Tea, people watching, a souk and even a hammam at the Paris Mosque

The inner courtyard with the souk in the background at the Paris Mosque

Philippe, my son, is "home" for the summer, or perhaps it would be more correct to say that he has been exiled to Paris for 4 1/2 excruciatingly long weeks.  Since he's far from all of his friends and his exciting life in Boston, I've been trying to compensate by taking him to some cool offbeat places, like the artist squat on the Rue de Rivoli, The Smoking Museum and the North African tearoom at the Paris Mosque.

Students, locals and tourists, many with guidebooks clutched in their hands, flock to the Moorish tearoom to sip hot mint tea out of delicate glasses, eat pastries and smoke shisha from traditional waterpipes. And as the tile tables in both courtyards are usually full with customers of all ages, it's a wonderful place for people watching. Philippe and I shared complicit smiles when a daring bird dived bombed a nearby table to grab a bit of baklava and startled two women in the midst of an animated discussion. Yet all of the commotion didn't distract the man and woman seated at two separate tables who were getting acquainted over a cup of tea. The relaxed atmosphere makes it a great place to meet fellow travelers or to start a future romance, unless you're stuck at the same table as your mother!

In addition to the tearoom, the Paris Mosque also has a restaurant serving tagines and couscous, a genuine souk selling crockery, fabrics and other objects, and a hammam.

The tearoom is open 7 days a week from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Paris Mosque
39 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire
75005 Paris

Getting acquainted over a cup of tea in one of the courtyards at the Paris Mosque.

The souk at the Paris Mosque