LA BOULANGERIE PAR VÉRONIQUE MAUCLERC LA BOULANGERIE PAR VÉRONIQUE MAUCLERC
BOULANGERIE, PATISSERIE
83 rue de Crimée
01 42 40 64 55
Baking its divine bread in one of only four remaining wood-fired ovens in France, this boulangerie uses only organic ingredients in its creations. Run by Véronique herself, the bakers here begin mixing their mythical, organic dough at 2am. She doesn’t even use yeast—instead, levain, a natural riser, is added to the bread, which is then left for up to 15hr. to rise. While on the outside this boulangerie may seem similar to all the other ones you’ll come across in Paris, don’t make the mistake of walking blithely by. People make the pilgrimage here for the bread, so for once, skip the croissant (gasp!). Trust us—the pistachio, almond, hazelnut bread is worth your precious cash. If you don’t want to buy a whole loaf, ask for a tranche (slice) instead. Be sure to stop by the salon de thé tucked in the back for a spoil-me-rotten Sunday brunch.
Laumière. Walk northeast on av. Jean Jaurès, then turn right onto rue de Crimée; the boulangerie is near the end of the block on the right. Chocolate chip cookies €2.10. Chocolate tarts €3.80. Lemon meringue tarts €4.10. 
Boulangerie open Tu-F 9am-2pm and 3:30-8pm, Sa-Su 8am-8pm. Salon de thé open Tu-Sa 9am-5:30pm.
L’ATLANTIDE
NORTH AFRICAN $$$
7 av. Laumière
01 42 45 09 81
Moroccan food is all the rage in Paris, but for L’Atlantide, it’s more than a trend. Cough up a pretty penny because this Berber restaurant knows what it’s doing and isn’t afraid to charge top dollar for its tajines and couscous dishes. Traditional North African rugs hang from the ceiling, and wood carvings and driftwood room dividers create a decidedly Moroccan air. Even though “As Time Goes By” may not be playing in the background, with all the dim lighting and imported North African wine, we bet that a meal here could be the start of many beautiful friendships.
Laumière. Walk south down av. de Laumière toward the park. L’Atlantide is near the end of the road on the right. Entrées €6-10. Couscous €13-19.50. Tajines €14-19.50. Open M-F 7-10:30pm, Sa-Su noon-2:30pm and 7-10:30pm.
NIGHTLIFE
You may have told your parents, professors, and prospective employers that you’ve traveled to Paris to compare the works of Monet and Manet (hint: it’s not just one letter), but after more than 50 years in the business, we at Let’s Go know it isn’t just art that draws the young and the restless to Europe. If you’re traveling to drink and mingle, Paris will not disappoint. Nightlife here is debaucherous, and there’s something for everyone. Bars are either chic cafes bursting with people watching potential, party joints all about rock and teen angst, or laid-back local spots that double as havens for English-speakers. Clubbing in Paris is less about hip DJs and cutting-edge beats than it is about dressing up and being seen. Drinks are expensive, so Parisians usually stick to the ones included with the cover. Many clubs accept reservations, which means there’s no available seating on busy nights. It’s best to be confident (but not aggressive) about getting in. Bars in the 5ème and 6ème draw international students, while Châtelet-Les Halles attracts a slightly older set. The Marais is the center of Parisian GLBT nightlife.
Île de la Cité and Île St-Louis
Far from a party spot, the islands are a bit of a nightlife wasteland. If you’re looking for a quiet terrace on which to share a beer and conversation, this is your spot. Tourists tend to clear out of les Îles after dark, so the pace is comfortably slower here.
LE SOLEIL D’OR
BRASSERIE
15 bd du Palais
01 43 54 22 22
This place is a tourist magnet during the day thanks to its location at a busy intersection, faux-modern seating, and Berthillon ice cream. You may not want to stay here all night, but come get schwasty during happy hour, with pints of beer and cocktails for €6 until 9pm.
Cité. Turn left down bd du Palais from the Métro; the brasserie is on the corner. Happy hour 3-9pm. Beer €6-8. Cocktails €6-9. Happy hour drinks €6. Open daily 6:15am-10pm.
Châtelet-Les Halles
The bars in Châtelet are close together and easy to find. This neighborhood has its fair share of GLBT bars (though it’s no Marais) and smaller establishments that are packed until dawn.
BANANA CAFÉ
BAR, CLUB, GLBT
13 rue de la Ferronnerie
01 42 33 35 31
Situated in the heart of Châtelet, Banana Café is the GLBT capital outside of the Marais. The club suits a wide clientele that ranges from the young crowds taking advantage of the cheap happy hour on the terrace to the erotic dancers stationed outside. Head downstairs after midnight for a lively piano bar and more dance space before hopping out at dawn to catch the Métro back home. There are weekly themed nights that take place Th-Sa from midnight to dawn.
Châtelet. Walk 3 blocks down rue St-Denis and turn right onto rue de la Ferronerie. Cover F-Sa €10; includes 1 drink. Beer €5.50. Cocktails €11. Happy hour pints €3; cocktails €4-5. Open daily 6pm-6am. Happy hour 6-11pm.
LES CARIATIDES
BAR, CONCERT VENUE
3 rue de Palestro
01 42 36 19 72
Clearly this bar’s signs about moderate drinking are less than effective, and the only thing that’s louder than the music here is the sound of drunk partiers trying to sing along. Downstairs in the basement, Les Cariatides has gigs playing anything from rock to pop to indie nearly every night, and it quickly becomes full on the weekends. For some fresh air, wrangle your way to the bar and order some decently priced tapas before heading back down to dance the night away.
Etienne Marcel. Walk up rue de Turbigo against the flow of traffic, turn left onto rue de Palstre; Les Cariatides is on the left. Shot €4. Pint of beer €6-8. Tapas €10 for 5. Happy hour pint €4-5; cocktails €6. Extra €1 on all drinks after 1am. Open M-Sa 6pm-4am, Su 2-4pm. Happy hour M-Sa 6-9pm.
The Marais
There are about as many bars and clubs in the Marais as there are people, and the establishments you’ll find here are just as diverse as the crowds.
CANDELARIA
BAR, TACOS
52 rue de Saintonge
01 42 74 41 28
This bar takes hole-in-the-wall to a completely new level. Fronted by a greasy tacos joint, Candelaria is easy to miss and just looks like an oddly popular bougie dive where you can get some good guac. But wiggle past the crowds (and there are always crowds), and you will happen upon a small, unmarked door—make your way inside and fall through the proverbial rabbit hole into one of Paris’s most popular bars. This hidden, stone-walled bar is much larger than the tapas joint outside and is even more crowded. The dim bar is usually standing room only and is quite popular with the locals, hipsters, and intellectuals, with a healthy presence of Anglophone students thrown in. The house punch, made with cognac and spiced wine, is pricey but a must, and their cocktails are absolutely delicious.
Filles du Calvaires. Walk down rue des Filles du Calvaire with traffic, turn right onto rue de Bretagne, then right onto rue de Saintonge; Candelaria is on the right. House punch €54 for 4-6 people. Cocktails €12. Guac and chips €5.50. Kitchen in front open W 12:30-11pm, Th-Sa 12:30pm-midnight, Su 12:30-11pm. Bar open daily 6pm-2am.
RAIDD BAR
BAR, CLUB, GLBT
23 rue du Temple
01 53 01 00 00
If you want a penis, or just want to see one, come here. Sparkling disco balls light up Raidd Bar, as do the muscular, tank-topped torsos of the sexy male bartenders. After 11pm, performers strip down in the glass shower built into the wall and begin to rub themselves clean while your mind gets dirty. There’s a notoriously strict door policy: women aren’t allowed unless they are outnumbered by (gorgeous) men, and since this place has no cover, prepare for a long wait on the weekends.
Hôtel de Ville. Walk up rue du Renard, turn right onto rue de la Verrerie, then left onto rue du Temple; Raidd Bar is on the left. Beer €6.50. Mixed drinks €8.70, €6 before 9pm. Cocktails €8.70-11, €6-8 before 9pm. Happy hour beer €4.20. Open M-Th 5pm-4am, F-Su 5pm-5am. Happy hour 5-11pm.
LE BARAV
WINE BAR
6 rue Charles François Dupuis
01 48 04 57 59
Even the staunchest, frown-iest Parisians manage to have a good time at this très popular wine bar. Old hipsters, young hipsters, students, and professionals—everyone makes the trek to the northern reaches of the Marais to dine at this dimly lit, wooden bar for the delicious tapenades, large antipasti, charcuterie platters, and perfectly paired cheap glasses of wine from the cave next door. Reservations are recommended in the evening unless you want to be unceremoniously bounced from your table when your time is up.
Temple. Head down Passage Sainte-Elisabeth with the traffic, turn right onto rue du Temple, left onto rue Dupetit-Thouars, then left onto rue Charles-François Dupuis; Le Barav is on the right. Reservations recommended. Lunch menu €10. Entrées €5.50. plats €11.50-12.50. Salads €10.50. Platters €5.50-16. Glass of wine €5. Pint €6. Open M noon-3pm, Tu-F noon-3pm and 6pm-12:30am, Sa 6pm-12:30am.
LE KOMPTOIR
BAR
27 rue Quincampoix
01 42 77 75 35
Head to this tapas bar for some of the cheapest happy hour pints and cocktails in the Marais. Le Komptoir’s distinctive backwards “K” in its name hints at its backwards (but awesome) behavior of offering cheap drinks, free entry to concerts, and a surprisingly long food menu, complete with paella (€13). There are plenty of tables on the ground floor and in the basement, making this a great bar for groups.
Hôtel de Ville. In the pl. Michelet. Walk up rue du Renard, turn right onto rue St-Merri, then left onto rue Quincampoix. Jazz concerts Th 9pm. No cover, but must buy a drink. Beer €6.20-6.80. Cocktails €7.50-8.50. Tapas €7.50-13. Happy hour pints €4.40-4.80; cocktails 2 for 1. Open Tu-Su 10am-2am. Happy hour 5:30-8:30pm.
BAR
16 rue Cloche Percé
01 42 76 06 76
This small Anglophone hangout takes the sketchy out of the dive bar but leaves the attitude. Older, non-trendy locals in tattoos and strict black attire kick back pitchers of cheap blonde beer (€12) to ensure that the bar lives up to its motto: “Hangovers installed and serviced here.” Come inside, have a pint, and shout at the TV with the regulars that stake out a seat at a sticky table before the place fills up at night.
St-Paul. From the Métro, turn right onto rue Pavée, then left onto rue du Roi de Sicile. Turn left onto rue Cloche Percé. Shooters €3-6. Beer pints €5-6; pitcher of blond beer €12. Cocktails €7-8. Happy hour pints and cocktails €6. Open daily 4:30pm-2am. Happy hour 4-8pm. Terrace open until midnight.
LE YONO
BAR, CLUB
37 rue Vieille du Temple
01 42 74 31 65
It’s easy to walk past Le Yono, as it’s set back from the street through a stone corridor that makes for a grand entrance (and later a perfect smoker’s getaway) to this cave-like club. The bar area is big and open and makes a great space for chatting on weekdays under the translucent ceilings, but on weekends, the real party is downstairs. The mosaics on the walls light up a dance floor packed with students dancing along with DJs that rock the house with electronic beats.
Hôtel de Ville. Walk against traffic on rue de Rivoli and turn left. Or from St-Paul, walk with traffic on rue de Rivoli and turn right. Live music 2-3 times per week. Downstairs open F-Sa. Cocktails €10-12. Happy hour cocktails €5.50, pint of Heineken €5.50. Mojitos 10-12. Pint of beer €7-8. Tapas Th-Sa €5-9. Open Tu-Sa 6pm-2am.
O’SULLIVAN’S REBEL BAR
BAR
10 rue des Lombards
01 42 71 42 72
A tattooed take on an Irish bar, O’Sullivan’s Rebel Bar makes Paris’s chain bars look like classy English tea rooms. The walls are covered with graffiti, the menus are unapologetically sticky, and the place can get pretty crowded on a game night. The patrons, complete with piercings and shaved heads, couldn’t care less about noise levels or their livers and make this place a riot almost as soon as it opens.
Hôtel de Ville. Walk up rue du Renard and turn left onto rue de la Verrerie, which becomes rue des Lombards. M all-night happy hour. Pints €6-7. Shots €5-9. Cocktails €7-16. Happy hour pints €4; cocktails €5.50. Open M-Th 5pm-2am, F 5pm-5am, Sa 2pm-5am, Su 2pm-2am. Happy hour 5-9pm.
L’ART BRUT
BAR
78 rue Quincampoix
01 42 72 17 36
In case the crowds didn’t tip you off, this bar is a favorite in the neighborhood. Young locals come here in groups and easily fill up this small, narrow bar and spill out onto the street during the warmer months. Changing art installations hang on the walls of wood and stone, giving this place a hipster-artsy vibe, just in case the low prices didn’t attract enough attention and adoration. Sip some organic wine a €3.50 a pop as you nod along to the rock and Balkan folk music and fill yourself with cheap dishes of charcuterie and cheese platters.
Rambuteau or Etienne-Marcel. From Rambuteau, walk down rue Beaubourg with traffic, turn right onto rue Rambuteau, then right onto rue Qincampoix; L’Art Brut is on the right. From Etienne-Marcel, walk down rue-aux-Ours and turn right onto rue Quincampoix; L’Art Brut is on the left. Organic wine €3.50 per glass. Pints of beer €4.50-6.50. Cocktails €6-9. Platters €9.50. Open daily 4pm-2am.
BAR
9 rue au Maire
01 42 72 44 42
On a street filled with subpar Asian traiteurs and seemingly nothing else, L’Attirail shines through like a cabin in the woods, a light through the expensive darkness, an oasis in the midst of €10 cocktails. Here, 20-somethings and students clink glasses and swap stories on the warm terrace or inside the bar, where the walls are covered with passport photos of past patrons. Drinks here are cheap, and happy hour starts early, making this a great place to get schwasty before hitting up more active venues later on in the night.
Arts et Métiers. Walk down rue Réamur with traffic, turn right onto rue Volta, then left onto rue au Maire; L’Attirail is on the left. Salads €9.50. plats €9.50-12. Drinks €4.50-5.50. Open M-Sa 10:30am-2am, Su 5pm-2am. Happy hour 3:30-8pm.
Latin Quarter and St-Germain
The neighborhoods are where you’ll find the majority of Paris’s students spending their intellectual (or not so intellectual) nights out.
L’ANTIDOTE
BAR
45 rue Descartes
01 43 54 69 78
If you’ve got problems, alcohol is not the answer, but hey, if you’re just having a poisonously boring weekend and want a morerambunctious night out, L’Antidote may be your answer. During the week, the two enormous television screens make this place more of a sports bar, but come weekend, crowds of young Parisians and backpackers from nearby hostels flock to this bar to shake it like a Polaroid picture on the sweaty, stone-vaulted dance floor. Drinks flow freely thanks to the superb happy hour, and the prime location on rue Mouffetard makes it easy to bar hop, though we doubt you’ll want to leave.
Place Monge. Walk down rue Lacépède, turn right onto rue Mouffetard, and walk 1 block; L’Antidote is on the right. Happy hour pint of beer €3-5.50; cocktails €5.50-7.50. Shots €25 for 10, €3 for 1. Pint of beer €4.80-6.80. Cocktails €7-8.50. Open daily 5pm-2am. Happy hour 5pm-9pm.
LE PANTALON
BAR
7 rue Royer-Collard
01 40 51 85 85
If there was ever such a thing as a takeaway beer and cocktail bar, this is it. Packed to the gills with laid-back Sorbonne students and recent college grads in suits, this narrow bar is a student epicenter, drawing crowds on the weekends with its cheap drinks and specialty shots. It can sometimes be a bit claustrophobic inside, and the tap by the window and the extra cents it costs to drink indoors directs a lot of traffic onto the streets. On the cobblestoned sidewalk, patrons mill about in their T-shirts and take long draws from cigarettes after a long day. Grab a group of friends, or just work on your tolerance and order the 10 shots for €5 deal to start (or end) your night with a schwasty bang.
RER Luxembourg. Walk toward the Jardin du Luxembourg, turn right onto rue le Goff, right onto rue Gay-Lussac, and left onto rue Royer-Collard; Le Pantalon is on the right. Bee €2.50-7. Cocktails €7. Shots €2.50, €10 for 5. Cash only. Open daily 3pm-2am. Happy hour 5:30pm-7:30pm.
LE PIANO VACHE
DIVE BAR
8 rue Làplace
01 46 33 75 03
Le Piano Vache is all about vintage rock and has remained largely unchanged since opening in 1969. Plastered with old posters and filled with equally ancient couches, this bar looks like it was decorated by a tipsy, nostalgic rockstar. This dive oozes 1970s underground cool, and the live music, themed nights, and terrific happy hour specials attract a mélange of regulars and students who spread out at the large wooden tables.
Maubert-Mutualité. Walk down rue des Carmes against the flow of traffic 4 blocks, turn left onto rue Làplace; Le Piano Vache is on the left. M live jazz 9:30pm-1:30am, Tu ‘80s night 9:30pm-2am, W Goth music DJ 9pm-2am, Th discounted prices all night, F rock DJ 9pm-2am, Sa DJ 9pm-2am. Coffee €1. Beer €4-7. Cocktails €7-8. M night pints €7; cocktails €10. Th night pints €5; cocktails €5; tapas €5. Open M-Sa noon-2am; during school holidays 6pm-2am.
L’ACADÉMIE DE LA BIÈRE
BAR
88 bd de Port-Royal
01 43 54 66 65
With 12 beers on tap and 150 bottled varieties, L’Académie de la Bière is as serious about its brews as Parisians are about their wine. Popular with students looking to unwind on the weekend, the bar itself is minuscule, but the extensive patio (which is covered and sometimes heated, depending on the weather) is filled end-to-end with those spirit-seeking students. Most drinkers come to L’Académie to study the brews, but any smart student knows not to drink on an empty stomach—the steaming hot plates of mussels and German sausages alone are worth a visit to this restaurant.
Vavin. Walk southeast on bd du Montparnasse as it turns into bd du Port-Royal. The bar is on the left. Beer €6-8. Mussels €8-9. Sausages €8-14. Open M-Th 10am-2am, F-Sa 10am-3am, Su 10am-2am. Happy hour daily 3:30-7:30pm.
LE BAR DIX
BAR
10 rue de l’Odéon
01 43 26 66 83
Founded in 1955, Le 10 Bar has become quite the silver fox as it ages gracefully while retaining its 1950s charm—even Clooney could take some pointers. The itsy bar is a bit musty smelling, and the posters from 1950s plays are fading fast, but the antique woodwork and jukebox that croons Édith Piaf and Aretha Franklin will take you on your own Midnight in Paris field trip. This bar is for the nostalgic and those who fancy themselves intellectuals or artists with a penchant for sangria. At 9pm, head downstairs to the basement where Ernest Hemingway used to write inspired tales after amorous encounters with his mistress who lived above the bar. Although we don’t recommend trespassing above the bar in search of a lover, you may still feel literary love in the air at Le Bar 10; memorize a few lines of French poetry and flirt the night away.
Odéon. Walk south to where the road splits into 3 forks and take the middle fork; Le 10 Bar is on the right. Sangria €3.50 per glass. Beer €4-5.50. Cash only. Open daily 6pm-2am. Basement opens at 9pm.
LE VIOLON DINGUE
BAR, CLUB
46 rue de la Montagne Ste-Geneviève
01 43 25 79 93
Known as “le VD” to locals, this bar has some of the cheapest happy hour drinks around, and it’s open the latest. The upstairs feels like a pub with a strong American influence, complete with football from the US. After 1am, though, the place floods with young French students and American tourists who swarm to get into the downstairs club, where the latest top 40 hits blast against the vaulted stone ceilings until 5am.
Cardinal Lemoine. Walk uphill on rue du Cardinal Lemoine and turn right onto rue Clovis. Walk 1 block and turn right onto rue Descartes. When you hit the plaza, the bar is on the left. Beer €6. Cocktails €7-10. Happy hour beer €3-4; cocktails €5-6; jagerbombs €5. Prices increase €1 after 1:30am. Open Tu-Sa 8pm-5am. Club open Tu-Sa midnight-5am. Happy hour Tu-Sa 7-10pm.
LE CONCORDE ATLANTIQUE
CLUB
23 quai Anatole France
01 40 56 02 82
www.bateauconcordeatlantique.com
Take a three-story club with half thought-out themed soirées, add copious amounts of booze deals, and transform it into a boat right on the Seine. You have just imagined Le Concorde Atlantique. On Friday and Saturday nights there’s usually a line to enter this club, where the party can start as early as 10pm and keeps going until 5am. Expect to find a healthy number of tourists here in the packed crowd, although there are no swim trunks or flippy-floppies in sight—only well-dressed 20-somethings who are less interested in keeping it classy and more interested in making it nasty. Keep an eye out during the summer for the Terrassa parties, with a series of locally famous DJs. Soirées are shamelessly promoted, often with cover charges that include free drinks and the occasional ladies’ night. The deals don’t end there: the website www.parisbouge.com is an invaluable resource here, giving out cheap tickets and drink passes that can save travelers as much as 50%.
Assemblée Nationale, right on the Seine in between Pont de la Concorde and walking bridge Solferino. Cover from €10-20, includes (sometimes up to 5) free drinks. Some nights men pay extra €5-10. Open Tu-Sa 8pm-5am.
Champs-Élysées
Glam is the name of the game at the trendy, expensive bars and clubs of the 8ème. Dress up and bring some attractive friends or a fat wallet—it’s going to be a pricey night out.
LE QUEEN
CLUB
102 av. des Champs-Élysées
01 53 89 08 90
Le Queen is a renowned Parisian institution where drag queens, superstars, tourists, and go-go boys get down and dirty to the mainstream rhythms of a 10,000-gigawatt sound system. Open all night, every night, Le Queen has soirées for just about every party demographic you can think of, although the hot-mess and perennially-drunk crowd is well attended here. Be prepared to show ID to gain entrance to this flashy disco with a light-up dance floor, which features theme nights that include the occasional gay soirée.
Georges V. Disco on M. Ladies night on W; no cover for women 11:30pm-1am. Live DJ on F. Cove €20, includes 1 drink. Drinks €15. Open daily 11:30pm-6am.
LE SHOWCASE
CLUB
Under Pont Alexandre III, Port des Champs Elysées
01 45 61 25 43
One of the most popular clubs with the bohemian bourgeoisie in Paris (kids with money), Le Showcase’s limited operation days and even more limited entrance make it nearly impossible to get in without some good-looking friends. Every Friday and Saturday night, live international DJs spin techno and electro beats for the well-heeled crowds in this super-dim club. To be sure you’ll make it in, get on the “guest list” by registering your name for free online, then dance ’til dawn in this dungeon-esque club.
Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau. Entry typically free before midnight. Register for free on their website or Facebook page to be added to the guest list. Cover €10-15. Beer €9. Cocktails €15. Open F-Sa 11pm-dawn.
THE FREEDOM
BAR
8 rue de Berri
01 53 75 25 50
To hear some English and catch a game or two, visit The Freedom and hang out with the regulars here. This pub is more low-key than the usual English joint and is more of a watering hole for local Anglophones than a buzzing joint at which to start the night—although the cheap drinks on student nights make it worth a quick stop.
George V. Walk away from the Arc de Triomphe and turn left down rue de Berri. Student Night on Th; pint €4, vodka shots €2.50. DJs F-Sa. Ladies night F-Sa; cocktail and vodka shots €6. Beer €6-7. Open M-W 11:30am-2am, Th 11:30am-4am, F-Sa 11:30am-5am, Su 11:30am-2am.
LE SENS UNIQUE
WINE BAR
47 rue de Ponthieu
01 43 59 76 77
In an area writhing with girls who don’t know how to walk in their 5in. stilettos and guys who spend as much time on their hair as their outfits, Le Sens Unique manages to keep it classy—and we mean really classy. Silver couches, a wine bar with dried vines wrapped over the bar, a brick interior, and street signs decorating the walls, this mellow local hideout is almost entirely devoid of tourists. The gentle owner welcomes everyone with open arms to sample hand-selected fine wines from Périgord, in the Bourdeaux region of southern France. Although the wines here aren’t super cheap and only a few are sold by the glass, the quality of the drinks and the relaxing atmosphere are well worth the price. Those with a little more than $20 in their pockets should splurge on the foodie-approved dishes here, too.
Franklin D. Roosevelt. Walk up the Champs-Élysées toward the Arc de Triomphe, turn right onto rue La Boétie, then left onto rue de Ponthieu. Or George V. Walk down the Champs-Élysées away from the Arc de Triomphe, turn left onto rue de Berri and right onto rue de Ponthieu. Beaujoulais Nouveau 3-day wine tasting event starts 3rd Th in Nov. Wine €4.50-6. Open M-Sa noon-11pm.
Opéra and Canal St-Martin
LE VERRE VOLÉ
RESTAURANT, BAR
67 rue Lancry
01 48 03 17 34
This restaurant is tiny, but that’s not the only reason why you’ll need a reservation here for lunch and dinner. This unassuming wine bar and restaurant has developed quite the cult following by food critics and bobos who pine after the generous dishes paired with the organic and natural wines. While you won’t hang out here all night, this great location on the canal is the perfect spot to mingle with young Parisian hipsters over a glass of one of the restaurant’s many wines.
Jacques Bonsergent. Walk down bd de Magenta and turn left onto rue de Lancry; it’s just before the canal. Wine from €5.50 per glass. Corkage fee €7. Entrées €6.50-9. plats €11-13. Open Tu-Su noon-3:30pm and 6:30-11:30pm.
CHEZ PRUNE
CAFE, BAR
36 rue Beaurepaire
01 42 41 30 47
In case the colorful graffiti didn’t tip you off, this neighborhood is artsy. And in case the fedora-ed, scruffed-up clientele didn’t tip you off, Chez Prune is the water cooler for all the young bohemians in this neighborhood. The cafe has a spacious terrace that is nearly always full of groups of friends sharing the terrific charcuterie and cheese platters or couples chowing down on zucchini pancakes. Located along the canal and various bike and footpaths, Chez Prune is the place to see the trendy folk of Paris pass by on their bikes or with a cigarette in hand. At night, you can cozy up next to the canal with a vin chaud, as this bar fills up with 20-somethings looking to get tipsy off a few cheap drinks.
Jacques Bonsergent. Walk up rue de Lancry with the flow of traffic, turn right onto quai de Valmy, and Chez Prune is on right. Cocktails €8.50. plats €14. Open M-F 8am-2am, Su 10am-2am.
CORCORAN’S
IRISH PUB, CLUB
23 bd Poissonnière
01 40 39 00 16
During the day, this Irish pub serves up all the greasy Anglo-Saxon goods, like fish and chips and Irish stew for the few customers that come through. At night, Corcoran’s comes alive as a hoppin’ nightclub Th-Sa nights. A flurry of French and English speakers alternately populate the dance floor, so if you’re looking to play it smooth in your native tongue, throw back a Guinness and party like a rockstar at Corcoran’s, where you’ll find the best of both worlds. Don’t show up too sloshed if you want the bouncers to let you in.
Grands Boulevards. Upon exiting the Métro, look for the green awning. Other locations in the Bastille, St-Michel, and Clichy areas. Happy hour M-F 5-9pm. Karaoke Th 9pm. Live music 4 times a week. Su 3pm traditional Irish music and step dancing. Shots €4. Beer €6.50-7. Mixed drinks €8. Happy hour mixed drinks €6, pints €5. Open daily 10am-dawn.
LE BRÉBANT
CAFE, BAR
32 bd Poissonnière
01 47 70 01 02
Of all the bars in this concentrated nook around Grands Boulevards, Le Brebant has the privilege of occupying the largest corner of the intersection, thereby outdoing all its neighbors in size and noise. Open late into the night, this cafe has an impressive selection of seafood, though the non-happy hour drinks are quite pricey. The art deco interior makes for a pretty sight, although we recommend people watching the plastered partiers exiting from Corcoran’s across the street.
Grands Boulevards. Across from Corcoran’s. Free Wi-Fi. Happy hour mixed drinks and beer €6. Open daily 7pm-6am.
Bastille
Nightlife in the 11ème has long consisted of Anglophones who drink too much and rockers and hipsters who intend to stay out until the Métro starts up again.
LE BARON ROUGE
WINE BAR
1 rue Théophile Roussel
01 43 43 14 32
This wine bar is doing it right with a 45 bottle selection of reds and whites that start from as low as €1.50 a glass, leaving you with plenty of money left over for a rich assiette of charcuterie, cheese, or oysters. The pros and regulars bring their own bottles and fill them up straight from the barrels before taking their drinks outside to the pavement. If you’re lucky, you can nab an impromptu barrel table surface for you drink. With booze this good and this cheap, the crowd really doesn’t need much to keep the conversation and laughter going.
Ledru-Rollin. Walk south with traffic on av. Ladru-Rollin, then turn left onto rue de Prague. Turn left with traffic onto rue Traversière. Wine €1.50-3.60. Platters €7-16. Open Tu-F10am-2pm and 5-11pm, Sa 10am-10pm, Su 10am-4pm.
UFO
BAR
49 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud
06 09 81 93 59
UFO’s pricing is out of this world, with happy hour pints for €3.50 and pastis for €1.50. The super-scuffed and worn furniture also looks like it’s been through a wormhole and back. Cheap drinks and a short happy hour means that the student and young rockers here down their drinks at inhuman speeds before dancing to garage rock, punk, and funk. Weekend DJs make this dive bar a prime destination for an invasion.
Parmentier. Walk up av. Parmentier toward the brasserie Le Plein Soleil, turn right onto rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud; UFO is on the left. Cocktails €5-10. Beers €4-7. Happy hour pints €3.50, glass of wine €1.50, pastis €1.50. Open daily 6pm-2am. Happy hour daily 6-8pm.
Montparnasse and Southern Paris
The central area around the Montparnasse Tower and the train station is mostly filled with generic, somewhat inauthentic cafes, but the farther you wander from this area, the more likely you are to find some local spots.
BOAT, BAR, NIGHTCLUB
Across from 11 quai Francois Mauriac
01 53 60 17 00
You might feel like T-Pain at this nightclub, which occupies the lowest level of a boat and leads a quadruple life as a nightclub, concert venue, restaurant, and bar. Ideally located on the quiet eastern end of the Seine, the Batofar brings the area alive at night with its live concerts and bangin’ DJs. If you’re not interested in sweaty dancing, singing, and bumpin’ and grinding, hit the bar on the breezy top level of the boat. You can also head for the shore and relax on the patio, also known as La Plage, where you can enjoy fresh rum punch made with pineapples, oranges, mangoes, or cranberries. Locals love this increasingly popular locale as much as the savvy backpackers who know it exists.
Quai de la Gare. Go to the Seine and head down the stairs to the riverbank, then turn right so the river is on your left. Walk about 5min. DJ every night and after concerts. Tickets can be bought at the door, usually €3-25. White sangria €5. Punch €6. Cocktails €10. Tapas €5. Open daily noon-late. Patio on the bank (La Plage) open May-Sept noon-1am; brunch on Su. Terrace on the boat open daily 6pm-midnight. Happy hour Oct-Apr 6-8pm; May-Sept 5-7pm. Restaurant open Tu-Sa noon-2:30pm and 7:30-11:30pm. Concerts usually start 7pm or later.
LA FOLIE EN TÊTE
BAR
33 rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles
01 45 80 65 99
http://lafolieentete.wix.com/lesite
Decorated with musical instruments, street signs, and newspaper clippings announcing Bob Marley concerts, this bar loves its reggae, rock, and world music. This bar has one of the cheapest happy hours in the neighborhood and is well known for its strong ti’ punch and excellent mojitos. Hipsters, poets, musicians, broke students, and the occasional suit and tie keep it packed and steamy until closing.
Place d’Italie. From pl. d’Italie, follow rue Bobillot. Turn right onto rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles and follow it as it turns right. Beer €5-6. Cocktails €7.50. Happy hour cocktails €5, pints €3-3.50. Open M-Sa 5pm-2am, Su 6pm-midnight. Happy hour daily 5-8pm.
LE MERLE MOQUEUR
BAR
11 rue de la Butte aux Cailles
01 45 65 12 43
Capturing the spirit of the neighborhood with its eclectic mix of color block walls, uneven stools, spray-painted doors, ‘80s music, and a rather random selection of art, this bar is a little funky and not at all fussy. The naked lady and her pig friend painted near the door are here to offer you a plastic patio chair and a selection of over 20 different types of rum.
Corvisart. Follow the signs to Butteaux Cailles, south of the Métro stop. Drinks €4-6. Happy hour pints €3, rum punch €5. Open daily 5pm-1:30am. Happy hour 5-8pm.
CAFE OZ: DENFERT ROCHEREAU
BAR
3 pl. Denfert-Rochereau
01 45 38 76 77
Opened in May 2011, the newest and largest iteration of this Australian chain is rumored to have the largest terraces in Paris. The view from the terrace in front of the bar is more likely to be of hurried travelers lugging suitcases than of a chic Parisian sidewalk, so we recommend heading to the other terrace in the back. After midnight, the older crowd vacates, and the massive interior becomes packed with young bodies dancing on tables, stairs, and wherever there’s room. Things are kept cool thanks to the drafty, 30ft. ceilings. Despite Oz’s size, the giant kangaroo out front and walls covered in boomerangs still make you feel like you’re in a packed hut on a beach in Queensland.
Denfert-Rochereau, behind the RER station. Cover charg €15 with drink, depending on the night. Shooters €5. Beer €7-8. Cocktails €10. Happy hour cocktails €7. Bar snacks €6-9. Kitchen open M-Sa noon-4pm. Bar open M noon-2am, Tu-W noon-3am, Th-Sa noon-5am. Snacks served W-Sa 5pm-9pm. Happy hour M 5pm-midnight, Tu-Sa 5-8pm, Su 5pm-midnight.
Just like the food, the nightlife in these arrondissements tends to be cheaper, younger, and chiller in the 17ème than in the 16ème, where you’ll find a bevy of overpriced bars and nightclubs.
LES CAVES POPULAIRES
BAR
22 rue des Dames
01 53 04 08 32
For some cheap drinks, bohemian company, and some good cheese and charcuterie platters, Les Caves Populaires is the bar of choice. The bar stands out from the relatively quiet rue des Dames with its noise—this place is full even in the afternoon—and with its red mosaic exterior and whitewashed stone walls. In a place where the coffee is organic, served with a stick of cinnamon, and only €1, it only makes sense that the groups of friends here have rosy cheeks from laughter (although the cheap glasses of wine can’t hurt).
Place de Clichy. Walk down bd des Batignolles with the flow of traffic (away from the traffic circle). Turn right onto rue Lecluse, turn left onto rue des Dames; Les Caves is on the right. Wine fro m€2 per glass. Shot €3-4. Cocktails €3-12. Open M-Sa 8am-1am, Su 11am-1am.
FROG XVI
BAR
110 bis av. Kleber
01 47 27 88 88
One of several English Frog pubs across Paris, Frog XVI is the trendier cousin of the more traditional Frog and Rosbif. With two levels, rock music, large comfortable leather seats, and the microbreweries downstairs in full view, this is the place to loosen up and hang out with old friends or make new ones over a quality beer. The crowd here is a healthy mix of young locals and tourists, which means this place can fill up quickly, so plan your arrival accordingly, especially on a game day.
Trocadéro. Free Wi-Fi. DJ Th-Sa. Brunch Sa-Su noon-4pm. Happy hour M-F 5:30-8pm. Lunch menu M-F €12.50. Pints €5. Beer €7. Open daily noon-2am.
LE BLOC
CAFE, BAR
21 rue Brochant
01 53 11 02 37
Formerly a warehouse, this cafe was updated with a super modern, minimalist exterior, with clean cut lines and an enormous window for the first floor. The walls of this multi-level cafe are decorated with photographs, and there’s a nook under the stairs with a cramped but comfortable array of lounge chairs, including a creatively redesigned shopping cart (yes, it is somehow comfortable). Parisians who want to associate themselves with chicness—or who are actually chic—park it here for a decent meal, and in the evenings lo-fi electro music plays in the background as the Parisians get ready for the rest of the night.
Brochant. From the Métro, walk straight onto rue Brochant. Free Wi-Fi. Half beer €2.70. Cocktails €7. Salads €8-11.50. Daily specials for €10. Open daily 8:30am-2am.
DUPLEX
CLUB
2 bis av. Foch
01 45 00 45 00
Stories of this late-night disco make their way around Paris, and we mean that in an infamous way. The three-story subterranean club has several rooms with different music playing, but you can expect to hear the usual techno, house, top 40, and some throwback hip hop. Women in heels and snappy looking men pack this club and don’t stop until 6am—just in time to go home on the Métro.
Charles de Gaulle-Étoile. Half block from the Circe. Cover (includes 1 drink) M-Th €15, F-Sa €20, Su €15. Drinks M €8, Tu-Th €9, F-Sa €11, Su €9. Open daily midnight to 6am.
L’ENDROIT
BAR, CAFE
67 place du Dr Félix Lobligeois
01 42 29 50 00
L’Endroit is French for “the place,” and this is definitely the place to be. The Parisians who gather here suck down pint-sized mojitos and laugh carelessly over a shared pack of cigarettes. When the sun’s out, chowing down on massive burgers accompanied by even more massive salads seems to be a popular activity. Once darkness strikes, so do those midnight munchies, and with L’Endroit closing shop on the weekends at 5am, there’s nothing like a pre-dawn meal.
Open M-Th 11am-2am, F-Sa 11am-5am, Su 11am-2am.
Montmartre
With sex shops and strippers galore, Montmartre can be sketchy at night, with some loud drunkards making quite a scene and pickpockets eyeing the tipsy tourists.
MARLUSSE ET LAPIN
BAR
14 rue Germain Pilon
01 42 59 17 97
Even in a neighborhood teeming with sex shops and cabarets, a place like Marlusse et Lapin stands out for its weirdness. In the back of this tiny bar is “Grandma’s Chamber,” with flowery wallpaper, a sewing machine, a bed that now functions as seating, and black and white photos of grandparents. In case this scene isn’t bizarre enough for you, order a glass of authentic absinthe for a truly down-the-rabbit-hole experience. In case wormwood isn’t your thing, this place also serves up popular flavored shots for €3 if you can elbow your way to the bar.
Pigalle or Abbsesses. From Pigalle, facing the rounded plaza, turn right and walk down bd de Clichy, then turn right onto rue Germain Pilon; Marlusse is on the right. From Abbsesses, facing the church, head right on rue des Absesses, then left onto rue Germain Pilon; Marlusse is on the left. Shot €3. Half pint beers €2.80. Cocktails €5-7. Absinthe €6-9. Happy hour beer €3-4; mixed drinks €4.50. Open daily 4pm-2am. Happy hour 4-8pm.
Buttes-Chaumont & Belleville
Instead of clubs and dirty dancing, the loud, artsy bars in 19ème and 20ème are the centers of nightlife around here and attract mostly the hipster locals.
ROSA BONHEUR
BAR, GLBT
2 av. des Cascades
01 42 00 00 45
Nestled in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Rosa Bonheur has arguably the best setting in all of Paris. As it gets dark, the mystery of the forest and the fading colors of the sunset infect all the young people here with a romanticism reminiscent of A Midsummer Night’s Dream—left and right, everyone is dancing, fumbling, laughing, and locking lips. Groups of friends settle down at tables outside or stand around barrels to polish off bottles of wine, while couples dance and grind about indoors on the crowded dance floor. In addition to all this laid-back hedonism, Rosa has a conscientious heart: this restaurant also hosts a lot of community service and charity events for GLBT rights and environmental awareness, along with Paris’s Silence de Danse, an event where you put on headphones, dance, and look really funny.
Botzaris. Entrance at the gates facing 74 Botzaris. Tapa €5-8. Sangria €4. Pints €5. Mojitos €8. Open W-Su noon-midnight. Last entry 11pm.
LES PÈRES POPULAIRES
BAR
46 rue Buzenval
01 43 48 49 22
“Père” means “father” in French, and we wish our dads were this cool. This bar is filled with 20-somethings unchained to any commitments, much less fatherhood, who gather here to drink cheap beer or sip €1 espressos at the mismatched tables, cozy couches, or the bright green bar. And when shots are €3 and beer is €2.60, it’s no wonder that the booze flows freely and the Parisians (you won’t find a single tourist here) become uncharacteristically loud. Les Pères has no sign on the outside, and it doesn’t need one—it’s the loudest, happiest place on the block.
Buzenval. Walk down rue Buzenval against the flow of traffic; the bar is on the left. Coffee €1. Shots €3. Beer €2.60-6.50. Wine €2.70-9. Sandwiches €3.90. Open M-F 8am-2am, Sa-Su 10am-2am.
BAR, CONCERT
19-21 rue Boyer
01 46 36 07 07
La Bellevilloise is the multi-tasking, effortlessly cool older sister you always wish you were. A hugely popular institution in Paris, this establishment is a restaurant, bar, and club in one. Whether or not you want a delicious brunch with live jazz, a night of electro-swing music by an up-and-coming band, or a chance to admire some contemporary art as you take a break from swinging to Creole beats, La Bellevilloise has you covered. Even though it may be far from the center of the city, Parisians from arrondissements all over venture here for the music and the food, so be sure to make a reservation for meals and be prepared to share some personal space as you shake about.
Ménilmontant. Walk along rue de Ménilmontant with traffic until rue Boyer. Turn right onto rue Boyer; La Bellevilloise is on the right. Concerts and club 19+, some events 21+. Live music in the restaurant 4-5 times per week. Su brunch with live jazz. Reservations recommended for dinner and brunch. Concerts €10-15. Wine €4. Beer €4-9. Shots €5. Cocktails €9. Open W-F 7pm-2am, Sa 11am-2am, Su brunch 11am-4:30pm.
O’ PARIS
CAFE, BAR
1 rue des Envierges
01 43 66 38 54
For one of the best terraces in all Paris, come to O’ Paris. Located at the top of steep slope, this cafe/bar overlooks the gorgeous Parc de Belleville, with the Eiffel Tower and the Parisian rooftops all at your feet. With a view this great, it’s no wonder that this cafe is the spot of choice for the fashionable denizens of the 20ème and bobos from all over Paris. And as if the view wasn’t enough, the €2 coffee and €10 lunch menu make it hard to find a seat on the packed street corner when the sun’s out. The dinner menu here is a little pricey, and it’s the view that’s most important, so save your evening dining money for elsewhere or, better yet, pack a picnic and tan in the park right in front of you. During the evening, O’ Paris is buzzing with patrons who refuse to budge from their seats and stay for drinks and a relaxed and beautiful midnight in Paris.
Pyrénées. Facing McDonald’s, head left and walk up rue de Belleville, then turn left onto rue Piat; O’ Paris is on the left. Lunch menu €10. Brunch €17-22. Open M-W 10:30am-2am, Th-Su 10am-2am.
AUX FOLIES
BAR
8 rue de Belleville
06 14 17 91 33
If you ever need to feel cool or, damn, if you just are cool, you should be at this bar. Frequented by everyone from suave and collected older men to young, frenetic locals to graffiti artists who have tagged the nearby alleyways, Aux Folies is nearly always packed with an artsier crowd that doesn’t mind a little dirt, drinks their coffee black, and likes their booze cheap (beers start at €2). This bar was once a mini-theater where Edith Piaf used to sing, and the unchanged decor and neon lights help maintain an old-school vibe. The terrace gets a rare bit of sunlight on this crowded, narrow street, but just be prepared to elbow your way into a seat.
Belleville. Walk up rue de Belleville; Aux Folies is on the left. Beer €2-4. Wine €3 per glass. Cocktails €4.50. Open M-Sa 6am-2am, Su 7am-1am.
ARTS AND CULTURE
A trip to the Opéra Garnier, comic relief at the Odéon Théâtre, or late-night wining and dining at the Moulin Rouge are all possibilities for total cultural immersion and will leave you with more memories than that one night on the Mouffetard. If this sounds boring to you (hopefully it doesn’t, but we cater to all tastes), you’ll be pleased to know that Paris’s concerts get just as rowdy as its clubs. Whether you have a solid grasp of French or are a novice who’s just laughing because everyone else is, you’ll definitely leave feeling a bit more je ne sais quoi.
Theater
ODÉON THÉÂTRE DE L’EUROPE
LATIN QUARTER AND ST-GERMAIN
2 rue Corneille
01 44 85 40 40
The Odéon is a classically beautiful theater: gold lines the mezzanine and muted red upholstery covers the chairs. Many plays at this national theater are performed in foreign languages, with French translations shown above on a screen, which can make if frustrating if you don’t parler the language. If you do, though, or if you just don’t mind, the prices here are stunningly reasonable, and standing tickets are dirt cheap. The under-26 crowd can score the luxury of a seat for the same price, so save your young legs—watching foreign performances of As You Like It or Platonov takes enough energy already.
Odéon. Limited number of rush tickets available 2hr. before the start of the show. Shows €10-36, under 26 €6-18. Rush tickets €6. Performances generally M-Sa 8pm, Su 3pm.
THÉÂTRE DE LA VILLE
CHÂTELET-LES HALLES
2 pl. du Châtelet
01 42 74 22 77
www.theatredelaville-paris.com
Since the ’80s, the Théâtre de la Ville has become a major outlet for avant-garde theater, dance, and music for those who aren’t afraid to go far out in performances titled “Disabled Theater” and “The Pornography of Souls.” The theater is a bit more traditional and puts on classics by the likes of Shakespeare and Balzac, along with more contemporary German, Japanese, and American playwrights.
Châtelet. Walk down rue de Rivoli toward Hôtel de Ville. Tickets €19-25, under 30 €9-20. Box office open M 11am-7pm, Tu-Sa 11am-8pm.
Cabaret
AU LAPIN AGILE
MONTMARTRE
22 rue des Saules
01 46 06 85 87
Halfway up a steep, cobblestoned hill that American tourists describe as “just like San Francisco,” Au Lapin Agile has been providing savvy Parisians and tourists with traditional music, dance, and theater since the late 19th century. The performers present old French songs, ballads, lively sing-alongs, and guitar performances that last well into the night. The tiny theater was a popular spot for the 20th-century bohemian art scene—Picasso, Utrillo, and Max Jacob are on the list of people who cabareted here.
Lamarck-Coulaincourt. Follow rue St-Vincen to rue des Saules. Tickets €24, students under 26 €17. Tu-F and Su cover includes 1 drink. Drinks €6-7. Shows Tu-Su 9pm-1am.
BAL DU MOULIN ROUGE
MONTMARTRE
82 bd de Clichy
01 53 09 82 82
The Moulin Rouge promises to be as trippy and over-the-top as Baz Luhrmann’s film, but at €99 a show, the famed glam and glitz just isn’t worth it. The world-famous home of the can-can opened in 1889 and has hosted international superstars like Ella Fitzgerald and Johnny Rey, and it now welcomes a fair crowd of tourists for an evening of sequins, tassels, and skin. The shows remain risqué, and the late show is cheaper, but be prepared to stand if it’s a busy night.
Blanche Sarl. Elegant attire required; no shorts, sneakers, or sportswear. 9 and 11pm show €99, with ½-bottle of champagne €109. 7pm dinner and 9pm show €180-210. Occasional lunch shows €100-130; call for more info. Dinner daily 7pm. Shows daily 9 and 11pm.
L’ARLEQUIN
LATIN QUARTER AND ST-GERMAIN
76 rue de Rennes
01 45 44 28 80
A proud revival theater, L’Arlequin mixes modern French films with artsy selections from a pool of international award-winners. Four films are featured each week, undoubtedly decreasing the prevalence of adolescent movie-hopping. Some films are in English, but the vast majority are in French.
St-Sulpice. Walk down rue de Rennes toward the Café de Métro; L’Arlequinon is on the right. €9.60; students, under 18, and over 60 €7.10.
CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE
BASTILLE
51 rue de Bercy
01 71 19 33 33
Though it’s had some problems settling down (it’s moved over five times, most recently in 2005), the Cinémathèque Française is dedicated to all things film. On the upper levels, the excellent Musée du Cinéma showcases old projectors and photographic plates alongside grand costumes and set pieces from movies like Psycho and Métropolis. The well-curated temporary exhibits on periods of film history and cinematic icons like Bette Davis, Tim Burton, and Jacques Demy draw a crowd of devoted cinephiles and casual moviegoers. And of course, the center screens multiple classics, near-classics, or soon-to-be classics per day; foreign selections are usually subtitled in French. Films by directors like Hitchcock, Fellini, Clément, and Matarazzo might be hard to understand in French, but hey, the picture’s worth a thousand words.
Bercy. Musée du Cinéma €5, ages 18-26 and seniors €4, under 18 €2.50, Su 10am-1pm free; temporary exhibition €10/8/5; films €6.50/5.50/3. Joint ticket Musée with temporary exhibition €12, Musée and film €7. Musée open M-Sa noon-7pm, Su 10am-8pm. Temporary exhibition M 10am-8pm, W 10am-8pm, Th 10am-10pm, F-Su 10am-8pm. Ticket window open M noon-last showing, W-Sa noon-last showing, Su 10am-last showing.
ACTION CHRISTINE
LATIN QUARTER AND ST-GERMAIN
4 rue Christine
01 43 33 85 78
This small theater plays restored American flicks from the 1930s through the ’70s, like African Queen, Bedlam, and (of course) King Kong. This is a nice way to escape the heat, and the films are voiced over with French subtitles for Anglophone enjoyment.
Odéon. Follow rue de L’Éperon and turn right onto rue St-André des Arts. Turn right onto rue Grands Augustins, then left onto rue Christine. Films in English with French subtitles. €8, under 20 and students €6. Shows 2-10pm.
Music
POINT EPHÉMÈRE
OPÉRA AND CANAL ST-MARTIN
200 quai de Valmy
01 40 34 02 48
Located in the bobo Canal St-Martin area, Point Ephémère is a mecca for hipsters who smoke to be ironic and artistes who probably know cooler bands than you do. Bringing in lesser-known rock bands from France, Belgium, the UK, the US, and elsewhere, this concert hall is crowded with young people four or five days a week. And as if hosting urban gospel rock and psychedelic bands didn’t give it enough street cred, outside the concert hall is a bar, restaurant, and art expo space with artists’ residences upstairs.
Louis Blanc. Walk down rue Louis Blanc toward the canal. Entrance is on the canal side, not the street. Buy tickets at the box office inside Point Ephémère in advance, online, or at the door, cheaper in advance. Be careful after dark. Concerts €15-20. Lunch menus €11.50-14.50. Brunch €16. Dinner à la carte. Bar open M-Sa noon-2am, Su noon-9pm. Restaurant open M-F 12:30-2:30pm and 8-11:15pm, Sa 12:30-2:30pm, Su noon-4:30pm. Brunch Su, in the summer Sa-Su. Snacks daily noon-1am.
BASTILLE
50 bd Voltaire
01 43 14 00 30
In French, bataclan is slang for “stuff” or “junk.” In French music culture, Bataclan means a packed, 1500-person Chinese pagoda that hosts alternative and indie rock, synthetic pop, hip hop, reggae, and folk acts like Local Natives, Bastille, and Fabolous. The craziest venue in Bastille, Le Bataclan attracts a more local crowd, since the French love their more obscure bands (who are usually cheaper than those playing at La Cigale). Be sure to pregame with Capri Sun for their themed ‘80s or ‘90s parties that easily go until 6am.
Oberkampf. Tickets €15-50. Shows start at 7:30pm.
Opera and Dance
PALAIS GARNIER (OPÉRA GARNIER)
OPÉRA AND CANAL ST-MARTIN
pl. de l’Opéra
01 71 25 24 33
You can tour it during the day, but going at night is a whole different ball game. The chandeliers dim, the stage lights up, and you are thrown back to the fin de siècle with ballet performances ranging from Orpheus and Eurydice to the Bolshoi Ballet. Although the Opéra Garnier confusingly no longer performs operas, its ballets, recitals, chamber music concerts, and choral performances still draw crowds of older adults and the lucky holders of youth rush tickets who are interested in more than the ornate architecture of the building.
Opéra. Tickets usually available 2 weeks before the show. Tickets generally €10-110. Under 28 rush tickets sold 1hr. before show starts based on availability, operas €25, ballets €15, concerts €10. Box office open M-Sa 11:30am-6:30pm.
OPÉRA BASTILLE
BASTILLE
pl. de la Bastille
01 40 01 19 70
Although considered Opéra Garnier’s “ugly” other half, the Opéra Bastille has been the primary home of the Paris Opera since 1989. Matching its tiered glass exterior and geometric interior, the Opéra Bastille puts on classical pieces with a modern spin. There may not be gilded columns, but the breathtaking performances more than compensate.
Bastille. Tickets can be purchased online, by mail, by phone, or in person. Tickets €5-140. Under 28 rush tickets sold 1hr. before show starts based on availability, operas €25, ballets €15, concerts €10. 32 spots are reserved for €5 each and are sold 1½hr. before performance. Box office open M-Sa 2:30-6:30pm.
SHOPPING
“Shopping” and “Paris” are almost synonymous. But the excessive wealth of the Champs-Élysées and Île St-Louis are not for the faint of heart—they’re for the rich. Indeed, the many antiques, rare books, and tempting tourist trappings you’ll find across the city could easily empty pockets. No one likes credit card debt, so we recommend the vintage shops and quirky boutiques in the youthful Marais and Bastille neighborhoods.
Books
SHAKESPEARE AND CO.
LATIN QUARTER AND ST-GERMAIN
37 rue de la Bûcherie
01 43 25 40 93
This is more than just a bookstore. See Sights.
St-Michel. Take quai de Montebello toward Notre Dame and turn right onto rue St-Jacques. Rue de la Bûcherie is on the left. Open daily 10am-11pm.
LATIN QUARTER AND ST-GERMAIN
15 bd Saint-Denis
01 55 34 75 75
If you’re studying abroad in Paris, this is probably where you’ll want to buy your textbooks—Gibert Jeune carries over 300,000 titles, and with this many books, the store has multiple locations within walking distance for different genres. Buy a book and get the Gibert Jeune bag to blend in with the rest of Paris’s literary crowd. Bonus: it’s air-conditioned, which makes for a cool, intellectual getaway on a hot summer day.
St-Michel. Multiple locations along quai St-Michel, pl. Saint-Michel, and rue de la Huchette. Open M-Sa 9:30am-7:30pm.
SAN FRANCISCO BOOK CO.
LATIN QUARTER AND ST-GERMAIN
17 rue Monsieur le Prince
01 43 29 15 70
www.sanfranciscobooksparis.com
San Francisco Book Co. is a quaint little English-language bookshop filled floor to ceiling with used books. If you’re running low on cash, you can rummage through the €1-3 books outside or sell or trade your own books here. Find some summer fiction or mysteries on your own, or ask the gentle owner from Lincoln, Nebraska, about his more rare finds. You may not guess that among the Jodi Picoult novels and Michelin travel guides lie first edition copies of James Joyce’s Ulysses or prints of Latin classics from the 17th century.
Odéon. From the intersection, walk down rue Dupuytren. Turn left at the end of the street onto rue Monsieur le Prince. Open M-Sa 11am-9pm, Su 2-7:30pm.
POP CULTURE SHOP
BASTILLE
23 rue Keller
01 43 55 34 68
Pop Culture Shop is focused on a specific kind of pop culture: comic books and superhero memorabilia. Shelves upon shelves of comic books make this a geek’s gold mine in Bastille’s shopping district. The shop is only a few years old, but the owner’s collection has been in the works for many more. Find all your Batman and Green Lantern classics as well as some less mainstream names. In the back you can browse a decent collection of vinyls and figurines.
Bastille. Walk down rue de la Roquette and turn right onto rue Keller. Comic book €5-10. Vinyls €12-24. Open Sept-Jun M 2-7:30pm, Tu-Sa 11am-7:30pm; Jul-Aug M-W 2-7:30pm, Th-Sa 11:30-7:30pm.
LES MOTSÀ LA BOUCHE
MARAIS
6 rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie
01 42 78 88 30
Logically located in the Marais, this two-story bookstore offers mostly GLBT literature, photography, magazines, and art, with everything from Proust to guides on lesbian lovemaking. Straight guys could probably learn a few pointers from that last one, too. And right next to the gay pornzines are some works by Foucault and Arendt because, you know, it’s all interchangeable. Most books are in French, but there is an English section with books by David Sedaris and, of course, Brokeback Mountain. Head downstairs for the international DVD collection (€7-25); titles range from the artistic to the pornographic.
Hôtel de Ville. Take a left onto rue Vieille du Temple and a left onto rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie. Books €8-21. Open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su1-9pm.
Clothing
Parisians know how to dress well. It’s in their blood. If you want to dress like them, you don’t have to drain your bank account—or as they say in French, “fais chauffer ta carte bleu” (“heat up your credit card”). Galeries Lafayette is the French equivalent of Macy’s and will save you time and money, not to mention the embarrassing experience of being asked to leave Louis V. For everything vintage, from pre-World War II garb to totally radical Jeff Spicoli get-ups, head to the Marais and Bastille. Les Halles are also a mega complex of stores that sell everything from clothing to music and provide all that your average supermall has to offer.
FREE‘P’ STAR
MARAIS
8 rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie
01 42 76 03 72
Enter as Plain Jane and leave as Madonna—from the ’80s or ’90s, that is. Choose from a wide selection of vintage dresses (€20), velvet blazers (€40), boots (€30), and military-style jackets (€5) that all seem like a good idea when surrounded by other antiquated pieces but require some gumption to be worn out in the open—maybe shoulder pads are making a comeback? Dig around the €10 denim pile and €3 bin for ripped jeans that died out with Kurt Cobain.
Hôtel de Ville. Follow rue de Renard and turn right onto rue St-Merri, which becomes rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie. There are 2 other locations at 61 rue de la Verrerie (01 42 78 076) and 20 rue de Rivoli. Credit card min €20. Open M-F 11am-9pm, Sa-Su noon-9pm.
SOBRAL
LES ÎLES
79 rue St-Louis-en-l’Île
01 43 25 80 10
Brazilian artist Sobral is inspired by nature and makes all of his products with natural elements. Tiny Eiffel Towers, bangle bracelets, and elaborate necklaces are all made from natural resin infused with colors and objects in patterns reminiscent of tie-dye. The prices here may be fairly expensive, but it’s a fun place to window shop. After all, Sobral only has three locations outside of Brazil, and this is one of them.
Pont Marie. Walk across the bridge and continue straight, then turn right onto rue St-Louis-en-l’Île. Rings €35. Bracelets €28-56. Earrings €18-40. Necklaces €78-120. Mirrors from €110. Open daily 11am-7:30pm.
Vintage
COME ON EILEEN
BASTILLE
16-18 rue des Taillandiers
01 43 38 12 11
Forget tacky vintage blazers and enormous shoulder pads—this vintage paradise is full of timeless designer goods, thank you. From Vanessa Bruno dresses to Marc Jacobs heels, your finds will leave you dying to brag to your friends about what a savvy thrift shopper you are. Look Faye Dunaway-chic in your Lanvin flats and not Bill Cosby-itchy in those, ahem, memorable sweaters.
Voltaire or Bastille. Walk up rue de la Roquette; rue des Taillandiers is about halfway between the 2 stops. Items from €30-80. Open M 11am-8:30pm, Tu 3-8:30pm, W-F 11am-8:30pm, Su 2-8pm. Store opens at 2pm in Aug; closes at 5pm in winter.
MAMIE SHOP
OPÉRA
69 rue de Rochechouart
01 42 81 10 42
Right next door to Mamie Blue, Mamie Shop offers a bigger selection and a little more flair than its sister store. The shop feels a bit like Willy Wonka’s version of a clothing store, with spaces narrow enough for just one person to fit at a time, but with so many rooms and clothing, you could easily get lost. Sadly, there are no glass elevators for sale, just some interesting articles of clothing. Mamie Blue specializes in clothing from the 1920s to the 1970s, with flowery dresses and Mad Men-esque blouses, although we’re thinking the prices might be a little over-adjusted for inflation.
Anvers or Barbès. From bd de Rochechouart, turn onto rue de Rochechouart, which is located between the 2 Métro stops. Tailoring available. Men’s jackets from €30. Dresses €40-175. Open M 3-6pm, Tu-Sa 11am-12:30pm and 3-6pm.