Paris Nightlife

Il faut être toujours ivre. Tout est là, c’est l’unique question. —Charles Baudelaire

The City of Light is no less bright at night. Bars in Paris are either chic nighttime cafes bursting with people-watching potential, house-party-esque joints that are all about rock music and teenage angst, or laid-back neighborhood spots that often double as Anglo havens. In the 5 ème and 6 ème, bars draw French and foreign students, while the Bastille and Marais teem with Paris’s young and hip, queer and straight. The Châtelet-Les Halles area draws a slightly older set, while the outer arrondissements cater to the full range of locals in tobacco-stained bungalows and yuppie drinking holes. Paris also harbors a ton of quality jazz bars, the best of which are listed in this guide. For more on jazz bar culture and etiquette, see Life and Times.

Clubbing in Paris is less about hip DJs and cutting-edge beats than it is about dressing up, getting in, and being seen. Drinks are expensive, and Parisians drink little beyond the first round, included in most cover charges. Many clubs accept reservations, which means that on busy nights there is no available seating. It’s best to dress well and be confident but not aggressive about getting in. Come early and bring or be in a group of girls if you can. Once inside, the dance scene depends on the club--sometimes it’s hopping, sometimes its an excuse to sway next to the one you kiffe . Clubs are usually busiest 2-4am. Tune in to Radio FG (98.2 FM) or Radio Nova (101.5 FM) to find out about upcoming events.

One of Europe’s most queer-friendly cities, Paris boasts a plethora of GLBT nightlife hotspots, both calm and cruisy. The Marais is the center of GLBT life in Paris. Most queer bars and clubs cluster around rue du Temple, rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie, rue des Archives, and rue Vieille du Temple, in the 4 ème . A number of more-subdued lesbian bars can be found in the 3 ème . For the most comprehensive listing of GLBT restaurants, clubs, hotels, organizations, and services, consult Illico (free at queer bars and restaurants), Gai Pied’s annually updated book Guide Gai (€15 at kiosks and bookstores), or Zurban magazine’s annual Paris Gay and Lesbian Guide (€6 at any kiosk). Les Mots à la Bouche, Paris’s largest queer bookstore, is an unofficial information center for GLBT life; they can tell you what’s hot now (see Shopping).

île De La Cité And île St-louis

Far from a party spot, the islands are a bit of a nightlife wasteland. Still, there are a few overpriced brasseries that are worth a stop. The bars are a lot more fun and a lot less expensive on either ...more

Châtelet-Les Halles

Banana Cafe, 13 rue de la Ferronerie (☎ 01 42 33 35 31; www.bananacafeparis.com), Situated in the heart of one of Paris's liveliest areas for nightlife, Banana Cafe is the self-declared, and rightly ...more

The Marais

There are as many bars and clubs in the Marais as people. Indisputably the center of fun, Paris's GLBT nightlife scene and fashionable men's and women's bars and clubs crowd rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie ...more

Latin Quarter And St-Germain

Nightlife is a bit stronger in the fifth arrondissement; plenty of pricey bars and jazz clubs line the main streets and boulevards around St-Michel. What better way to walk off a few beers than a stroll ...more

Invalides (7ème)

If you want to party into the wee hours of the morn, stumble home to your affordable hotel room, and pass out after consuming another €1 bottle of wine, then you probably shouldn't stay in the 7ème ...more

Champs-Élysées (8ème)

Glam is the name of the game at the trendy, expensive bars and clubs of the 8ème. Whether you're going for a mystical evening at buddha-bar or a surprisingly accessible evening at Le Queen, make sure ...more

Opéra

Cafe Le Baron, 11 rue de Châteaudun (☎ 01 48 78 13 68), A quintessential Parisian cafe, come here if you're really in the mood to receive some disdainful stares from behind sunglasses (if you're obviously ...more

Canal St-Martin And Surrounds (10ème)

Try to stay on big streets and avoid heading to the Metro on back streets in the 10ème late at night. Pickpockets, muggers, and scumbags abound. L'Atmosphère, 49 rue Lucien Sampaix 01 40 38 09 25 This ...more

Bastille

Nightlife in the 11ème has long consisted of Anglophones who drink too much and the Frenchies who hide from them. With a few exceptions, rue de Lappe and its neighbors offer a big, raucous night on the ...more

Butte-aux-cailles And Chinatown

Blessed with a young and unassuming crowd, the 13ème's local haunts are cluttered with vintage instruments, overflow onto maritime concert venues floating along the Seine, and maintain a chill atmosphere ...more

Montparnasse

Montparnasse doesn't have much in terms of nightlife; at night, most of its younger residents are busy partying it up in other arrondissements. Older crowds frequent the bars along the main boulevards ...more

Passy And Auteuil (16ème)

The 16ème isn't the hottest spot in town, but it does feature a few stylish bars with reasonably priced drinks. You'll be hanging out with the chic and the too-cool-for-school, so leave those frayed sneakers ...more

Batignolles (17ème)

If you're thinking of a wild night on the town in the 17ème, forget it. If the people who live here drink here, they do it by themselves; the craziest it'll get is a few drinks with old friends and maybe ...more

Montmartre (18ème)

Nightlife in Montmartre comes, of course, with the burden of not getting too drunk and staying away from the shady cabarets/strip clubs. The best way to stay safe is to keep your wits about you. Le Rendez-Vous ...more

Buttes Chaumont (19ème)

Butte Chaumont doesn't have the most popping nightlife scene, and this is definitely not the safest neighborhood in Paris. That being said, drinks are generally cheap, and the company can get rowdy at ...more

Belleville And Père Lachaise

Given that it's mostly a residential neighborhood, Belleville has very few nightlife options. Crowds tend to be exclusively local, so this is a great place to see how Parisians really get down. Lou Pascalou ...more

Dance Clubs

Folies Pigalle, 11 pl. Pigalle, 18 ème (☎ 01 48 78 55 25; www.folies-pigalle.com). Pigalle. The largest, wildest club in the sleazy Pigalle quartier —not for the faint of heart. A former strip joint ...more