The cobbled main street of the Butte-aux-Cailles runs along the crest of the little hill and is the heart of the quarter's nightlife. Low two- and three-storey houses, a tangle of street art and murals, and a dense run of bars, wine spots, crêperies, and bistros give it a village-meets-Latin-Quarter feel that is entirely its own — a world away from the grand boulevards a short way north.
Evenings are when it comes alive, with a young, mostly local crowd spilling onto the pavements. Come for an aperitif and a wander, follow the side streets for the best murals, and stay for dinner; it is one of the most genuinely convivial corners of the 13th.