How Black culture has shaped Paris—and where to experience it

National Geographic

11 hours ago

Creative Black minds and artisans have been present in Paris's renowned art and food scene since the 1920s. American writers like Langston Hughes and James Baldwin found a home in the city's bustling jazz cafes, and their future works have laid the foundation for Black American literature. In addition to literary legends, tens of thousands of families of African origin reside in Paris, specifically in the 18th arrondissement, where a resilient and thriving community exists.
La Goutte d'Or (the drop of gold) or locally known as Little Africa, is a neighborhood that borders one of Paris's most popular cabarets, the Moulin Rouge. The Chateau Rouge, Gare Du Nord, Goutte D'Or, and Barbes neighborhoods are all metropolitan districts where people of African descent work, thrive, and live.
History buffs in search of an immersive cultural experience in Paris can wander through these congested city blocks of Goutte D'Or, home to Parisian locals from North and West Africa. Busy African hair-braiding shops, produce markets, textile businesses, and art galleries will transport tourists, at least for a couple of hours, from Europe to the world's second-largest continent. Paris armorial bearings, which include the stylized boat and fleur-de-lis, are seen on metro bridges in the La Goutte d'Or district. Photograph by Jarry & Tripelon, Anzenberger/Redux Parisians head to the open-air Marché Dujean to pick up fresh spices, African seafood staples, and a variety of other food offerings, such as those found at this halal butcher's shop. Photograph by Jarry & Tripelon, Anzenberger/Redux
The Pantheon's Josephine Baker tribute, Little Africa Paris Village, the Le Paris Noir walking tour, and more are informative ways that educate travelers about the history of the African diaspora, which has influenced the city's world-renowned artistic and cultural identity. Here's how you can experience it.
(6 ways to experience the Paris of the Roaring '20s.) Take a tour of Little Africa
Guided by a local expert, tourists can take a walking tour through Little Africa, an in-depth journey into the culture and history of the 18th arrondissement. 'French people don't feel comfortable talking about race,' says Kevi Donat, the tour operator and founder of Le Paris Noir. 'We use the word 'origins' here.'
Donat yearned to create more spaces, like Le Paris Noir, to share the African diaspora culture and provide a way to help others explore the city's African origins. Since migrating from Martinique, the young Parisian has proudly called the city his home for over two decades. The engaging, two-hour Le Paris Noir walking tour honors the significant role that people of African descent played in Paris's larger community and their influence on its history, as described on a journey through areas near the Sorbonne, the Luxembourg Gardens, around Montmartre, and along the riverbanks of the Seine.
Tourists learn about how Black Americans fled to Paris in the mid-1900s to find peace during rising racial prejudices and the pre-Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Travelers on this unique journey ascend Paris's hilliest roads near the Sacré-Cœur, where Donat would point out discreet cafés where Josephine Baker performed. Then, he would describe how the 369th Infantry, known as the Harlem Hellfighters (Black American WWI Soldiers), introduced jazz music to Europe and popularized jazz cafés in Paris, such as the now-defunct Café Tournon.
Along the tour route, visitors will also see current and former sites, such as Les Deux Magots, where world-renowned jazz artist Miles Davis was once a patron and where authors Richard Wright and James Baldwin had passionate debates about the plight of being Black in America. Baldwin also worked on his first novel, Go Tell It On the Mountain, in Café Flore at 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain.
Journalist William Gardner and writer Ralph Ellison were known to frequent Café Tournon (now Le Tournon) , and author Langston Hughes dined at the now-defunct Le Grand Duc. Visitors may want to consider grabbing a bite to eat at La Palette (43 Rue de Seine), a favorite spot for painter Beauford Delaney.
In the 9th Arrondissement, history buffs may spot the signed light post plaque dedicated to André Breton, a French writer and co-founder of the Surrealist movement, as well as an ally in the Négritude movement. This movement was a 1930s response to colonialism from French-speaking Black intellectuals aimed at reclaiming and celebrating Black identity and African cultural heritage.
Le Paris Noir is a truly eye-opening way to uncover how Paris has always been a destination that has cultivated Black art, even through its complicated history, strife, and controversy. Visitors in search of sweets should consider a visit to La Rose de Tunis, one of several cake shops located throughout Paris, including the Little Africa location at 7 Boulevard Ornano. Photograph by Jarry & Tripelon, Anzenberger/Redux A woman passes by La Régulière, a bookstore, workshop, and café at 43 Rue Myrha in Paris's La Goutte d'Or neighborhood. Photograph by Michael Zumstein, Agence VU/Redux Art and jazz in Little Africa
Immersive travelers who want to explore Paris's Little Africa neighborhood independently can visit Little Africa Village, a multidisciplinary space and cultural hub, located at 6 bis Rue des Gardes, where artists of African descent can support one another. The basement—the pièce de résistance—features an ongoing exhibition that showcases the perspectives of Black artists on living in Paris.
For music lovers in Little Africa, the recommended Le Baiser Salé is a jazz club that fuses Afro-beats with French Jazz; meanwhile, La Gare, a renovated train station, hosts jazz late nights that usually feature African musicians.
(Can Paris live up to the hype? Find out on a walking tour of its gilded past.) Taste the flavors of Africa in Paris Marché Dejean
Little Africa is home to several markets that feature vendors selling spices such as piri piri and berbere. Located on Rue Dejean, Marché Dejean is an open-air market where stalls and local entrepreneurs sell a variety of produce, including okra, spinach, and seafood staples such as tilapia and barracuda. Many French chefs of African descent have transformed their home-cooked meals (usually served at a restaurant) into prepared dishes to sell at the market. Baraka
Baraka, a spice shop located off Rue Robert Fleury, is an unexpected find far outside of Little Africa. A short walk from the Eiffel Tower, Chef Antompindi Cocagne, also known as Chef Anto, owns a brick-and-mortar shop that features authentic African herbs and pays homage to her hometown of Libreville, Gabon. She serves honey wines and ingredients imported from various regions of West Africa to educate the local community and tourists about the culinary history and offerings based rooted in her heritage.
(Sights and bites: What to eat while touring Paris.) Kuti
Chef Antoine Joss Lecocq's third restaurant, Kuti, is a stunning amalgamation of African street gastronomy and culinary tradition. The lively, canteen restaurant is painted with bold greens and oranges splashed across the exterior and is a good place for lunch. Entering the space feels like a warm hug; the intimate seating arrangements make enjoying Kuti's menu a communal experience.
After his six-month journey across Cameroon, Lecocq returned to Paris with knowledge on how to prepare authentic pan-African fare. Kuti's delectable masa servings are probably their most famous dishes; a Nigerian pancake covered with either chicken or beef and plated, slathered with spicy, savory Baobob sauce, was seen on nearly every packed table. Their hearty vegetarian kondré stews and "Jungle Beat" dishes—crispy fried chicken atop of a bed of yellow rice, potatoes, spinach, and plantains, blanketed in Afro-spices—were my favorite plates. La Table Penja
Chef Pierre Siewe offers his innovative, fine-dining interpretation of African fare with a French twist at La Table Penja. The Michelin-recognized restaurant opened in October 2024 and serves experimental, creative dishes such as thyme-roasted French sirloin paired with a fresh green Penja peppercorn sauce and rock octopus poached in court-bouillon, seared on a griddle. End your dinner with Siewe's sweet-and-spicy peppercorn ice cream—one of the most memorable, pleasant treats from my trip.
(How to explore Paris from the seat of a bicycle.) Where to stay
Tourists should consider staying at the centrally-located 25Hours Hotel Terminus Nord , situated in front of Gare Du Nord train station—also in a tourist hotspot. The eclectic hotel has a bike rental service and is popular for remote workers. Guests can travel outside of the busy 10th arrondissement with ease whenever they wish.
However, guests who want to explore Paris's African diaspora history on their own should consider checking into the Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris , a luxury hotel located just a short walk away from the Arc de Triomphe. Guests can opt to stay in the Ray Charles Suite, a room where the iconic African American jazz singer stayed. In his honor, the downstairs restaurant has nightly jazz soirees, and the monochromatic cigar room next door is a moody, crimson-red escape. Guests at both hotels can access the metro via nearby major train stations. They can take the 'B' or 'C' lines to Parisian landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, and more.
Editor's pick: In addition to the Le Paris Noir walking tour, Walking The Spirit Tours also offers customized Paris vacation packages and guided tours that provide travelers with the authentic history and spirit of Paris based on founder Julia Browne's personal experiences living in France for 12 years. This trip was created with the support of the Paris Je t'Aime tourism office and Hotel 25H. Malik Peay is a culture writer from Los Angeles who uncovers distinctive art and food scenes of global destinations. Follow him on Instagram.