Must-see nightlife in Paris

  • Le Perchoir

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Sunset is the best time to hit this iconic, 7th-floor bar for drinks overlooking Paris' rooftops and – on Saturday night – on-trend DJ sets. Greenery…

  • Bar Hemingway

    Paris

    Black-and-white photos and memorabilia (hunting trophies, old typewriters and framed handwritten letters by the great writer) fill this snug bar inside…

  • Les Deux Magots

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    If ever there was a cafe that summed up St-Germain des Prés’ early-20th-century literary scene, it’s this former hang-out of anyone who was anyone. You'll…

  • Shakespeare & Company Cafe

    Latin Quarter

    Instant history was made when this literary-inspired cafe opened in 2015 adjacent to magical bookshop Shakespeare & Company, designed from long-lost…

  • Le Pavillon Puebla

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    The folks running the hugely successful rooftop bar Le Perchoir are also behind this enchanting, self-proclaimed 'temple du bonheur' (temple of happiness)…

  • Grand Café Tortoni

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    A favourite address with hobnobbing socialites in the 19th century, this historic Italian cafe is suddenly the trendiest spot in Haut Marais to linger…

  • Scilicet

    Paris

    An elongated stone archway houses this hidden riverside bar, with digital light displays projected on the ceiling, and DJs spinning from 8pm nightly in…

  • Quai de Bourbon

    Paris

    With its worn petrol-blue facade and decorative vintage ironwork (look for the bunch of grapes), Quai de Bourbon appears to be just another quintessential…

  • Coutume Café

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    The Parisian coffee revolution is thanks in no small part to Coutume, artisanal roaster of premium beans for scores of establishments around town. Its…

  • Au Sauvignon

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Grab a table in the evening light at this wonderfully authentic wine bar or head to the quintessential bistro interior, with original zinc bar, tightly…

  • Nuage

    Latin Quarter

    One of a crop of co-working cafes to mushroom in Paris, Nuage (Cloud) lures a loyal following of nomadic digital creatives with its cosy, home-like spaces…

  • Poinçon

    Paris

    If there's a more atmospheric bar in the 14e, we haven't seen it. Opened in 2019, Poinçon occupies a delightfully restored railway station that was part…

  • Le Syndicat

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Plastered top to bottom in peeling posters, an otherwise unmarked façade conceals one of Paris' hottest cocktail bars, but it's no fly-by-night. Le…

  • Le Mary Céleste

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Snag a stool at the central circular bar at this eternally fashionable, brick-and-timber-floored cocktail bar or reserve one of a handful of tables online…

  • Baby Doll

    Paris

    Paying homage to immortal Parisian musician Serge Gainsbourg (1928–91), this seductive bar has foliage-print carpets replicated from his 7e mansion, ruby…

  • Candelaria

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    A lime-green taqueria serving homemade tacos, quesadillas and tostadas conceals one of Paris' coolest cocktail bars through an unmarked internal door…

  • Déviant

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    The latest creation of talented chef Pierre Touitou of nearby Vivant, this jam-packed wine bar lures foodies and fashionistas with its huge selection of…

  • St James Paris

    Paris

    Hidden behind a stone wall, this historic mansion-turned-hotel opens its bar nightly to nonguests – and the setting redefines extraordinary. Winter drinks…

  • Café Oz Rooftop

    Paris

    Chilling with the hip crowd in this alfresco rooftop bar, with beer or cocktail in hand between potted palms and colourful orange parasols, is very much…

  • Le Baron Rouge

    Paris

    Just about the ultimate Parisian wine-bar experience, this wonderfully unpretentious local meeting place, where everyone is welcome, has barrels stacked…

  • Le Très Particulier

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    The clandestine cocktail bar of boutique Hôtel Particulier Montmartre is an entrancing spot for a summertime alfresco cocktail. Each cocktail (€10 to €16)…

  • Gravity Bar

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Gravity's wave-like design interior, crafted from slats of plywood descending to the curved concrete bar, threatens to distract from the business at hand …

  • Experimental Cocktail Club

    Paris

    Behind black curtains, this retro-chic speakeasy is a sophisticated flashback to those années folles (crazy years) of Prohibition New York. Cocktails are…

  • Le Bar des Prés

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Sake-based craft cocktails and tantalising shared plates (from €20) by a Japanese chef create buzz at the chic cocktail-bar arm of Cyril Lignac's foodie…

  • exterior (street scene), La Fontaine de Belleville.

    La Fontaine de Belleville

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    This seemingly traditional neighbourhood cafe with gold lettering, woven sky-blue-and-cream bistro chairs and vintage fittings is so much more than that…

  • Frog & Underground, interior

    Frog & Underground

    Paris

    FrogPubs has been brewing in Paris since 1993, and this central rue Montmartre venue is its best yet. Spread over a cavernous ground floor and opening to…

  • Bluebird, exterior (day)

    Bluebird

    Paris

    The ultimate neighbourhood hang-out, Bluebird is styled like a 1950s apartment with retro decor, a giant fish tank along one wall, and a soundtrack of…

  • Le Verre à Pied

    Latin Quarter

    This café-tabac (cafe and tobacconist) is a pearl of a place where little has changed since 1870. Its nicotine-hued mirrored wall, moulded cornices and…

  • Paname Brewing Company

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Spectacularly situated in an industrial 1850s former granary on Bassin de la Villette, Paname's taproom has floor-to-ceiling windows and opens on to a…

  • Frappé par Bloom

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    In keeping with Paris' penchant for stylish museum eateries, its 18th-century mint sports a super-stylish cafe–cocktail bar with a designer interior and…

  • Café Lomi

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Lomi's internationally sourced beans are roasted here on-site in multiethnic La Goutte d'Or, adjacent to its cafe. Brews include filter coffee (mug,…

  • Outland

    Paris

    Of the 12 beers on tap at this artisanal beer bar, eight are Outland's own, brewed just east of central Paris in Fontenay-sous-Bois near the Bois de…

  • Harry’s New York Bar

    Paris

    One of the most popular American-style bars in the pre-war years, Harry’s once welcomed writers including F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, who no…

  • Beans on Fire

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Outstanding coffee is guaranteed at this innovative space. Not only a welcoming local cafe, it's also a collaborative roastery, where movers and shakers…

  • Lockwood

    Paris

    Cocktails incorporating premium spirits such as Hendrick's rose- and cucumber-infused gin and Pierre Ferrand Curaçao are served in Lockwood's stylish…

  • Noglu

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Put the kick back in your shopping stride with a coffee break at Noglu, a pretty-in-pink, mirrored cafe and salon de thé (tearoom) with – drumroll –…

  • L'OisiveThé

    Paris

    Relax over a cup of tea – there are 70 types to choose from – or try your hand at knitting at this cheery salon de thé and yarn shop. Colourful and upbeat…

  • Lipstick

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    If the name isn't a clue, the decor certainly is: its bordello-like leopard-print lounges, red-velour drapes and a pole in the centre of the bar reflect…

  • Cinéma Café Merci

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Dedicated to the seventh art, this street-level cafe adjoining concept store Merci is graced with retro film posters and projects vintage films on one…

  • La Manufacture de Café

    Paris

    Legendary French chef Alain Ducasse's ongoing expansion of his empire includes this 2019-launched coffee roastery, using beans sourced from his travels to…

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