and library. It organises a range of activities including martial arts and yoga.

The second Chinatown is on the other side of the Paris in Belleville. This area was once called Little Tunis due to the large concentration of North African families who lived here in the early 1970s.

Bakeries, clothes boutiques and corner shops were owned by the Turks, Tunisians, Moroccans and Algerians.

The place took on an exotic, Moorish feel back in the 1970s. Things have changed since; now it is home to a large number of Chinese who moved there from Indochina in the 1980s.

Paris's fascination with the Orient is evident from the number of art collections in the city dedicated to Asia.

In 1871, Henry Cernuschi, a Milanese banker, embarked on a voyage through Japan and China. He returned in 1873 with a collection of more than 5,000 objects in wood, bronze, ivory and ceramic.

He bequeathed the prized collection to the city of Paris. It is housed in a special museum.

Situated in Avenue Velasques 7, in the eighth arrondissement near Metro Villiers, the museum has more than 10,000 objects including many internationally renowned Buddhist sculptures.

Streets all over the French capital bear the mark of former colonies in northern Africa.

Although Paris has always been a fascinating city, there is always something new to see and discover. This magnificent city has it all and it is fun to discover the other side of Paris.

— Scott Adams is a Madrid-based freelance writer

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Le George Cinq

Situated near the Champs Elysées, this hotel offers suites decorated like luxurious Parisian apartments. Many come complete with magical views of the Eiffel Tower.

Indulge in French cuisine in Le Cinq, which has won two Michelin stars. The lounge is the perfect place to enjoy afternoon tea with dainty French pastries and cakes. After a day out, relax in the spa or the indoor pool.

Le George Cinq also offers a Rolls Royce with a custom designed Hermes interior to take you around the city.

For more information, visit www.fourseasons.com