Living in Gros Caillou

Understanding life in Gros Caillou

Why people choose to live here

Gros Caillou is the western quarter of the 7th arrondissement, stretching from the Seine to the Avenue de La Motte-Picquet, between the Avenue de Suffren and the Boulevard de La Tour-Maubourg. It includes the Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower, yet away from the monuments it feels like a village, with the market street of the Rue Cler and the shops of the Rue Saint-Dominique at its heart. Families, diplomats and professionals choose it for its calm and elegant streets, its good schools and its easy links to the rest of Paris.

History and architectural character of Gros Caillou

The quarter owes its name to a large stone that once marked a boundary here, when this was a small hamlet outside Paris. In the 18th century the Champ de Mars was laid out as a parade ground for the new École Militaire, and it later hosted the universal exhibitions, including the one of 1889 for which Gustave Eiffel built his tower. The Église Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou dates from the 1820s, and the Fontaine de Mars, built under Napoleon, still stands on the Rue Saint-Dominique. Elegant stone buildings from the late 19th century line most streets.

Daily life in Gros Caillou

Shopping and local services

Daily shopping is a pleasure here. The partly pedestrian Rue Cler is lined with cheese shops, greengrocers, fishmongers, bakeries and wine merchants, and its terraces fill up at weekends. The Rue Saint-Dominique adds fashion boutiques, florists, pharmacies and delicatessens, while supermarkets and banks are found along the Avenue Bosquet and the Avenue Rapp. For larger department stores, Le Bon Marché is a short bus ride east. Town hall services, from residence paperwork to school registration, are handled by the Mairie du 7e, at 116 rue de Grenelle, further east in the arrondissement.

Education and family life

Families have a wide choice of schools. The public École élémentaire Motte-Picquet, at 10 avenue de la Motte-Picquet, the École polyvalente Rapp, at 28 avenue Rapp, and the École maternelle Saint-Dominique serve younger children. The Collège Jules Romains, at 6 rue Cler, takes secondary pupils, and the Lycée professionnel Gustave Eiffel offers vocational courses. Private options include La Rochefoucauld and the Alma school, and several bilingual and Montessori schools operate locally. The public Lycée Victor Duruy is a short walk east on the Boulevard des Invalides. Public school places are allocated by home address through the Mairie du 7e.

Health and medical services

There is no hospital inside the quarter, but care is close at hand. The Hôpital européen Georges-Pompidou, a large AP-HP teaching hospital with an emergency department, is a short trip south west in the 15th arrondissement, and the Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades is a leading centre for children. General practitioners, dentists, physiotherapists and specialists practise throughout the 7th, and most accept the carte Vitale under the French public health system. Pharmacies are easy to find on the Rue Saint-Dominique and the Rue Cler. Newcomers should choose a médecin traitant to lower the cost of most consultations.

Transportation and connectivity

Transport links are good, even though the metro mostly runs along the edges. Line 8 stops at La Tour-Maubourg and at École Militaire, on the southern edge, and reaches Invalides, Concorde and Opéra in a few minutes. The RER C stations Pont de l'Alma and Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel follow the Seine towards the Musée d'Orsay, Saint-Michel and Versailles. Bir-Hakeim, on line 6, is just across the Avenue de Suffren. Bus 69 runs along the Rue Saint-Dominique towards the Louvre and the Marais, and cycle lanes follow the Seine quays.

Leisure, culture, and social life

Parks and green spaces

Green space is the great strength of Gros Caillou. The Champ de Mars, between the Eiffel Tower and the École Militaire, offers long lawns, tree-lined paths and playgrounds, and fills with picnics on summer evenings. The garden of the Musée du quai Branly, designed by Gilles Clément, is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:15 to 19:30, with later hours on Thursdays. The car-free Seine quays are perfect for running and cycling, and the Square Rapp, a quiet cul-de-sac, hides a small garden. The lawns of the Esplanade des Invalides are a short walk east.

Restaurants, cafés, and nightlife

The quarter has a classic but lively food scene. La Fontaine de Mars, at 129 rue Saint-Dominique, has served southwestern dishes such as cassoulet under its arcades since 1908, and opens every day for lunch and dinner. David Toutain, at 29 rue Surcouf, holds two Michelin stars and opens on weekdays. The Bistrot des Fables, at 139 rue Saint-Dominique, serves bistro classics from breakfast to late evening, and the Café du Marché, at 38 rue Cler, is a neighbourhood favourite for a drink on the terrace. Wine bars and bakeries complete the picture.

Culture and local events

Culture is everywhere. The Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, designed by Jean Nouvel and famous for its living wall by Patrick Blanc, displays arts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, and opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 19:00, until 22:00 on Thursdays. The Eiffel Tower hosts views and restaurants above the city, and the Paris sewer museum, opposite 93 quai d'Orsay, tells the story of the city's underground network. The American Church in Paris, on the Quai d'Orsay, holds concerts, and the Lavirotte building, at 29 avenue Rapp, is an Art Nouveau landmark.