Paris
Stylised wine bar Le Rouge à Lèvres has an eye-popping decor of foliage-print wallpaper, bamboo-and-straw light fittings and a fairy-lit indoor tree. Pair…
Must-see nightlife in Paris
Paris
Deep in the basement of the Palais de Tokyo, Yoyo has an edgy, raw-concrete Berlin-style vibe and a capacity of 800. Techno and house dominate, with…
Paris
A short walk from the Centre Pompidou, the Rocket is a lively, laid-back indie hang-out with an awning-shaded terrace strung with fairy lights outside…
Paris
Head to this lively little backstreet wine bar for sustainably sourced, natural wines from around France to accompany simple but delicious cheese,…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
An imaginative, colourful bar with its signature red lighting, infamous mojitos and caipirinhas and commitment to quality tunes, Chéri(e) is everyone’s…
Latin Quarter
This green-shuttered bar has been dispensing affordable cocktails (350 at last count, with gummy-'bear' crocodiles in the glass) since 1966. Arrive late…
Paris
At Le Garde Robe you can expect excellent, affordable natural wines, a casual atmosphere and a good selection of food, ranging from cheese and charcuterie…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
What started out as a summer party thrown by Scream Club has since morphed into a permanent fixture on the city’s gay scene, rebranded as Gibus Club and…
Paris
Attached to the art deco Grand Rex cinema, with a capacity 850 clubbers, this is Paris’ premier house and techno venue where some of the world’s hottest…
Latin Quarter
Sip a sweet mint tea and nibble on a pâtisserie orientale between trees and chirping birds in the courtyard of the tearoom of Paris' beautiful mosque, the…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
This small gay bar with decor that changes every quarter is the meeting place for an interesting (and interested) crowd throughout the evening from dusk…
Paris
Classy Ici, opened in 2018, is set over two levels with a brick-and-stone upper floor and several vaulted lounge and dance areas downstairs. Check the…
Paris
Add some zest to your day at this bright two-level cafe, where you can power up with a freshly squeezed juice, gluten-free museli and homemade chestnut…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Pop into this bar for Parisian-brewed Paname beers, spectacular cocktails such as Ticket de Metro (tequila, campari, thyme-infused honey, mint, lemon and…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
In the heart of the fashionable Haut Marais, former bakery Café Charlot is a buzzing neighbourhood cafe with retro ceramic white tiles and a sunny…
Paris
This wine bar serves charcuterie and cheeses (€8 to €11) downstairs from its restaurant. No reservations – arrive early to snag one of 10 bar stools.
St-Germain & Les Invalides
For decadent-and-then-some hot chocolate (€8.20) and delicious dining, head to this excellent tearoom-cafe-restaurant adjoining the Musée du Luxembourg.
Paris
Looking out onto a perfect Parisian square, this cafe is a pleasant stop for alfresco drinks or a casual meal (salads, tartines, croques). Don't miss the…
Paris
Bear bar El Hombre has a small street-side terrace, upstairs bar with disco balls and teddy bears, and a larger downstairs club with a popular dance floor…
Paris
This unassuming locals' hang-out doesn't even bother with a sign, but it keeps things interesting with activities, like blind taste tests, throughout the…
Paris
There aren't many bars in western Paris that come attitude-free, so if you're in search of a friendly welcome to pair with a beer and burger, Bugsy's is…
Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Behind its faded sage-green façade, the ‘Storeys’ (all three floors) offers an alternative to Le Marais' more glamorous venues, with indie music and a…
Paris
The tiny, retro Mocking Magpie serves a huge selection of flavoured rums (more than 20 at last count) and unearths long-forgotten 1980s tracks from the…
Latin Quarter
If you're feeling homesick for your favourite IPA, there's a chance they might have it here, with 24 craft beers on tap from as far off as Colorado and…
Paris
Original cocktails for €8 and a kick-back vibe ensures a hip crowd throughout the week. Service can be slow, but the barkeeps win points for friendliness.
Paris
Sociable lesbian dive bar La Mutinerie also welcomes LGBTQ+ guests. DJs play several times a week; there are also occasional concerts and karaoke sessions.
Paris
Pink-lit LABO opens to a lively terrace on rue des Lombards. Nightly events include karaoke, drag parties and an all-night tap-beer happy hour on Tuesdays.
Paris
Stark steel and concrete amp up the acoustics at this hip-hop haven, with regular drinks specials and big-name DJs mixing on the decks.
Paris
The barista delivers at this minimalist coffee shop, which brews frothy cappuccinos and serves pastries to boot.
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Les Éditeurs is a hybrid cafe, library (there are more than 5000 books on hand), bar, salon de thé (tearoom) and restaurant, with floor-to-ceiling windows…
Paris
This motor-enthusiast-run cafe is filled with racing memorabilia, including engines, petrol pumps and some very cool cars, and features cocktails (small…
Paris
Every day feels like Oktoberfest (or at least a rocking biergarten) at this fun-loving German bar, but never more so than when it's screening German…
Paris
A tourist crowd piles into this green-and-gold awning-shaded, old-world people-watching spot with prime views of the buskers on Pont St-Louis. There's an…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
The setting for the eponymous 1938 film starring Louis Jouvet and Arletty, this vintage cafe-bar's interior feels as if it was stuck in a time warp with…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Plastered with old advertising posters from the bouquiniste (second-hand booksellers) stalls opposite, this hybrid bistro-bar manages to remain authentic…
Montmartre & Northern Paris
Pass through the door at the back of wine shop La Cave des Abbesses to uncover a clandestine little wine bar – the sort of place only regulars know about…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
A post-work crowd sinks into leather armchairs beneath oil paintings of daily life in Cuba for a huge range of Cuban cocktails made with Havana rum, plus…
Paris
Infused with the spirit of the ‘68 revolution, the Liberty – La Lib to locals – is a heaving mix of regulars and drop-ins after dark when the music rocks…
Latin Quarter
Down the hill from the Panthéon, this shabby backstreet bar is covered in old posters above old couches and drenched in 1970s and ’80s rock ambience. A…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
Overlooking the sleek restaurant Alcazar, this hip white-and-glass mezzanine bar is narcissistic but alluring, with fancy cocktails and a fashionable…
