- Paris
- /
- nightlife
- (16)
-
France
On the buzzing Rue Faubourg Saint-Denis, this bar is a lively and fun local. It's opposite the now uber-trendy Chez Jeanette, but offers a much more chilled out and party atmosphere than its neighbour. And much friendlier staff! Prices are reasonable, the music is great and you can even order a curry from the many Indian restaurants in Passage Brady next to door and have it served to you in the bar!
Always packed with young locals, this is the bar (and street) that the dispels the myth that Paris's nightlife is dead.
46 Rue Faubourg St Denis, 75010, Paris
+33(0)1 44 79 06 42
Google map: bit.ly/kR5Gkd
Encompassing the best of contemporary Parisian culture, this great music venue was the staging ground for my initiation into Paris nightlife. Nestled between the Seine and the urban sprawl of north east Paris this venue caters to a young, arty crowd. In the day the Point Ephemere acts as a gallery showcasing installation art and photography. However, my girlfriend and I stumbled upon this place at night at which point the venue kicks into a higher gear letting rip with some of the best dance and electro music in Paris. We got down to a live set from Freestylers and witnessed a blistering gig with a frenzied crowd that was less propelled by booze and more energized by the atmosphere and people around them. For lovers of big beats, an electric atmosphere and friendly crowds the Point Ephemere is a must and should be your first stop on a night out in Paris.
200 Quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris, France
+33(0)1 40 34 02 48
www.pointephemere.org/
Google map: bit.ly/m1kxxo
'Nuit Blanche' is an annual event in Paris, whereby (so rumour would have it) everything stays open all night for revelry and awe. Imagine touring the Louvre at 2am, followed by a quiet 4am brunch in a streetside cafe watching the crowds walk past, and the carnival-like atmosphere.
It would be great - if it were true!
Last year's was a shambles. The authorities didn't (wouldn't) release guides until the night itself (and then didn't explain how to get them) and most Parisians had no idea what was open, or where.
We joined the crowds milling outside the Louvre (closed), tried the Musee d'Orsay (closed) and settled for a Bateau Mouche - which turned out to provide the long awaited guidebook once you'd bought your ticket.
The boat trip itself was pleasant, during which we could read the guide - to discover few places indeed were open at all, and the promised 'all night opening' of the Metro only applied to certain lines in certain directions.
The only bar we could find open and not crammed with similarly baffled tourists was Australian (not very Parisian). When we finally gave up, we joined the thousands of others equally trying to desperately get a taxi home in the sub-zero temperatures, and ended up huddled in a Metro entrance (closed) for warmth until the hordes had thinned enough for us to try and get back.
It can't be blamed on our being tourists - as we have French friends who live in Paris and who we'd joined to spend the 'event' with!
Hopefully this year's will be better, but I'd definitely check every detail out in advance, just in case!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuit_Blanche
www.paris.fr/portail/Culture/Portal.lut?page_id=6806
goparis.about.com/od/events/p/Nuit_Blanche.htm
Want to spend a hip afternoon and night in Paris? First you need a cool outfit, so go to Citadium, the Printemps branch for cool kids.
Then head to l'Hôtel Amour where you will have apéritif and dinner in the lovely courtyard. You can also sleep there in one of their stylish rooms.
After that, head over to the restaurant Georges on the top of Centre Pompidou to have coffee while enjoying an awesome view of Paris.
Finally, join the fashionistas for a trendy night at the small but hip Paris-Paris Club, if the bouncer lets you inside bien sûr.
Studio de l'Ermitage is in Montelimontant - easy to access by metro; to me it was a mixture of where I imagine locals in the know would go, a whiff of old Paris and a private fantasy all rolled into a laid back music venue.
The night I went there was a bal musette, and these are organised on a monthly basis, among an interesting programme of old, new and live music - some partygoers dressed for the occasion to add to the ambience, but if you hadn't, you didn't feel out of place.
The atmosphere was lively, with a fantastic sense of enjoyment and fun. People of all ages danced together and it was a treat to watch and be part of something reflecting the spirit of Paris.
When recently in Montmartre we found a tiny shop called Manani, Rue des Trois Frères, selling bags made with the most beautiful African prints before making our way down to Fuxia which is such a simple and beautiful deli.
If ever you find yourself on Rue des Martyrs take a peek at their amazing array of wine, pastas, salads and vegetables. The beautiful waitresses are also very knowledgeable about the best bars and places to dance in Paris. Try happy hour at Fluid (same street), charming waiters and beautiful music, the perfect place to become a regular.
The sites during the day, then Lily La Tigresse at night! A respectable seedy bar right in the heart of the tourist red light district. It has become a popular, and quite trendy, night-spot, and they have started charging an entrance fee on busy nights.
Set on two levels, you quite often catch a glimpse of the topless dancers passing from one level to the other via a ladder resembling something seen in a fire station. Meanwhile the beat pumps away, but not too obtrusively.
98 rue Blanche
75009 Paris
If you want an authentic French cabaret experience, not quite the Moulin Rouge more like Jacques Brel with sequens, try Au Lapin Agile in Montmatre. It will be an unforgettable evening!
You will be ushered into a room and sat on a milking stool, given cherry liquer and treated to a few hours of French chanteuse cabaret. Everyone but you will know the words, you will blush but clap along and pretend to be singing along too. On the way out you will be offered CDs by local Parisien singers of dubious origin. It's an amazing, and amazingly french, experience not to be missed!
Pack the black polo neck sweater and head for the Franc Pinot which is one of the most amospheric jazz clubs in Paris. Listening to live music with the natural acoustics of the old vaulted stone cellars on the Ile St Louis in the heart of Paris is a 'must' if you're a fan of jazz, swing and beebop. Arrive after 9pm. Franc Pinot. 1, Quai de Bourbon.
Go to Paris for New Year on the 4pm Eurostar and book to come back at lunchtime the next day.
You don't need to book a hotel room so you don't mind paying £10 a pint, you can drink the very reasonably priced champagne on the train out to get you in the mood and you can sleep on the way home.
Just try not to get tear-gassed in the melee around the Arc de Triomphe after midnight. And don't forget fireworks which you can happily launch in the street from your empty champagne bottle.
Au Limonaire is a Parisian must. Battered decor and disheveled waiting staff simply add to its charm.
A three course meal for around a tenner and the best grub we'd sampled in the city followed by three acts of entertainment (comedy, drama and chanson) where a hat is passed around for tips afterward.
This local hangout exemplifies what bohemian Paris is all about - culture, charm and cheek (sic).
18, cité Bergère, 75009 Paris
+33(0)145 23 33 33
limonaire.free.fr/
Google map: bit.ly/jODSoX
The best cocktail bar in the city is between the Pantheon and the Luxembourg Gardens.
Cosy, intimate and friendly this place has it all. The back street location and unassuming frontage makes it a true local hangout – strictly for those in the know.
It opens and shuts late so is perfect for long nights when you don’t want to face a noisy dancefloor.
And with more than three hundred cocktails on the list you’re sure not to get bored.
The Caves de la Huchette is a fab hot jazz/ceroc dancing spot.
For a special whimsical evening try Chez Raymonde. It is unclassifiable - an "alternative" mix of cabaret and musical hall.
Friday and Saturday evening feature classical ballroom dancing and cabaret on a postage stamp size stage.
Reservations are essential.
Fantastic show featuring over 600 costumes. The 100 euro price tag may sound unreasoanble when you part with your money, but few people leave feeling that this wasn't value for money.
Well worth a visit.
The clubbing deluxe dorm experience. Subdued intimacy apart from the odd overexcited tourists and stylish dancefloor. Very exclusive but once you manage to get in don't worry about not getting into the vip area, the whole club is a vip area. Ignore the quality of the food and concentrate on bed-posing and people-watching.
2, place du Palais Royal, 75001: Metro Champs-Elysees
Is this your business?Search Been there
