Passage des Panoramas

From Paris Hotels Reviews

The grid of arcades north of the Bourse, just off rue Vivienne, is known as the passage des Panoramas. It was around here, in 1817, that the first Parisian gas lamps were tried out. A little shabby and frayed around the edges, the passage combines old-fashioned chic and workaday atmosphere. Most of the eateries here – mainly Indian and Chinese restaurants – make no pretence at style, but one café, L'Arbre a Cannelle, a former brasserie, has beautiful carved wood ornamentation and painted ceiling panels dating from the 1900s. Another place that's kept its original decor is the printshop, Stern, dating back to 1867. Most of the other outlets are given over to bric-a-brac, secondhand postcard, coin and stamp dealers, with serious collectors poring over catalogues.