Paris Olympics: Hidden gems on the wrong side of the tracks

They may get a bad rap in the media, but the working-class suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis that will host some major events at the Paris Olympics hide some hidden treasures.

From the last resting place of the kings and queens of France to one of the country's coolest restaurants -- and some of its best kebabs -- the diverse department will be a hive of activity during the Games from July 26 to August 11.

France's royal necropolis

The 12th-century Basilica of Saint-Denis -- a 20-minute walk from the Stade du France -- is a gothic masterpiece where almost every king of France from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in 1824 was buried. Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XVI are among the 75 crowned heads in the crypt. The cathedral also holds the relics of Saint-Denis, France's national saint, who like Louis and Marie Antoinette also lost his head.

Bondy boy Kylian Mbappe

France's most famous footballer scored his first goals in Bondy and was scouted on the synthetic pitch of AS Bondy's Leo Lagrange stadium, where he played until he was 15. The working-class town is justly proud of its favorite son, with a huge mural dedicated to the French captain adorning the side of an apartment block.

A poster of Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe in his home town of Bondy © CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP

Saint-Ouen flea market

Chased beyond the walls of Paris in 1870, Saint-Ouen's enormous flea and antique market has long been a must for the world's most discerning collectors and interior designers.

A favourite place for both Parisians and suburbanites to while away the weekends, it is also the base of the fictional gentleman cat burglar Arsene Lupin in the Netflix series of the same name.

Villa9Trois

The only Michelin-starred restaurant in Seine-Saint-Denis, the Villa9Trois in Montreuil is famous for its leafy terrace and the deceptively simple cooking of its young chef Camille Saint-M'Leux. As well as his signature beef with squid ink, Parisian gourmets -- who rarely venture beyond the "peripherique" ring road -- go there to feast on spider crab and aniseed broth. The citrus fruit comes from the restaurant's own greenhouse.

King of the kebabs

The people of Seine-Saint-Denis are passionate about their kebabs, with many claiming the 129 in Saint-Denis is the best.

The people of Seine-Saint-Denis are passionate about their kebabs © Frank PERRY / AFP

"It is the only place where there are always heaps of people outside waiting," local Elie Marot told AFP, insisting that "129 has the best kebab".

But culinary critic and vlogger Emmanuelle Jary begs to differ, declaring that the homemade doners served at O Durum in Saint-Ouen are not only the best in Seine-Saint-Denis but in the whole Paris region.

© 2024 AFP