Paris' Hammam Steam Baths

A popular way of winding down in Paris is to hit the Hammam.  It’s a type of relaxing steam bath that was imported here from the Maghreb (North Africa) along with now staple French favourites cous cous and sticky Orientale sweets. 

You need to bring your own bathing supplies but towels or cotton wraps are provided. Women normally wear only bikini bottoms but if you’re shy you could wear a bathing suit.  It’s one of the popular places to hang out with friends, relax and gossip. Not surprisingly, hammams have separate sessions for men and women.  Most charge a fee to bathe and and a separate fee for a massage and body scrub. Some hammams sell individual packets of Savon Noir a kind of black soap traditionally for use in the scrub or "gommage".  You can also pay to have a personal "scrubber"; the process lasts for about 10 minutes and you'll emerge smooth as butter.

The first step is to relax in a warm room that is heated by a continuous flow of hot dry air allowing you to work up a glow.  Move on to the hot room and finish off with a plunge in a cold pool. Go through the process as many times as you feel like, fit in a gommage along the way, finish off with a massage and flop down in the cooling room with a book and a the à la Menthe (Mint tea).

Le Bains du Marais is one of the finest in Paris.  Scrupulously clean with a very beautiful wooden pannelled entrance, professional and polite staff and a line of their own beauty products.  Wrap yourself in a giant fluffy bathrobe and rubber flip flops and relax.  The place is booked solid by frazzled fashion editors during prêt à porter so make sure you call and book in advance.  Abdou will help you to wind down with his trademark essential oil relaxing massage - he's been here for 10 years and trained in Morocco, his Mum was a masseur too. 
31-33 rue des Blancs Manteux
75004 Paris
Metro Hotel de Ville

Mosquee de Paris
A beautiful Hispano-Moorish building dating from the 1920’s, and was one of the first places I tried.  Although it’s authentic the cleanliness of the place leaves a lot to be desired. They offer a gommage (good) for 10 euros extra but the massage by burly women who chat in Arabic (about their victims' cellulite? Who know's but sometimes it does feel a little disconcerting........) is a rip-off - their finger kneading just skimming the surface of the body does no good at all.  But it’s the cheapest and if you save on the luxury you could treat yourself to some delicious honey and almond-based pastries in the salon de the next door.  Touring the Mosque itself is also well worthwhile.
39 rue Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire
75005 Paris
Metro Place Monge

Hammam Med Centre
In the 19th district of Paris you'll probably be one of the only non-local clients.  The ‘Forfait florale’ option (€139) has you cloaked in rose petals and massaged with huile d’Argan from Morocco. As well as the hammam and gommage they have other "soins" such as facials and manicures.
43-45 rue Petit
75019 Paris
Metro Ourcq

Comments

[badaude]

You're maybe a little unfair about the massage at La Mosquee. Maybe you never had the skinny woman who wears an adidas crop top most of the time...

[beth]

You might like this if you like massage.

[Zoe]

I would like to add one more hammam in Paris that I particularly appreciate: O'kari.
http://o-kari.com/hammam-paris/

[leon]

will add another one the " hammam boulevard "
located 23 rue des Jeuneurs 75002 Paris
affordable, nice and clean ( free minte tea all day long )
don't need to bring anything, just come and relax
http://www.hammamboulevard.com