When it comes to culinary offerings, few cities are as palatable as Paris. Here in the City of Light, I’ve feasted on delectables such as steak tartar and duck l’orange in a belly-boggling array of French restaurants.
Dining out in Paris can be an expensive endeavor, however. In an effort to balance my budget and satisfy my palate simultaneously, I frequent a tiny pedestrian lane lined with decidedly non-French restaurants.
Few tourists venture here because it’s located in a working-class neighborhood. Locals pass by every day and miss it when they blink. But when I found my way onto Passage Brady, a tumbledown 19th-century shopping arcade, I stumbled upon the most affordable lunches in Paris. In the process, I stepped into another world.
Passage Brady boasts the city’s highest concentration of Indian and Pakistani restaurants. Twelve culinary establishments populate this narrow passage that runs between Boulevard de Strasbourg and Rue St. Denis in the 10th Arrondissement (District).
When I stepped onto Passage Brady, it was as if I had fallen through a rabbit hole and landed in Delhi or Mumbai. Apart from the restaurant menus, which are written in French (with English translations), there is little to remind you of Paris.
Warmth and charm
Built in 1858 so that shoppers could stroll from one boutique to the next without succumbing to rain and muddy, unpaved streets, this pedestrian mall features a one-block-long, two-story-high vaulted glass roof.
Some 150 such passages were constructed in Paris during the 19th century. Many have been refurbished to accommodate designer boutiques and loft-style apartments. Some, like Passage Brady, have fallen into neglect.
The glass roof is cracked in places. The tile floor is worn and broken. At Pooja and Jardin De L’inde, two of the busiest restaurants, al fresco diners stare into the dusty window of a hardware store.
And yet, it’s the ramshackle disposition of Passage Brady that provides warmth and charm.
Lanterns dangle from rusted crossbeams. Indian music drifts from coiffure shops where haircuts are a bargain. At Velan Sari, shoppers pore over Indian knickknacks, colorful saris and more than 100 types of incense. They cram the aisles, searching for mango chutney, tandoori paste, coriander seeds, pomegranate molasses – every imaginable product with which to make home-cooked Indian food.
Restaurant signs jut out above darkened doorways, beckoning passersby: Reine Du Kashmir, Shalimar. The names evoke the spirit of India and Pakistan as much as Passage Brady itself.
Lunchtime customers feast on lamb or chicken curry specials for the equivalent of $6.35. Because proprietors compete fiercely for business, the specials are available at all 12 restaurants.
Dinner is a pricier affair. At Pooja, my personal favorite, main courses go for $14 to $16. Elaborate three-course meals cost $33.
I’ve seen Turkish laborers, Moroccan families, Asian businessmen, French office workers and German tourists. The cultures and skin tones are typical of the 10th Arrondissement. Many of the city’s 375,000 legal immigrants live and work in this district.
At the western end of Passage Brady, Rue St. Denis teems with Turkish restaurants, open-air butcher shops, ma-and-pa grocers and vegetable stands. St. Denis resembles an Istanbul market more than a Paris street. The eastern end of the passage (at Boulevard de Strasbourg) leads to a plethora of African enterprises.
Passage Brady is a bridge between ethnic communities. It’s a melting pot filled primarily with Turks, Africans, Indians, Pakistanis, tourists and, of course, the French. It’s a cultural and gastronomic feast.
Elliott Hester is the author of the recently released “Adventures of a Continental Drifter.” He lives in Paris. Contact Hester at megoglobal@hotmail.com or visit elliotthester.com.
The details
Passage Brady is situated approximately two blocks north of Boulevard St. Denis, between Boulevard de Strasbourg and Rue St. Denis in Paris’ 10th Arrondissement. Restaurant hours are noon to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 7 p.m. to approximately 11 or 11:30 p.m., depending on business, for dinner, seven days a week. A few popular restaurants are listed below.
Pooja, 91 Passage Brady; 011-33-148-240-083 or poojarestaurant.com.
Jardin De L’inde, 90 Passage Brady; 011-33-144-790-890.
Shalimar, 59 Passage Brady; 011-33-145-233-161.
Reine Du Kashmir, 82 Passage Brady; 011-33-145-233-935.
Most restaurants offer lunch specials for selected main courses. Cost in Euros is the equivalent of about $6.35.
Directly across from Passage Brady, on the other side of Boulevard de Strasbourg, there’s a narrow lane with three additional Indian restaurants. Lacking a vaulted glass roof, this is not a true Parisian passage. Nevertheless, it’s also known as Passage Brady.
Dining tip: A can of Coke or a small bottle of mineral water can cost $5 or more at Parisian restaurants and cafes. Budget-conscious travelers should ask for un carafe d’eau (decanter of tap water). The water is free and superbly drinkable, and waiters are happy to serve it.
