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Two of the most sympathique are the Acropolis (12 rue Xavier Privas) offering a cozy and warm environment amidst the Latin Quarter’s bustle, and the Taverne Grecque (8 rue de la Huchette) which has Greek dishes and charmingly eccentric décor, but is actually run by an Armenian. In the same arrondissement, the rue Mouffetard, another long, narrow pedestrian street, also features many Greek restaurants, along with Chinese, Indian, Italian, and French crêperies. Two Cretan-oriented establishments that stand out are la Crete (85 rue Mouffetard), and l’Isle de Crete (10 rue Mouffetard). Both are rather generic foodwise, but la Crete is a quiet place to dine, while the Isle de Crete is a large diner and deli offering up noise and color without being vulgar. Tourists strolling through rue Mouffetard during the day, when it hosts one of Paris’ best-known street markets, can visit many stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, and other fresh produce. On the other side of the food spectrum is the Mavromatis group, a Parisian institution synonymous with fine Greek food, comprised of a gourmet restaurant, a taverna, and a takeaway food shop. The three establishments are located in the student district, near the Sorbonne, the College de France and Jussieu University. Le Mavromatis (42 rue Daubenton) is the upscale flagship of the group, and those willing to splurge won’t be disappointed. The taverna, Les Delices d’Aphrodite (4 rue Candolle), is more “down-home”, yet in addition to the superb cooking, the setting is elegant and the prices are, well, a bit pricey, but reasonable for Paris. At the Mavromatis traiteur or food shop (47 rue Censier), one can buy takeaway classics such as tarama and tzatziki, artisanal and delicious, decidedly not industrial. In addition, the group is extending its reach to an increasing number of outlets throughout Paris, distributing Greek products under its brand-name. Near the Paris Opera in the busy, noisy theatre and shopping district, are two recent additions to the Greek presence in the city. The Maison Grecque (20 rue du Mogador) is a unique, attractive space that is combination travel agency, restaurant and takeaway, and organizer of events in tastefully-decorated dining rooms. Nearby, Korres, (13-15 rue Taitbout) sells natural products (made in Greece) for body, face, and hair. Paris is the world’s mecca of great art, one reason why it attracts more visitors than any other city. Scores of museums, exhibition halls, and private galleries cover both left and right banks. Despite competition from the Musée d’Orsay’s crowd-pleasing Impressionist paintings, the Louvre remains the main draw for artlovers. Many visit this massive museum for its Renaissance art, and that great and still glorious cliché, the Mona Lisa. The Louvre is also a must-see for lovers of the glories of ancient Greece. Two of the most famous works of antiquity are here: the marble statues Winged Victory and the Venus de Milo. The gallery of ancient Greek art contains many other works, not
only sculptures but ceramics and bronzes. Moreover, the Roman gallery features copies of Greek statues whose originals have been lost. On a different scale is the Xippas Gallery (108 rue Vielle du Temple). This private art gallery (sister establishment of an Athens gallery) is located on one of the trendiest streets in the Marais district. Its white walls, winding like a labyrinth, aren’t for everyone, but you won’t find the museum crowds, and the edgy exhibitions will appeal to those with adventurous tastes. In the same area is the Art’et Miss Gallery (14 rue Ste. Anastase), founded by Dimitri Toumbas and his gracious French wife Dominique. It has a very different look, a pleasantly funky hole-in-the-hole with a relaxed atmosphere, currently exhibiting colorfully weird surreal art from Italy. The rue Vielle du Temple also showcases creativity of a different order. The Erotokritos boutique (99 rue Vielle du Temple) was created by a young Greek Cypriot designer of the same name. Its colorful clothing line is for men and women of all ages, provided they like urban chic. There won’t be any trouble liking the charming and friendly young staff. There is a second, more downscale boutique called Eros (58 rue Etienne Marcel). Near Montparnasse, in the laid-back, but slightly raw 14th arrondissement, is Desme, (14 rue Vandamme) Paris’s Greek-language bookstore. This bookstore has a tattered-pages charm, and an impressive collection of books in Greek, as well as Greek works translated into French. There are also maps, art books, guides, but little in English. As elsewhere, community life centers on the church. Here again, Paris offers startling contradictions. There are two Greek Orthodox churches (in addition to Russian and Serbian Orthodox churches). The sumptuous St. Stephen cathedral (7 rue Georges-Bizet) in the posh 16th arrondissement, attracts the diaspora bourgeoisie and the curious. Clerical dignitaries, including Patriarch Bartholomew, also regularly visit. In Montmartre, straddling the honky-tonk Pigalle neighborhood, is the tiny St. Constantine and Helen (2 bis rue Laferrière). This storefront church draws workingclass Greeks, many coming from distant suburbs. St. Constantine and Helen is a humble church, but has a peculiar charm, and a vibrant community life. For many years the leader of the church was the “Père André” Fyrillas, famous for a presence both imposing and grandfatherly, in fact a graduate of Cambridge and Paris’s prestigious St. Serge seminary (where instruction was once entirely in Russian). The Institut Neo-Hellenic de Paris (19 bis rue Pierre Fontaine) has courses in modern Greek for young and old, and is officially recognized by the Rectorate of Paris. The prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure and the University of Paris also give modern Greek lessons, while the national school system provides for classes in ancient Greek on the secondary level.
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