Baron Samedi – The grooviest bar in town

The Baron Samedi is a sensual deity in Haitian voodoo beliefs, but also one of the best bars in Belleville. This atypical bar may be barely a year old, but if I didn’t know that I would swear that it has been here since the 1960s.

I’ve rarely been to a bar in Paris that has such a sense of identity and character, with deep red Chesterfield sofas, New York loft brick, and blackened walls, thick with vintage soul posters. It is a bar that lives above all for music, with the three associates who run the venue being passionate about Northern Soul, funk, R&B, rock and roll, reggae and rap – in fact anything but techno electronica!

They like to compare the bar to ‘a Louisiana cemetery where you drink spiced rum whilst dancing to Desmond Dekker‘, but in reality it is a chilled venue where you feel instantly at home, especially during happy hour when the music is low and you can relax on the Chesterfields.

The particular ambiance of the venue attracts a eclectic selection of artists whose work can often been seen decorating the walls. It also home to regular and unusual events, including poker nights and history evenings, as well as more traditional DJ slots. When the music is turned up, the devilish rhythms bring people onto the dancefloor and the atmosphere gets steamier. The grooves may not put you into a trance, but they’ll make sure you leave with a smile on your face.