All Articles A local’s guide to Paris’ Black history, budget-friendly activities, and more

A local’s guide to Paris’ Black history, budget-friendly activities, and more

The founder of Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours shares her favorite spots in the French capital.

By Tommie Ethington25 Aug 2023 6 minutes read
Woman looking towards the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River, in Paris
Image: Westend61/Getty Images

In My Top 11, we tap local experts, makers, and community members to share their 11 best recommendations for the perfect mix of off-the-radar and tried-and-true places to eat, play, and shop, all to help push your itinerary to the next level.

A native of Oakland, CA, Ricki Stevenson first dreamt of moving to Paris at a young age. “I was three when my mom took me to see Josephine Baker perform,” Stevenson says, “and it sparked a lifelong fascination with the City of Light.”

Decades later, Stevenson—who was by then a successful TV reporter—moved with her own daughter to France for what was supposed to be a one-year stay. Twenty five years later, she still calls Paris home. In between, Stevenson found time to get a masters degree in history with an emphasis on African American, African, and Caribbean history from Stanford University and founded Ricki Stevenson’s Black Paris Tours, a long-time Travelers’ Choice Award winner.

“My goal is to tell the stories of how and why African Americans came to Paris to escape racism in the United States and to introduce travelers to the rich legacy of Black history in France, which goes back to its very beginnings, as well as to introduce them to Black Paris today,” she says.

Below, Stevenson shares 11 of her favorite places and experiences in Paris, from an affordable, late-night dining hot spot near the Moulin Rouge to a grand chateau that once belonged to Baker herself.

1. Follow in famous footsteps in Neuilly Sur Seine

Building details in Neuilly - sur - Seine, Paris
Building details in Neuilly - sur - Seine, Paris
Image: Wirestock/Getty Images

A few blocks from the city center, the neighborhood of Neuilly Sur Seine is often referred to today as the “Beverly Hills of Paris,” but Stevenson chose to live here when she first moved to Paris because of its rich history. “I was thrilled when I learned that novelist Richard Wright lived in Neuilly in 1946,” she recalls. Other former residents include photographer Gordon Parks, musician Sidney Bechet, dancer Ada "Bricktop" Smith, and writer James Baldwin. Stevenson’s favorite way to take it all in? A night time walk along the Seine river.

2. Dine at Le Chalet de Neuilly

In Neuilly, Stevenson’s go-to restaurant is the Travelers’ Choice Award winner Le Chalet de Neuilly. “It’s owned by a French family who married into a family from Senegal,” she says. Together, the two chefs serve up traditional French fare with a few surprises thrown in, like a Thai beef salad and a dessert of the day. Ask for a table on the patio: “It’s my chill place when friends come to town,” Stevenson says.

Travelers say: “This was the best meal we ate during our Paris vacation with three kids, ages 16, 19, and 22. Awesome service and great raclette and fondue. …It seemed to have French diners and not hoards of tourists. Visit and you won’t be disappointed!”—@PatriziaCicca

3. Explore Little Africa

It just takes a short metro or bus ride north to Chateau Rouge in the 18th arrondissement to feel like you’ve been transported to a buzzy, colorful marketplace in a big West African city. “Little Africa is full of hole-in-the-wall restaurants with traditional cuisine, art galleries, and jewelry shops, as well as a big park where the men play an African version of chess and checkers,” says Stevenson, who recommends starting at the cultural center Little Africa Village.

4. Order all the French staples without breaking the bank at Bouillon Pigalle

Oeufs Mayo at Bouillon Pigalle, Paris
Oeufs Mayo at Bouillon Pigalle, Paris
Image: Management/Tripadvisor

A five-minute walk from the famed Moulin Rouge, Bouillon Pigalle is a quintessential French bistro that stays open until midnight. Cozy up in one of the red leather banquettes and prepare to taste the classics. “It’s French comfort food—the kinds of dishes grandma made decades ago,” Stevenson says. “Low budget, but big taste.” For starters, there’s onion soup, oeuf mayonnaise, and escargot in parsley butter. All entrees, including the beef bourguignon, come in at under 13 euros, and cocktails hover around 6 euros, leaving plenty of room for dessert (the profiterole cream puff is a must).

Travelers say: “Recently visited Paris with my elder son, who arranged a surprise rendezvous with his younger brother, and a friend. The four of us all shared our dishes, so I can vouch for the high quality of a good range of food. I'd especially recommend the escargot and onion soup starters, butternut squash main, and all the desserts! Great, buzzy atmosphere, quick, efficient, friendly service, and astonishing value for money. Under £90 for the four of us.”—@Kmh1944

5. Relax at the Mosquee de Paris

Head to the Travelers’ Choice Award-winning Mosquee de Paris and look for a nondescript door, located behind the restaurant’s pastry case. Once inside, you’ll discover the hammam, a Middle Eastern–style spa. “The hammam is a self-care experience shared with women from North Africa, Paris, and sometimes my adventurous tour guests,” Stevenson says. Perks include a hot steam bath, cold plunge pool, and massages starting at 13 euros. While you wait for your treatment, lounge around a fountain, sip mint tea, and admire the stained glass and blue domed ceilings.

6. Let the good times roll at Le Creole

With palm trees out front and palm tree wallpaper inside, the Black-owned Le Creole restaurant offers a Parisian take on a type of cuisine that’s typically associated with New Orleans (a former French colony, that, in fact, hails from the West Indies). It’s also where Stevenson goes when she’s in a celebratory mood: “The rum drinks are amazing.”

Travelers say: “Saw this place and thought we would give it a try, and so glad we did. …Ordered the fritters, the goat Columbo and the shrimp stew (which is basically a curry shrimp). It was well prepared and tasted great. They have a happy hour from 7–8 p.m. with discounted beer and cocktails.”—@seanmT4053GU

7. Get a glimpse of La Villa Beau Chene

“I always take my out-of-town visitors to see La Villa Beau Chene, the mansion Josephine Baker bought when she was 27 years old,” Stevenson says. Located in Le Vesinet, roughly 40 minutes from the center of Paris, it's only open to the public once a year in September during Journées du Patrimoine, also known as European Heritage Days. Still, it’s worth the drive any other time for a look at the mansion’s Louis XIII-style architecture and beautifully landscaped grounds.

8. Stroll through Parc Monceau and stop by the Place du Général Catroux

Corinthian colonnade in Parc Monceau, Paris
Corinthian colonnade in Parc Monceau, Paris
Image: daboost/Getty Images

Of all the stops on Stevenson’s tours, her favorite is a monument in the 17th arrondissement officially named Place du Général Catroux. “But I call it the ‘Place of the Three Dumas,’” says Stevenson, adding that there are three statues, each representing the different sides of the famed Creole general, author, and playwright Alexandre Dumas. After paying your respects, take a walk through the lush Parc Monceau. “It’s where so many legendary African Americans strolled when they came to Paris in the late 1800s,” Stevenson says.

9. Spend an afternoon at Musée du Quai Branly

A couple of blocks from the Eiffel Tower, Musée du quai Branly is the city’s fourth largest museum. And while the focus is mostly on non-European, Indigenous art and culture—think 3,500-plus works from Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania—Stevenson also recommends the museum for its thoughtful exhibitions on Black history in Paris.

Travelers say: “Recommend cycling along the river to get [to Musée du quai Branly] in the dedicated cycle lane—there is bike parking right outside on the river-side of the road. The architect has created a really special place from the moment you arrive, it’s theatrical in its scale and form. You walk through a glade of trees to enter and inside is dark and mystical, with a river-like path up to the main exhibition space.”—@tinadJ6816LK

10. Do some shopping in Chinatown

Stevenson grew up in the San Francisco Bay area—a region rich with Asian influence—and loves hanging out in Paris’ sprawling Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement. After a buffet lunch at Jardin d’Asie, she recommends wandering the aisles at Tang Freres: “I call it the Asian Costco.” Another bonus? Chinatown’s shops are typically open on Sundays when many French shops are closed.

11. Take a day trip to the Champagne region

It’s roughly an hour and half by train to Reims, the unofficial capital of the Champagne region. Plot your own route through the city’s tasting rooms and cellar tours or join a guided tour that can take you farther afield to historic villages and family-owned vineyards. Several offer trips from Reims or direct transportation from Paris if you want to spend less time in transit and more time wine tasting.

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Tommie Ethington
Tommie Ethington is a Dallas-based freelance writer. Formerly an editor for Southwest Airlines' in-flight magazine, she continues to write about travel, design and interesting people for a variety of publications including Condé Nast Traveler, Rolling Stone and Texas Monthly. Find more of her work at tommieethington.com.