Village Green: Paris
- Words by Peppermint
It’s easy to be swept up in the romance of the city of light, love and haute couture when it comes to Paris. But look beyond the croissants and common clichés, la vie écolo is burgeoning on the Right Bank. Consider this your sustainable travel guide to bookmark for days when we can finally wander again.
……….
Shop
CENTRE COMMERCIAL
The founders of Veja sneakers opened this boutique near Canal Saint-Martin in 2010, creating a platform to launch emerging brands that value transparency and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration with an environmental bent. Along with an extensive selection of Vejas, Centre Commercial stocks heritage French artisans like Paraboot and Saint James (the inventor of Breton-striped tees); small-footprint, high-quality pieces designed for longevity from the likes of Bleu de Paname, Suzie Winkle, and Base Range; and one-off jewellery and accessories by young local makers.
MARCHÉ AUX PUCES DE ST-OUEN
A short stroll over the périph, this 17-acre flea market peddles everything from well-preserved antiques and paintings that look like they belong in the Louvre to vintage fashion, African textiles, Modernist furniture and charming bric-a-brac.
NOUS
Slow living and a penchant for provenance are at the heart of this serene boutique. Find contemporary ceramics by French artisans, like the colourful works of Héloïse Bariol (Rouen) and curvaceous vases of Lucile Boudier (Paris), alongside pieces from makers further afield.
THE NAKED SHOP
Forget your toiletries (on purpose) and beeline for this bulk store dedicated to refillable body products and solid cosmetics – all made in France.
KILO SHOP
A friperie (thrift shop) espousing vintage threads with a by-the-kilo price model.
AUJOURD’HUI DEMAIN
Vegan clothing and accessories by European brands and those across the Channel.
Eat
GRAMME
Marine Gora and Romain Tellier create cuisine parisienne at this pocket-sized cafe in the Marais. They source from local producers in and around Paris, with specialty coffee from Lomi (18ème), bread from Le Petit Grain (20ème), and ricotta from fromage wizards Nanina (11ème). The menu always features a salad or toast du jour composed of seasonal vegetables. For the sweet tooth, ‘lost’ brioche is transformed into pain perdu (French toast), and the counter always brims with irresistible house-made tarts and cakes.
FERMENTATION GÉNÉRALE
This hole-in-the-wall boulangerie champions all things fermentation. Valentin Orgeas makes sourdough loaves and (heavenly) focaccia from organic ancient grains and water pumped from artesian wells. Add house-made kimchi, local kombucha (in consignment bottles) and natural wine and you’re set for a picnic along the Canal.
>> 37 rue de la Folie Méricourt, 11ème
YUMI CAFE
In the city of steak-frites, this cafe is defying tradition with its raw, cold-pressed juices and organic vegetarian fare.
>> 27 rue du Château d’Eau, 10ème
YARD RESTAURANT
The young team at this bistro plates up contemporary French fare with ingredients sourced from local farms.
LA LAITERIE DE PARIS
Raw milk and yoghurt (sheep, goat and cow) in returnable jars, plus fresh and aged cheeses made on-site.
BACK IN BLACK
Responsibly sourced, seasonal specialty coffee roasted in-house. Pouring espresso, filter and cold brew.
Visit
GARDENS
Seek respite from the concrete jungle in Paris’s leafy sanctuaries. Soak up some greenery at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont – a sprawling 61 acres of undulating grassy hills and gardens constructed over old quarries. Next, stroll over to nearby Parc de Belleville, where the Belvédère pavilion offers an impressive view come sunset. Finally, Coulée verte René-Dumont, also known as Promenade Plantée, is a five-kilometre verdant passage atop a mid-19th-century viaduct. All city parks are pesticide-free.
LA RECYCLERIE
This community space and micro-farm is dedicated to sharing éco-responsable knowledge. The restored train station houses a no-waste canteen, makers market and DIY repair workshop, while outside you’ll find chickens, ducks, bees and gardens along the old tracks.
MIRZ YOGA
Keep your practice flowing (in French!) at this light-filled studio where the extensive variety of classes include vinyasa, hatha, yin, meditation and moon circles.
MARCHÉ BIOLOGIQUE DES BATIGNOLLES
Fill your wicker basket with jams, honey, soaps and flowers at this all-organic market held every Saturday.
LE CENTQUATRE
An experimental arts precinct melding world music, dance and exhibitions with tech and innovation.
HÉLOU
An écoworking space with a room dedicated to napping, plus vegetarian food.
words and photos LINSEY RENDELL
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
Have you made the Viola Quilted Jacket yet? This pattern hits the sweet spot for both established sewists keen to learn a new skill (quilting!),…
Hang out with us on Instagram
“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
