Hotel Maxim Opéra

A Parisian boutique beauty with stylish interiors and a great location in the 9th arrondissement – includes breakfast and more thoughtful perks

Home to the Palais Garnier and Grands Magasins, the 9th arrondissement has long lured culture hounds and shopping fiends to its Belle Epoque boulevards – but there’s more to this grand neighbourhood than opera and chic boutiques (although these are definitely a great place to start).

Springing up alongside the signature Haussmannian buildings, a growing crop of hip restaurants and bars are creating a buzz in the emerging ‘SoPi’ neighbourhood (just south of Pigalle metro station). Elsewhere, foodies should hotfoot it to Rue des Martyrs for artisanal goodies and culture-lovers should take in the area’s excellent theatres and museums, including the art-rich Musée de la Vie Romantique and must-see Musée Grévin (wax museum), just off Passage Jouffroy, one of the region’s charming, glass-covered passageways lined with shops and food haunts.