There are streets in Paris that locals tend to keep to themselves. Rue des Martyrs is one of them. Just under a kilometre long, it links Notre-Dame-de-Lorette church in the 9th arrondissement to the first slopes of Montmartre in the 18th — climbing gently, zigzagging from one side to the other and testing your resolve against one tempting shop window after another. From the Hôtel R de Paris, it is just a 10-minute walk via Rue La Bruyère or Rue Rodier.

The lower part of the street: food shops

The lower section of Rue des Martyrs, between Place Notre-Dame-de-Lorette and Rue des Abbesses, is the heart of the neighbourhood’s permanent market street. The offer is dense, varied and remarkably strong for an everyday local street.

  • La Souris Gourmande (No. 5) — a cheese shop and delicatessen established in 1999, with a wide selection of raw-milk cheeses, charcuterie and wines to take away. Advice is straightforward and tastings are encouraged.
  • Fromagerie Beillevaire (No. 48) — the other major cheese address on the street, especially strong on goat’s cheese and farmhouse raw-milk products. The Sunday-morning queue is guaranteed — always a good sign.
  • La Chambre aux Confitures (No. 9) — a boutique entirely devoted to jams, caramels, honeys and spreads, in a setting that feels more like a jewellery shop than a grocery store.
  • Famille Mary (No. 30) — Paris and Île-de-France honey produced from three local apiaries. One of the rare places where you can buy genuinely local honey as a gourmet souvenir.
  • Boulangerie Landemaine (No. 26) — an artisan bakery known for its traditional baguette and viennoiseries. The morning queue is a reliable indicator of quality.

Further up the street: boutiques, vintage and characterful addresses

The higher you climb towards Pigalle and Montmartre, the more fashion-forward and eclectic the street becomes. Food shops gradually give way to fashion boutiques, stylish second-hand stores and unusual addresses that define So-Pi’s reputation.

  • Chiffon et Basile — women’s ready-to-wear with a distinctly Parisian identity, balancing well-cut basics with more graphic pieces.
  • Zac & Sam — carefully selected vintage menswear, one of the neighbourhood’s most respected addresses for second-hand fashion.
  • Causses — a conscious delicatessen and café with products sourced from independent producers. Ideal for a quick lunch or a short break.
  • Glazed (No. 54) — artisan ice creams and sorbets. An essential stop on the walk as soon as the weather allows.

When should you go?

Saturday and Sunday mornings are the best times to go — the street is partly pedestrianised at weekends, the atmosphere is at its liveliest and the food shops are operating at full pace. To avoid the crowds at the cheese shops and bakeries, it is best to arrive before 10:30 am. During the week, Monday is best avoided as several shops are closed. Thursday and Friday in the late afternoon are a good balance between atmosphere and manageable footfall.

For more good local addresses — restaurants, bars and cafés — our restaurants and bars guide lists the places worth knowing around the hotel.