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Académie de Billard
Beneath stained-glass ceilings, this old-fashioned pool hall lit by antique lamps is staffed by bow tie-wearing waiters, who deliver your drinks while you snooker your opponents. Players must be over 18; bring photo ID.
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Andy Wahloo
This postmodern place peaks during happy hour when its candy-flavoured cocktails are half-price. Its name means 'I have nothing' in Arabic, but its eye-popping, tutti-frutti decor and ear-splitting house music owe a greater debt to its almost-namesake, Andy Warhol.
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Au Lapin Agile
This rustic cabaret venue in Montmartre was favoured by artists and intellectuals in the early 20th century and chansons (songs) are still performed here. Poetry is read six nights a week and admission includes a drink. The name derives from Le Lapin à Gill , a mural of a rabbit jumping out of a cooking pot, by caricaturist André Gill.
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Bar Signature
Under the same roof at the Hôtel Pont Royal as L'Atelier de Joël Robouchon, this bar once the hangout of Aldous Huxley, Henry Miller, Truman Capote and TS Eliot.
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Barrio Latino
You can salsa your socks off in this vast triple-decker establishment. The crowd is as mixed as a well-shaken cocktail: gay, straight, locals and visitors. There's also a Latin-inspired restaurant.
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Bistro des Augustins
Squeezed in among this quay's Irish pubs, Canadian bars and generic watering holes, this authentic little left bank place, plastered with old advertising posters from the bouquiniste stalls opposite, is a cosy spot for a glass of red or for a light meal such as a gratin .
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Bistrot Latin
If you want to perfect your salsa moves or dance your last tango in Paris, dance classes are held most evenings from at this club; upstairs is the Latino cinema, Le Latina.
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Brasserie Lipp
Of all the historic haunts, this is our favourite for its elegantly poured beers in long glasses, served by waiters wearing black waistcoats and long white aprons. Hemingway sang its praises in A Moveable Feast and today its faded glamour is neither too faded nor too glamorous but simply perfect. Stellar brasserie fare like pork knuckle, too.
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Café Baroc
Normally a chilled little place, Baroc is lined with old cinema seats and serves beers with a twist of syrup like lemon and peach. However come Wednesday and Thursday nights the bar staff crank up fabulously camp 80s tunes and the locals leave their chic at the door. Downstairs there's a shoebox-size basement with vintage sofas.
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Café Charbon
The distressed belle époque Café Charbon was the first of rue Oberkampf's hip cafés. It also does a stand-out Sunday brunch. The performance venue, Le Nouveau Casino, is next door.
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Café de Flore
This fêted 1880s café is where Sartre and de Beauvoir essentially set up office, writing in its warmth during the Nazi occupation. It's actually less touristy than neighbouring Les Deux Magots, but alas, its prices are just as lofty.
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Café de la Gare
The 'Station Cafe' in the erstwhile mews of a Marais hôtel particulier (private mansion) is one of the best and most innovative cafe-theatres in Paris, with acts ranging from comic theatre and stand-up to reinterpreted classics.
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Cafe des Phares
Grappling with concepts such as existentialism is required for Parisians to pass the baccalauréat (school certificate) - hence the popularity of philocafés, where wide-ranging philosophical discussions take place. This is the original (and arguably best); and even if your French isn't up to following the convoluted conversations, it still offers a fascinating cultural insight.
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Café le Refuge
This gem of a café du quartier (local café) has fantastic interior vintage tiling, a gleaming timber bar and sympa (cool) staff. Perfect for a sundowner and oysters on the terrace in season.
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Café Panis
This rather elegant-looking café might seem an unlikely spot for the dishevelled studenty-types you see scribbling in notebooks here, but it's close to Shakespeare & Co, and waiters benevolently let impoverished writers - who might just be future Hemingways - sit on a coffee for an hour or two. It's also a good spot for a salad or warming soup.
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Chez Louisette
This trip of a place, bedecked with gaudy Christmas decorations year-round, is a priceless spot to catch old-time chanteurs and chanteuses (such as the incomparable Manuella, whose rendition of Piaf's Milord tears the roof off), accompanied by accordion players swaying with gusto. The food (hearty French) is great and the wine flows, invariably inspiring you to dance between the tightly packed tables.
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Chez Prune
The original Parisian boho hangout, this canal-side cafe has arty mosaic-tiled wrought iron tables, wood-framed glass doors with views over the bridges, an outdoor terrace and a lively, still earthy vibe. The perfect rendezvous for transforming an afternoon coffee into an evening drink.
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Comédie Française
Founded in 1680, France's oldest theatre stages works by playwrights such as Molière, Racine and Beaumarchais. The 'French Comedy' encompasses the main Comédie Française Salle Richelieu (place Colette, 1er), just west of the Palais Royal, as well as the Comédie Française Studio Théâtre (99 rue de Rivoli, 1er), and the Théâtre du Vieux Colombier. Performances are mostly in French.
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Curieux Spaghetti Bar
This loungey bar spins decent beats, and also serves spaghetti as part of a hip international menu, as well as test-tube shots of vodka in flavours such as pina colada and bubble gum. Post-clubbers descend for Sunday brunch from noon; it's best to book for this.
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Drôle d'Endroit pour une Rencontre
Overlooking a leafy stretch of rue Caulaincourt, this breezy café is onto it: great coffee (plus still-warm croissants from the neighbouring boulangerie ), free wi-fi, a top-notch menu, and above all, a quirky name (it means 'a funny place to meet someone').
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Folies-Bergère
If only the walls could talk. This is the legendary club where Charlie Chaplin, WC Fields and Stan Laurel appeared on stage together one night in 1911, and where Josephine Baker - accompanied by her diamond-collared pet cheetah and wearing only stilettos and a skirt made from bananas - bewitched audience members including Hemingway. These days it mounts musicals such as Cabaret .
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Forum des Images
This archive cinema beneath the sprawling Forum des Halles is a superb place to see rarely screened and little known films, especially ones that deal with Paris as a theme or have the City of Light as the setting. There are usually between four and five screenings a day.
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Kong
With its Philippe Starck-designed postmodern décor, including iridescent champagne-coloured vinyl booths, Japanese cartoon cut-outs and garden gnome stools, nights here see Paris' glam young set guzzling Dom Pérignon and shaking their Chloé-clad booty on the tables. But the best time to visit this bar/restaurant/club atop the Kenzo building is at sunset, when you have magical views of the river.
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Kong Bar
With its Philippe Starck-designed postmodern decor like iridescent champagne-coloured vinyl booths and garden gnome stools, Kong fills at night with Paris' glam young set, who swill Dom Pérignon and dance badly. But the best time to visit this bar/restaurant/club atop the Kenzo building is at sunset, when you have magical views of the river.
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L'Atmosphere
This clattering old timber-and-tile cafe; sitting on the kink of Canal St-Martin's western bank, has an artsy, spirited ambience and stellar wines. Soak them up with classic plats du jour (dishes of the day) for under €15 .
