Entrée to Black Paris Blog

Thursday, June 25th, 2026

The Ultimate Treasure Hunt

Cover image: Jewelry by Threaded Tribes
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I first learned about Paris treasure hunts when I moved here 34 years ago.

And I have occasionally witnessed groups of eager participants following clues.

(Nowadays, they are peering at cell phones instead of paper maps and notes!)

Last weekend, for the first time, I participated in a treasure hunt.

Organized by a group called Mais Af (Mais from Maison, Af from Afrique), which means "the house of Africa," it promised "a self-guided journey through the African-owned businesses, communities, and cultural spaces that make this city truly extraordinary."

Flier for "The Ultimate Treasure Hunt"
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Upon arriving at the starting point, I was surprised to learn that Mais Af is a British organization and that the treasure hunt was part of a weekend series of events surrounding the Fête de la Musique!

Mais Af began in the U.K. in 2014 as a home for the creative work coming out of Africa.

The June 2026 weekend was the occasion to relaunch this initiative, whose mission is to celebrate African-born fashion, ceramics, art, and design and make them more accessible to the rest of the world.

"The Ultimate Treasure Hunt" began at Kojoba, a coffee shop just a few blocks north of the Château Rouge metro station in the 18th arrondissement. It is associated with Haïtian Mama, the Haïtian restaurant at the same address but on the opposite side of the double doors leading into the building's vestibule.

Haïtian Mama and Kojoba
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I entered the establishment and found the event organizer, Victoria, next to the counter arranging swag bags made of beautiful, patterned cloth.

She greeted me warmly and began to describe the experience. After the first sentence or two, she asked if I spoke English. When I responded affirmatively, she told me that she was British and that Mais Af was a British organization. She had made the trip from London for the weekend event, which was dubbed "Fête de la Mais Af in Paris."

Ufo Victoria Agwame
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The woman behind Kojoba's serving counter then spoke with me in French, saying she recognized me from the time I lunched at Haïtian Mama. She prepared the complementary beverage that Mais Af offered as part of the welcome gift for treasure hunt participants.

Preparing complementary beverage at Kojoba
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Two other women—Venessa and Abi—had arrived before me, and I learned that they were also visiting from London.

Victoria explained how the hunt was conceived. Participants would follow a digital clue to each stop, where they would scan a QR code that would reveal the next clue. A prize was awarded to the first ten participants to arrive at each stop, with a single grand prize being awarded to the first person to arrive at the final stop.

Venessa, Abi, and I studied the first clue, wanting to get our bearings before leaving Kojoba to step into the heat of the day. I knew immediately what the first destination was, but being neither Paris residents nor frequent visitors to the city, Venessa and Abby were "clueless."

So, we cheerfully decided to pursue the hunt together.

Left to right: Abi, Venessa, and Monique
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We all thought that the hunt would be restricted to the 18th arrondissement, but learned at the first stop that we were destined to move around the city.

That stop was Little Africa Village, a place I know well. We went there on foot and welcomed the cooler temperature inside. After being given a brief explanation of the concept behind the store, Venessa and Abi explored it while I perused the latest art display on the wall. I was taken by a portrait of a Black man by a Cameroonian artist, which made me think of Father's Day.

Cameroonian artwork at Little Africa Village
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After several minutes, we collected our lapel pin prizes and turned our attention to our second clue.

Prizes for Little Africa Village
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This led us to BMK Folie-Bamako, a pan-African restaurant on rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud in the 11th arrondissement. Even on a cool day, it would have been a challenge to walk there from Little Africa Village. So, we took Metro Line 2 from Barbès-Rochechouart to Couronnes and walked to the restaurant from the metro stop.

The servers at BMK rewarded us with aloco and refreshing bissap, and Abi decided to purchase a package of hibiscus leaves to make her own bissap at home.

Bissap and aloco
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The clue for the third shop was a mystery for all of us, so we had to rely on an Internet search to come up with the name and address of the next stop. Venessa found it—Causier on rue de Montreuil in the 11th arrondissement.

This relatively new coffee and brunch place is owned and operated by two Afro-French sisters. It was far enough away from the restaurant that we took Metro Line 9 from Oberkampf to rue des Boulets to avoid the heat and continue to make good time on the hunt.

Causier was almost full when we arrived. The food that customers were consuming looked appetizing, but we weren't there for a meal.

We looked for the QR code that was to provide the clue for our next stop and realized that it was not prominently displayed. It was lying in a corner next to the storefront window, and we had to ask to see it.

Even then, we did not receive any acknowledgment for participating in the treasure hunt, let alone receive any prizes.

The clue for our fourth stop was also a bit of a puzzle. It invited us to cross into the 12th arrondissement and mentioned an avenue named after a "marshal of France." I felt that I knew where we were to go. But, given that there are so many streets named after French military men, I wanted to double check before we set out again.

I looked online for an African fashion boutique on avenue Daumesnil (named after a man who rose to the rank of brigadier general, but not marshal, in Napoleon's army) and found the name "Saargale." Venessa found it simultaneously and typed this into the clue on her phone. It successfully unlocked.

This time, we walked to our next destination. Located along the Viaduc des Arts beneath the Coulée Verte, Saargale is a concept store that offers an assortment of cultural products created by eighteen artists from the continent. As we approached, Abi noted that this was the place where the first night of activities for the Fête de la Mais Af in Paris had taken place.

We were greeted warmly here, and Abi and Venessa took advantage of the opportunity to sit for a bit while I looked around. The woman behind the desk explained to me that Adama Paris opened the store in 2019. After a rough spell experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic and afterward, the shop is now enjoying a resurgence.

We easily found the QR code for the last stop on the treasure hunt, and I was able to decipher the clue. As we were leaving, the woman with whom I had spoken presented our prizes—coconut water and coconut fritters.

We took Metro Line 1 from Gare de Lyon to Tuileries into the heart of the 1st arrondissement. Our final destination was the Style Lounge Wearhouse (SLW) Pop-up Fashion Experience at 24 bis, rue Saint-Roch, a few blocks from the Tuileries Garden.

We found Victoria there when we arrived.

There was only one prize to be given at the end of the hunt - a 50€ credit on whatever purchase the winner made at the pop-up. Abi and Venessa graciously allowed me to claim the prize, which I used to purchase three fragrant body and wellness items by Talata.

We wandered independently through the two-level, multi-room pop-up and met up again in the room where the personal care items were displayed. We gave Victoria and her friend, Candace, our feedback on the experience to help her with planning.

Because Victoria is determined that next year's Fête de la Mais Af will be even bigger and better!