Bars & cafes – All our local tips

The 6th floor of Pompidou Centre is a great place for those who want to have an overview of Paris’s sociology. Indeed, 4 different categories of what constitute Paris’s crowd can be examined:

1) snobbish Parisians and rich tourists meet at Georges (like Georges Pompidou) restaurant, a trendy place to be seen, with a terrace offering a view on surrounding areas, including Palais de Justice and Notre-Dame;

2) art students or simply art enthusiasts (6th floor hosts the most popular exhibitions of the Centre);

3) regular tourists who, after visiting the collections on the 4th floor, climb to the 6th in the famous escalator to have a look and take pictures from what’s one of the best views of Paris;

4) finally, a 4th category, which I belong to, of people who get there only to have a break or even a nap on the comfortable coloured sofas in the hall. In sunny days of winter, the glass structure produces a « greenhouse effect », and it’s a real pleasure to doze off in the middle of this chaotic atmosphere.

To reach the 6th floor, you’re supposed to have a ticket for the Centre (it’ll be asked if you want to visit the exhibitions), but here’s a tip: go to the elevator on the left of the big square and say you’re going to the Georges. They’ll let you in, and you’ll take 2 elevators. Once on the 6th floor, feel free to actually go to the Georges, or just admire the view, or of course, enjoy a decent nap on the sofas!!!

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6th floor of Pompidou Centre | Art & culture, Bars, Relaxing, Restaurants | Free
Place Georges Pompidou | Louvre/Les Halles
Wed – Mon 12:00 – 20:50

Art brut, a narrow, darkly-lit bar has incredible energy and charm. It is situated near the Pompidou Centre in a quiet, historic street, Rue Quincampoix, where you will face the pleasant but difficult choice among three great bars: L’ Imprévu, La Comédie et Art brut.

Art brut is usually my first choice, though it is not always easy to get in.

Bar and art gallery in one, and decorated directly by the artists themselves, it offers a unique cultural meeting point, point as well as a spot to meet people of different ages and backgrounds. Arty part presents expositions that rotate monthly of both young unknown artists and „stars”, including members of the great French music group Têtes raides. Photography, paintings, sculptures, and DIY also can be found here. .

The staff is unpretentious and friendly, and music is often Serbian and Croatian rock as well as ethno sounds from these parts of Europe.

Main menu stars include Šljivovica- Balkanian plum brandy and Montenegrian Nikšičko beer.

Coffee is pretty inexpensive for this area of Paris and the meat and cheese plate is scrumptious.

Cosy, inspiring and human, Art brut tempts you to return again and again to check out the latest exhibition or just meet old and new acquaintances.

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Art brut | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee € 1.50
78, rue Quincampoix | Louvre/Les Halles | +33142721736
16:00 – 02:00 daily

Around diminutive tables and stools on the pavement a relaxed crowd of young arty types muse volubly over cheap beers, huge baguettes and plates of mixed charcuterie. Acquiring a table outside can take time, force or simply a bit of flirting but once ensconced you are likely to get chatting to neighbouring tables in no time.

Unlike some of Montmartre and the nearby Sacre Coeur, the Rendez-vous is scarcely tainted by the hoards of tourists; at first glance the quietly cool air of the place and almost exclusively French crowd can even seem a little intimidating. Persist though and you will find the atmosphere rather more relaxed and friendly.

Happy Hour (20:00 – 22:00) finds beers (pint) at € 4.00 and a pot of wine (50cl) at € 8.00. Baguettes as long as your arm packed with meat, cheese or paté cost € 3.50, salads are € 8.00 and charcuterie/cheese boards are € 8.00 to € 10.00.

On weekends bands (anything from chanson to jazz-funk or rock) play in the low ceilinged back-room; entrance is usually free. To sum up, Au Rendez-Vous des Amis is just that, an unaffected low-key venue, a lovely spot to have a drink with friends and a likely place to make new ones.

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Au Rendez-Vous des Amis | Bars, Music, Snacks | Baguette € 3.50
23 rue Gabrielle | Montmartre/Clichy | +33146060160
08:30 – 02:00 daily

Many pubs in Paris look like one another, and there are even more and more chains of pubs reproducing a same décor or atmosphere. This is not the case with Auld Alliance.

Located in the “lower” Marais (quieter than the very busy Marais, North of Rue de Rivoli), this pub has a strong personality, maybe because it’s one of the rare Scottish pubs in Paris. For that reason, it’s a good place to taste a great range of whiskies, or to celebrate the Burns night (25th of January).

The atmosphere is generally quite cosy, and it’s one of my first choices when I want to go for a pint and want to be able to talk without shouting. But it can also get very crowded and loud for sports events like the Six Nations (rugby) or the Old Firm (football derby between Rangers and Celtic). Watching a rugby match between France and Scotland here is a unique experience, the crowd being generally around 50/50, “Allez les Bleus” choirs and blue jerseys competing with bagpipes and kilts.

By the way, the “Auld Alliance” which gives its name to the pub is a historical agreement between Scotland and France in order to fight against their preferred common enemy… guess who!. That’s probably why Scottish expats and French regulars perfectly manage to mix in such a friendly and non serious atmosphere.

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Auld Alliance | Bars | Pint of beer € 6.00
80 rue François Miron | Marais/Bastille | +33148043040
Mon – Fri 15:00 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 02:00

Once a café-theatre frequented by Maurice Chevalier and Edith Piaf (then local residents), Aux Folies embodies perfectly the spirit of the quartier. Crammed onto one of the tiny street-facing tables one observes local life pass-by in all its colour, chaos and multiplicity.

The drinks are cheap and the service super-efficient; late afternoon even finds the terrace (a rare sun-trap amid the narrow shaded streets) bathed in somnolent rays.

Packed out at all hours, the clientele is made up largely of the native bohemian populace, Chinese and North African local residents and a selection of foreign students and artists too. Multiple languages, styles and constant movement make the people-watching as fascinating and varied on the pavement as on the terrace itself.

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Aux Folies | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Beers (demi) € 3
8 rue de Belleville | Belleville/Nation | +33146366598
Mon – Sat 06:00 – 02:00, Sun 07:00 – 01:00

The Baron Samedi is a sensual deity in Haitian voodoo beliefs, but also now the name of a recent addition to the Belleville streetscape. 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 collection of characters, illustrators and artists among them whose work can often been seen decorating the walls. It also home to regular and unusual events, including poker nights and soul crosswords, and several times a week it hosts DJ slots. When the music is turned up, the devilish rhythms bring people onto the dance-floor 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.

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Baron Samedi | Bars, Music | Pint of Beer (Happy Hour) € 3.50
12 Rue des Goncourt | Belleville/Nation | +330143573158
18:00 – 02:00 daily

An excellent and always enjoyable spot for drinks and dinner is Bercy Village on the Eastern side of Paris. Away from the main tourist routes but always busy, this secluded pedestrian street offers a nice combination of outside terraces, restaurants, shops and even a cinema.

The street and buildings are converted docks, that once functioned as storage for the wine barrels that supplied Paris. The old train tracks (leading to the Seine where the barrels arrived by boat) are still visible in the middle of the street. The reconversion has been very well done.

The Village offers a selection of good shops (Agnès B, Nature et Découvertes, Sephora), a brewery (The Frog), restaurants and a USG cinema, guaranteeing a nice evening out all within a square mile. There are frequent free photo exhibitions in the portals that give access to the street.

The modern and rapid metro line 14 gives direct access within 12 minutes from the centre of Paris.

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Bercy village | Bars, Cinemas, Shopping
Cour St – Emilion | Marais/Bastille
Shops 11:00 – 21:00 daily

Butte aux Cailles is a really lovely part of the city. What city is that? You wouldn’t guess, if someone just set you down without telling you, in the middle of the hilly Street Butte aux Cailles.

It is in southern Paris, at the edge of the 13th arrondissement – the northern limit is Boulevard Auguste Blanqui, to the south is Rue Tolbiac, Rue Barrault to the west and Rue du Moulin-des-Prés to the east.

It has the atmosphere of a tranquil little village and will certainly give you a holiday feeling, or if you like big cities but a calm neighbourhood, maybe a wish to live here. It had that effect on me.

Just a few centuries ago this area was covered with farms, windmills while the river Bivère ran through it. The origin of its name comes from the 16th century owner, Cailles, while buttes are hills. Today, history is visible through its distinction from its surrounding areas: Haussmann’s Paris on one side and high blocks of buildings on the other. And the river went into the underworld (canalisation).

At evenings, weekends and on sunny days, there is a great atmosphere all around. Lively, not stuffy and not snobbish at all.

If suggestions for places to go are at all needed, I would just say walk around before choosing a bar, especially in the Rue Butte aux Cailles. Fine places are the Basque restaurant in the Rue des Cinq Diamants (Chez Gladines) and La Folie en Tête, Le Diapason, Sputnik in the Rue Buttes aux Cailles.

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Butte aux Cailles | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Pint of Beer € 4.00
From Boulevard Auguste Blanqui to the Rue Tolbiac | Chinatown/Denfert
Most bars till 02:00

The café Chéri(e) is superbly dilapidated; gleaming in red fairy lights it seems at once a very seedy Scout hut and a modestly trendy watering-hole for Belleville’s deliberately ‘un-fashionable’ but no less cool populace.

Characteristic of the neighbourhood, it is busy morning til night; sleepy students, artists and locals seeking peace and coffee give way later on to a louder more raucous crowd of party-goers. DJs play at the weekends, but don’t expect international names; in keeping with the generally low-key style, the DJs appear to be locals and friends.

During the day the terrace, consisting mainly of old school desks with rickety lids and inkwells packed in together so as to cause great difficulty and attention when moved, makes a great place for a rest, an aperitif or to partake (as everyone else will be doing) in a spot of casual people-watching/eavesdropping.

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Café Chéri(e) | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Cocktails € 6.50
44 Bld. de la Villette | Belleville/Nation | +33142020205
08:00 – 02:00 daily

Café Delaville is a well known and trendy “grand café” in the heart of the Grands Boulevards district. A perfect place for an afternoon or early evening drink.

The atmosphere is trendy but no-nonsense, and the very originally decorated interior adds to the active and frivolous feeling. Often they have live music (DJ) from 20:00 to midnight.

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Café Delaville | Bars | Beer € 3.00
34, Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle | Grands Boulevards | +33148244809
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 02:00

Impossible to miss this café located right at the exit of the friendly and popular Lamarck-Caulaincourt metro station.

The terrace in front of the bar gives a nice view of the typical Montmartre steps that lead up and down the mouth of the metro station, and guarantees a continuing life play of moving people. The bar itself offers traditional and simple charm.

Although in the heart of Montmartre, the bar mainly caters to locals of all types. Couples drinking a glass of wine, workers having a quick café at the counter, or others sealing some contract with draft beer and peanuts. Staff is very friendly.

Right next to the bar is a stand selling papers and magazines, providing you with a literary cover while enjoying the late afternoon sun rays or the terrace conversations.

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Café Le Refuge | Bars | Beer € 3.00
72, Rue Lamarck | Montmartre/Clichy | +33142552758
Mon – Sat 07:30 – 00:00, Sun 09:00 – 00:00

I pass by this pub often during the day, and I was not at all sure if it was open or not, or what purpose it serves (some of the ideas was that it’s an ancient pub turned into a local art studio). It seemed totally mysterious to me. Attracted by the drawings on the windows I decided to unravel the mystery. So the truth is: the place is a pub, though the drawings hide the interior from people staring at the people inside, it opens only in the afternoon (from 4 p.m.) and it’s a great place to have your afternoon beer.

The Connolly’s Corner, hidden from the crowded Rue Mouffetard (on the corner to the street parallel) is not a stereotypical loud and big Irish pub. It somehow combines the culture of a social atmosphere, typical for the image of the Irish with the intimate “bar de quartier”. It is small, relaxed and friendly.

Cask tables and the picador at the back room are the cute details of this, first Irish pub at the Rive Gauche. Opened in 1988 it still lives fully, offering Music on Sundays and beer and whiskeys they are proud of.

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Connolly’s Corner | Bars | Pint of Guinness € 6.50
12, rue de Mirbel | Quartier Latin | +33143365540
16:00 – 02:00 daily

Although I’m not usually fond of this kind of fashionable and exuberant places, in one of the trendiest areas of Paris, I’m making an exception for The Curieux Spaghetti Bar, two steps from Centre Pompidou, at the entrance of the Marais.

Specialising in pasta, as its name suggests, it offers a €11,50 all-you-can-eat buffet at lunch on weekdays (it used to be  €9,50: it is a curieux way to implement the VAT decrease in restaurants!!!) at lunch and transforms in a regular pasta restaurant at dinner. But the best formula – the one which managed to capture me – is definitely the Italian-like “aperitivo“, served only for happy hour, between 17:00 and 20:00.

During that time, you can enjoy decent-sized mojitos (regular ones or flavoured with ginger, strawberry, banana…) for €6.00 or a beer, glass of wine, or soft drink for €3.00. But what makes it a real bargain is the free buffet of salads (3 different types, a different menu everyday), olives, and pieces of pizzas that you can enjoy unlimited provided you order a drink. Between 7pm and 8pm, it’s generally crowded, and you sometimes have to fight to get pizzas, so better is coming earlier.

The bar regularly changes decoration, always with bright colours, kitsch ceiling lights along the bar, and items reminiscent of pasta (for instance the main door handle).

Ideal place to eat and drink before watching a film at Le Nouveau Latina (check the Le Nouveau Latina article), located just one block away!

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Curieux Spaghetti Bar | Bars, Restaurants (Italian)
14 rue Saint-Merri | Marais/Bastille
Sun – Wed 12:00 – 02:00, Thu – Sat 12:00 – 04:00

A curious mixture of a typical Parisian bar and an authentic Andalucian restaurant, this venue nevertheless manages to always be warm and welcoming.

It is at its liveliest on theme nights when musicians and dancers encourage you on to the dance-floor to try a few steps of Flamenco, or alternatively on European football nights.

On warm spring evenings when Spanish sides are playing, large crowds can be always be seen on the pavement outside, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of one of the screens in the bar.

A love of food, football and fiestas – what could be more Spanish than that?

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El Prado/La Liberte | Bars, Restaurants (Spanish) | Dinner/Spectacle € 22.00
52 rue Saint Sebastien | Belleville/Nation
Mon – Sat 08:00 – 02:00

With its beautifully decorated dining room and bar and fabulous old coffee maker dominating the right side of the bar, the Hotel du Nord is subtly chic and charming. Made famous by Marcel Carné’s 1930s film it has become something of a Parisian institution.

A pretty shaded terrace looks out partly onto the canal at a particularly calm, untrafficed section. The small but excellent seasonal menu boasts both traditional and more modern dishes (such as a Chinese style three cabbage salad- delicious).

Hotel du Nord is rather an elegant little place and whilst the ambiance is more discreet than in many of the restaurants in the area, it is by no means ostentatious. There is also a great selection of wines and good options for vegetarians too.

Hotel du Nord is at once

a handsome restaurant ideal for a romantic evening meal – with its low-lighting and candlelit dining room - as a peaceful café, perfect for a coffee or an aperitif.

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Hôtel du Nord | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (French) | Daily special (mains) € 10.00
102 Quai Jemappes | Belleville/Nation | +33140407878
09:00 – 01:30 daily

Gardens of Palais Royal are like the minds of French people: at first glance they are symmetrical, rational, organized… Cartesian. The palace itself is very homogeneous, like in Place des Vosges (see this article). Everything looks in order. But after a while, you’ll notice a hint of anarchy, disorder, a laid back atmosphere, and sometimes even a big confusion!

More Parisian than neighbouring Jardin des Tuileries, which is gorgeous too but very busy and touristic, Palais Royal is an excellent place to observe Paris’s bourgeoisie: on weekdays, young executives enjoying their lunch break mix with young nannies and their pushchairs, retired people cross-wording or simply observing life, and young boys playing football and dirtying their school uniform in the sandy ground… In hot seasons and sunny weekends, you’ll see a more various and relaxed crowd, including lost or well-informed tourists.

My preference goes to the central pond, mostly for its great chairs inviting for a delicious nap rocked by the continuous murmur of the fountain. But the flowered areas with benches are also nice and quieter. Sometimes, exhibitions of contemporary sculptures are displayed in the gardens, adding a touch of anachronism in this once royal residency.

In summer evenings it’s an excellent place to sip a bottle of wine, throw a picnic or try to play pétanque: garden remains open until its restaurants close.

Have a look at the arcades too: its mixture of very fashionable and very kitschy stores (search the pipe shop and the military decorations and medals ones) perfectly illustrates the contrast between old-fashioned declining grandeur and modern vitality of Palais Royal and its surroundings.

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Jardins du Palais Royal | Art & culture, Bars, Relaxing, Restaurants (French) | Free
2 place Colette | Louvre/Les Halles
07:30 – 20:30 daily (later in summer)

L’Impévu is an unexpectedly colourful bar, that stands out in its neighbourhood. It offers an easy going atmosphere, lively though calm enough to read a book if you are alone.

Like an apartment with 4 different owners, each room has it’s own style and personality. Depending on your mood you can choose the flea market-inspired first room with unusual painted walls, unique tables and dentist chairs; or an oriental room, smaller, quieter and furnished with a comfortable over-sized couch.

Even if it’s not your favourite design choice, this area of the bar, gives you the impression that time has stopped, and is set back so far from the street that you’ll forget where you are. There’s even weak mobile phone signal in that area of the bar, so relaxation is ensured.

For sweets lovers, the tasteful cakes and cookies are ensured and Chai-spiced tea with milk is extraordinary.

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L’Imprevu | Bars, Coffee & tea | Chai € 4.00
7, rue Quincampoix | Louvre/Les Halles | +33142782350
Mon – Sat 15:00 – 02:00 , Sun 15:00 – 00:00

In all honesty, this is a terrible place to watch music – and yet it is a fantastic venue! The stage is down in the basement, tucked away beside the staircase and often hidden from view behind large pillars, but it is unmistakably a real rock venue, and as an additional bonus, all concerts are free!

Every night of the week at least two or three bands are featured, ranging from those playing their first chords in front of an audience to those with many years’ experience. From folk to punk, you’re never to sure what you’ll get but at least the atmosphere is guaranteed to be electric! The floor is sticky, the music loud and the beer cold. What more do you need?

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L’International | Bars, Music | Beer € 3.50
5-7 Rue Moret, | Belleville/Nation
17:00 – 02:00 daily

There are few places in Paris that can offer everything you need in one place, but this is certainly one of them. Open for an incredible 20 hours a day, it provides customers with everything from the first rousing coffee in the morning to the last nightcap late at night.

I particularly like this place for four reasons. It’s right next to where I live, it has a great terrace at the front, the food is very cheap, and it has a (free) live music venue in the cellar downstairs. A perfect night out is to combine all of them. Begin with an aperitif on the terrace, then move inside for something to eat before watching an upcoming band after the sun goes down. Not only is it a cheap evening for me, but I can also be home in two minutes afterwards!

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La Cantine de Belleville | Bars, Music, Restaurants (French) | 3-course € 14.00
108, Boulevard Belleville | Belleville/Nation | +33143159929
06:00 – 02:00 daily

The French culture of the apéritif is sacred, but in Paris it has become almost a noisy celebration of the happy hour. A successful apéritif should be a relaxed affair, a leisurely drink with friends in cool, comfortable surroundings, preferably without a thumping techno beat in the background. La Caravane, in a part of the city which is rapidly becoming more fashionable, ticks all of these boxes.

The bar looks almost half-finished, giving you the impression that you have just walked into a second hand furniture shop. It’s a joyous mixture of colours, styles and textures, with even one seat that seems to have come straight from the set of Emmanuelle! Like the light spilling in through the large street-facing windows, the character of the bar changes from hour to hour.

I often squat one of the scruffy chairs at the entrance on Friday evenings for the apéritif, but later tables are laid for people arriving to eat the tasty and reasonable Franco-Asian themed food. When the sun sets, the temperature rises as cocktails are mixed and regular guest DJs begin spinning discs to another kind of customer. It truly is a destination with something for everybody.

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La Caravane | Bars, Restaurants (Franco-Asian) | Beer € 2.50
35 rue de la Fontaine au Roi | Belleville/Nation
12:00 – 02:00 daily

I don’t smoke, but somehow it makes me feel bad for my friends, having to go outside the bars each time they want to smoke. It reminds me once more how extreme solutions rarely work. Anyway, that’s one of the reasons why I like La Comédie, the small joyous bar on 2 floors with a big heated terrace for smokers.

The entrance is quite ordinary, however, when you arrive at the first floor the mystery of the bar’s name will be resolved – hundreds of movie stars pictures and theatre posters cover the walls. So you can amuse yourself endlessly checking who is who, what theatre plays are still on or just compare the favourites.

Visitors are usually younger people, and it’s not too crowded. Staff is polite and friendly which is always a good news in Paris. Happy hours from 16:00 to 22:00 provide lower price cocktails (€ 4.00).

This Comédie Triade – theatre, books and cinema reminders that fill the first floor room make you feel as you visited your old friend’s home with whom you share hobbies and taste. Here is one more reason you could feel so comfortable at La Comédie.

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La Comédie | Bars, Coffee & tea | Pint € 4.00
17, rue de Quincampoix | Louvre/Les Halles
Tue – Sun 16:00 – 02:00

Tucked away at the back of an attractive, but now little-used 1920s art deco shopping arcade is La Java, one of the oldest nightclubs in Paris. Follow the iron staircase underground for a trip back to a Paris of another era!

Opened in 1923, La Java was named after a particular dance style that was popular in the city at the time. In this inter-war period it saw the career debuts of several people who would go on to be worldwide stars including Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier and Django Reinhardt.

Today the venue has been renovated but has kept much of its historical charm. For an authentic night-out in Paris its a great unpretentious place to go. Early on in the evening there will generally be live music or stand-up comics, then the dance floor is cleared for clubbers who arrive around midnight.

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La Java | Bars, Music | Beer € 3.50
105 Rue du Faubourg du Temple | Belleville/Nation
From 19:00 – 06:00 daily

Paris is a place that is magnificent when the sun is out, but a little less appealing when the skies open. It is a Northern city that thinks it is in the South, a Latin soul stuck in the wrong climate.

The city does not really do cosy, certainly not in bars, and you’d never see a comfy sofa placed invitingly in front of a roaring fire. However, rather than just sit at home and watch the raindrops slide down the window, I take a walk through the Parc de Belleville (check the Parc de Belleville article) in raincoat and boots and dry off at La Mer à Boire.

Inside, although not cosy it is definitely comfortable, but what is of particular interest is the fact that you can relax with friends and drinks and play one of the many board games that are made available, or simply sit and read a comic book (the bar specialises in this art form, organising regular events with authors and illustrators).

As the weather changes quickly in this part of the world, simply wait until the sun peeks through the clouds then move outside to the large terrace. Here you are at the highest point in Paris, and you can appreciate the best panoramic view available anywhere in the city.

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La Mer à Boire | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Beer (Demie) € 2.60
1-3, Rue des Envierges | Belleville/Nation | +330143582943
12:00 – 01:00 daily

Paris is undoubtedly one of the culinary capitals of the world, but ironically the city itself has added little to the French table. Most restaurants in the city offer a cuisine which is simply ‘French’, but is in fact a mixture of inspirations and influences from the four corners of the country, so it is always nice to find somewhere which is so strongly linked to just one particular region. For this reason, I was very happy to discover that a Basque restaurant had opened just a few streets from my home.

The Basques love music and sport (rugby!), but they also love their food and drink! Many of the dishes here are quite familiar, the piperades and piquillos, but what is unusual at this restaurant is the large barrels of Basque cider. After talking to the guys running the establishment I learn that such places are quite common in the Basque country, but almost non-existent elsewhere. The drink itself had become a rarity after being banned by Franco, and production had completely ceased in France until recently.

The establishment is divided into two halves. A bar on one side where the cider barrels dominate, as well as a television where people gather for important rugby matches, and the restaurant on the other. Conviviality is the keyword here too though, as people eat together around the long tables and queue up to take another glass of the delicious cider. The establishment is run by a group of friends who wanted to recreate the atmosphere of Bayonne in Paris, and with cheerful service and traditional music they largely succeed. One word of warning though – the cider is deceptively strong!

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La Sidreria | Bars, Restaurants (Basque) | 3-course menu & cider € 25.00
25, rue Moret | Belleville/Nation | +330158307575
Tue – Thu 11:45 – 15:00 & 18:30 – 00:30, Fri 18:30 – 01:30, Sat 14:30 – 01:30

Le Bar du Marché is that rare thing in a city as heavily tourist-trodden as Paris: a busy central café/bar which – though frequented by tourists – has not lost its individuality or favour amongst the native or local clientele.

The highlight is the terrace: diminutive tables packed onto the corner of the rue de Seine and the rue Saint-André des Arts thus providing an ideal vantage point over this colourful, ever-frenetic corner of Paris. Outdoor heaters mean the terrace is a feasible option in the winter too.

Lunch-time or late afternoon/aperitif hour are probably my favourite times to visit. For me, little out-does the classic lunch combination of a croque-monsieur and a glass of house red followed by an espresso….. plus, I’m a sucker for pavement-side people-watching!

On weekends you may have to hustle just a tiny bit for a table but don’t be put off, the service is efficient and friendly (if a touch flirty – the waiters in red overalls and berets!). The food is good and not expensive, with the usual selection of salads, steak frites, croques and so on available.

Of all the little hidden treasures and out-of-the-way spots in Paris, Le Bar du Marché is still an absolute favourite of mine. Great atmosphere, ideal location, good quality and well-priced food and drink…. it’s a gem and a classic all rolled into one.

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Le Bar du Marché | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (French) | Wine € 3
75 rue du Seine | Quartier Latin | +33143265515
09:00 – 02:00 daily

La Bellevilloise is one of the important night life spots in Paris. There are lots of places where you can „live culture” during the day in the city, however the night palette of this kind is not so easy to find.

In today’s version Bellevilloise was open in 2005 on the spot where there used to be (in 1877) an after Parisian-Commune worker’s cooperative. In those days it was dedicated to education and animation of the workers living in the area.

Today, the place took the same name and the motto is „dedication to light and creation”. Although nowadays you will meet mainly “bobo” public, but not exclusively.

There are different things going on even at the same time, as it is a music club, an exposition place, a bar and a restaurant with the stage (separated in 4 different rooms). From exhibitions, rock or world music concerts, to dj-ing, interactive workshops, film festivals to even bio markets there is always something interesting to participate in.

Once you are in rue Boyer you surely won’t miss a good concert, either in the nearby club la Maroquinerie (23, rue Boyer) or in La Bellevilloise. The pleasant choice is yours.

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Le Bellevilloise | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Festivals & events
19,21 rue Boyer | Belleville/Nation | +33146360707
Wed – Fri 17:30 – 00:20, Sat – Sun 11:00 – 02:00

One of my favorite places to go for a drink is Caveau des Oubliettes – a tiny bar nestled in-between Notre Dame and the touristy Saint Michel areas.

This spot boasts live jazz music nightly (with no cover charge) at 22:00, and it is also the place to do for potent cocktails to be shared with friends. Try their signature cocktail, the rhum-rhum, but make sure to remember that these drinks pack a punch! Don’t miss Happy Hour from 17:00 – 21:00 for drink specials.

Not only are the drinks strong and well-priced, but the bar itself offers a bit of history. The basement area was originally a sort of dungeon where prisoners were held before their executions, and there is an actual guillotine standing tall on the ground floor of the bar. These historical elements add to the appeal and fun of this place – a great spot to try with friends!

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Le Caveau des Oubliettes | Art & culture, Bars | rhum-rhum € 4.80
52 rue Gallande | Quartier Latin | +33146342309
17:00 – 02:00 daily (Live music from 22:00)

The Faitout is a cosy, ramshackle sort of place popular with Belleville residents who return time and again for the laid-back atmosphere, the good quality fare (and the free Internet).

The staff are young and rather charming, (the café I-Pod is usually handed round for the customers to choose the music) and free popcorn circulates in the late afternoon.

The menu is varied and inexpensive, from classic French fare: blanquette de veau and mixed charcuterie to salads and more worldly dishes: Thai curry and Moroccan couscous, all consistently well prepared and presented, in addition to a good selection of wines. There is currently a ‘Formule-Theatre’ which is a menu plus a reduced price theatre ticket at the near-by theatre La Providence (for 7.50€ instead of 9€).

A book shelf along one wall offers novels, guide books and odd miscellany in a selection of languages (mainly French and English) as well as board games (Scrabble, Monopoly, Guess Who etc). The draw of the Faitout is easy to conceive, and for me this really lies in the comfort of the large leather booths where many happy hours can be spent reading, eating, drinking…indeed if its procrastination or lazing about you seek then the Faitout is just the place.

The bar and terrace fill up later with a good-looking artsy (fashionably scruffy) local crowd. Blankets on the terrace ensure smokers may take their time on cold evenings.

P.S. Be sure to try the syrup with coffee…

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Le Faitout | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Hibiscus tea € 3.50
23 Avenue Simon Bolivar | Belleville/Nation | +33142080709
08:00 – 01:00 daily

Situated right across the street from the Louvre (east-side) this dandy-chic bar is a convenient spot after a museum visit, a shopping frenzy or a stroll in the Tuileries gardens.

Whether you have a seat in one of the comfortable fauteuils in the folly-library in the back, or stay in the front part with the impressive and ever busy counter, you will enjoy the well dressed beau monde chatting over a glass of whine or reading the papers and revues.

This used to be a spot for cigar-affectionados, who have now been expelled to the (heated) terrace.

Expect having to wait some time for a free table for lunch or dinner.

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Le Fumoir | Bars | Coffee € 4,50
6, Rue de l’Amiral Coligny | Louvre/Les Halles | +33826100797
11:00 – 23:30 daily

A veritable feast for the senses, the Lèche-Vin is fun and it won’t break the bank. Tucked away on the rue Daval, it is highly recognisable thanks to the life-sized, fairly-light dripping Virgin Mary glowing in the window. The interior of the bar is adorned with religious paraphernalia to varying degrees of irreverence and tackiness. All is complimented by a warm red glow.

Happy Hour (18:00 – 22:00) offers an array of well-priced drinks with beers by the pint at € 4.00 (€ 5.00 after 22:00) and cocktails at € 4.50. The Lèche-Vin draws a young crowd, the atmosphere is laid-back and the staff affable and unhurried. Tables are swiftly reoccupied when vacated, the remaining space throngs with friendly banter and a ready willingness to squeeze in and around others or onto the long cushioned benches along the rear wall.

Towards the back room – with its bare, painted walls giving the definite imprion of a cave – is the toilet: a curious and highly note-worthy addition to the already quirky setting. Leaving piety at the rickety wooden door, these less-than-modern facilities possess the very antonym of godliness and a good measure of explicitness…

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Le Lèche-Vin | Bars | Pint of beer (Happy Hour) € 4.00
13 rue Daval | Marais/Bastille | +33143559891
18:00 – 01:30 daily

Le Marmite Bazar is probably my favourite restaurant in Paris. I hesitate to say it because the temptation in a city is always to try something new, but here I know that I will always have an exceptional meal and I’ll always regret having gone elsewhere. There is no fashinable décor to divert, instead a warm ethnic shine, a colourful trip around the world and a circuit that continues in the plate.

Caroline Choain, the chef and owner, is a culinary genius. She has a rare appreciation of flavours and textures, a skill at choosing and dosing spices and herbs and yet she still also manages to present everything beautifully. Is there anything she cannot do? What she can certainly do is create is the best Panna Cotta in Paris, one that changes with the seasons. On my last visit, it was infused with Vanilla, surrounded with a delicious salted butter caramel and presented with slices of fresh, crunchy apple. So good that I took a photo (see above!)

Quiet and calm at lunchtimes it is livelier in the evenings with occasional theme events also organised. Sunday lunchtimes are given over to an original and appetising buffet brunch.

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Le Marmite Bazar | Bars, Restaurants (French) | Lunchtime formula € 14.00
14 Rue Bochard de Saron | Montmartre/Clichy | +330148785147
Tue – Sun lunchtime

With its two screens showing only “Latin” films (ie films from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Latin America, and more rarely Romania), and its dance-floor upstairs hosting latin dances classes, Le Latina cinema has become over the years an inevitable place for latin cultures’ enthusiasts wishing to watch an Almodovar film downstairs while hearing the noise of High Heels on the floor above…

Recently, Le Latina was slightly renamed in Le Nouveau Latina, and it slightly changed too, even if it keeps its strong Latin identity. Most of the films are still from Latin countries, but programming now is wider, and includes international auteur cinema (with a preference for films about homosexuality: we’re in the deep heart of the Marais), midday thematic cycles, and midnight cult films on Saturdays (very rare in Paris).

The first floor has been renovated and is now a very cosy tea salon (re-opening in October) which also hosts a small store selling DVDs, film posters and books about cinema (open until 19:00). If you add photography / drawing exhibitions and tango classes on Monday evenings (beginner / intermediate / free practise), it makes Le Nouveau Latina the perfect multidisciplinary space for modern “Latin lovers”…

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Le Nouveau Latina | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Shopping
20 rue du Temple | Marais/Bastille | +33142466271
11:30 – 00:00 daily

Have enough of the city centre? In the Rue de Bagnolet, 20th arrondissement, you can really enjoy a night out. Here are 2 cool places. One is a concert hall Fleche d’Or (102 Bis, rue de Bagnolet) and the other is bar Le Piston Pélican. So you can combine the two, but also stay at the bar Le Piston Pélican- things are as well going on here-exhibitions, concerts. Or if you prefer no „events”, a drink at the Pélican can be just enough.

Piston Pélican is a mixture of a local friendly bar, arty on one side, style bistro Parisien on the other. It’s unusual and original, like it’s name. Le Piston means a person that is a connection in “the right places” so nepotism in the hands of pelican.

They have benches with art deco designed tables, in combination with some parodic arty works gets ironic-collage impressions. The cooked eggs at the counter are a funny detail as well as the Pelicans drawings on different parts in the bar.

The atmosphere is friendly, crowded on weekend nights when there are concerts or DJ’s. Other days are calm but not boring, with selected music.

Pelican is not going to disappoint.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pistonpelican

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Le Piston Pélican | Art & culture, Bars, Music | Pint (happy hour) € 3.50
15, rue de Bagnolet | Belleville/Nation | +33143711576
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 02:00, Sat 10:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 00:00

With large pitchers of beer at € 13.00 apiece all night long, it is easy to discern the Pop-In’s continuing popularity. Aside from this, the tiny and eccentrically laid-out (note the odd use of stairs!) bar boasts a quirky array of mismatching furniture complimented by a diverse and animated clientele.

Performances by some of Paris’s coolest new bands feature weekly and the crowd is generally made up of a melange of ‘bo-bos’(bourgeois bohemian) and fashionable music aficionados. The Pop-In can get very busy – the basement is an infamous sweat-box! – in spite of which the atmosphere always seems to err on the side of fun rather than pretentiousness.

Check out their MySpace page for details of concerts and the like: http://www.myspace.com/pop_in

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Le Pop-In | Bars, Music | Beer (pitcher) € 13.00
105 rue Amelot | Marais/Bastille | +33148055611
Tue – Sun 18:30 – 01:30 daily

Le Popul’Air behind the Parc de Belleville is a unique location for those who want to discover comedians before everybody else. Situated on a suntrap corner, it attracts locals who want to enjoy a quiet drink and soak up some rays of sun, but many also hang around for the packed programme of comedians and story tellers.

Each day, up to 6 different shows may be scheduled, ranging from stand up to more structured performances, taking place in a space not much bigger than a large living room behind the bar. The venue has been such a success that they are currently creating a second performance space.

If you do not feel that your French is up to the experience, the bar is still a cool place to hang out. Almost all the comedians pop out afterwards for a chat, so this may well be the place to meet tomorrow’s stars before they get too big to notice you!

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Le Popul’Air | Bars, Relaxing, Theaters | Beer € 2.50
36 rue Henri Chevreau | Belleville/Nation
12:00 – 00:00 daily

Who said that waiters and restaurant owners in Paris are rude? For visitors (and locals!), it may sometimes seem that an aloofness or even downright aggressiveness are an inevitable part of eating out in the city, but if you are looking for a complete change, go to ‘Le Rollin’. The décor is bright and smart if a little impersonal, but the service is anything but cool and detached.

Food is along fairly classic lines, weighted slightly towards seafood, but staff will guide you through all the corners of the menu, cheerfully pointing out items that may be most suited to your tastes. As you are waiting for your choices to arrive, freshly prepared little surprises are brought to the table from the kitchen (situated visably at the end of the bar!), such as soups served in cappuccino cups and served with a straw.

Staff are always present and ready to chat, including the chef who sometimes pops out of the kitchen to check that everything is ok. If you are in Paris as a larger group, note that this restaurant also has a semi-private area that can be reserved at no extra cost.

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Le Rollin | Bars, Restaurants (French) | Lunchtime menu € 13.00
92, Avenue Ledru Rollin | Marais/Bastille | +330148065192
Tue – Sat 12:00 – 15:00 & 19:30 – 00:00

It’s always great to have a nice local bar, but even better when that bar has a fantastic art deco interior! The team at Le Rubis have only been in place for a month, but they have already successfully regenerated an establishment that was hidden for years behind a dull contemporary decor.

Sitting at the bottom of an atypical 1930s building, it now provides a stylish sparkle to the district. The main feature is a curved island bar at the centre of the bar, but the ruby-red walls and bench seats also bring a certain warmth and cosiness to the venue.

The friendly owners will also make you feel welcome, especially if you are a fan of music, for example at one of their ‘apero pic-nic rock n roll’ events on Friday or Saturday evenings. Many other events are planned in the coming months, but you can also just go along for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or for a cocktail in the evening!

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Le Rubis | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (French) | Beer € 2.50
140 Rue Saint Maur | Belleville/Nation
Mon – Thu 08:00 – 20:00, Fri – Sat 08:00 – 02:00

The main thrill of the Tambour is undoubtedly its curious opening hours. Fancy a steak or an onion soup at 4am? Well then the Tambour is probably the place for you.

The food is traditional French: various cuts of meat, cheese boards and a good selection of wine etc. The place fills up with well-heeled post-show/theater goers, hungry post-bar students and all manner of miscellaneous others.

The atmosphere is always busy and convivial and there is no real necessity to eat, though ordering a plate of cheese will probably land you a table quicker at busy times.

Characteristic of the old bistrot culture, you will be packed onto tiny tables next to strangers where inter-table banter is naturally struck-up and new acquaintances made.

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Le Tambour | Bars, Restaurants (French) | Steak € 15
41 rue Montmartre | Louvre/Les Halles | +33142330690
Tue – Sat 12:00 – 06:00, Sun – Mon 18:00 – 06:00

Le Truskel is the solution to the sometimes tricky problem of where to go in Paris after midnight. It is not difficult to find bars or clubs that are open late in the city, but with the night scene being rather scattered, it is worth taking the time to find a place that is both festive and wallet friendly. Le Truskel is one of the few venues that won’t try to transport you back to 1985 and charge you 10 Euros for a beer. The entrance is even free!

I sometimes go to the Truskel at the end of a night out with friends whilst at other times it will be because of what they have scheduled. Early in the evening live sport events are shown on big screen TVs, then as the crowds arrive DJs spark up mostly rock and indie tunes.

Up and coming bands play regularly and touring bands often pop-in for surprise after concert acoustic sets or DJ slots. Recent visitors have included Jarvis Cocker, Bloc Party, Pete Doherty and the Cold War Kids (videos available on their MySpace page!). In fact, it’s a venue where you are never sure what you will see – or who you will meet!

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Le Truskel | Bars | Pint of Beer € 6.00
12 Rue Feydeau | Grands Boulevards
Tue – Sat 20:00 – 05:00

Popular Fathers is a likable coffee-bar, where you’ll feel cosy and homey. Now open for a year and a half, it took the place of another coffee shop. Today it’s a spot where you can enjoy live concerts twice a week, have lunch (during the week only) or just come to savor the atmosphere or enjoy for Paris pretty low prices.

The original interior will remind you of a winery transformed into a living room, topped off by the small performance stage.

The staff is approachable and casual, nonchalant, the atmosphere unpretentious and lively.

Concerts are indie rock style, and you can check upcoming concert events on their Myspace .

Armchairs and colourful lamps will make you feel as though you’re in an extension of your own home. Don’t be deceived by the exterior: once you’re inside, you ‘ll be charmed by the diverse clientele of all ages, the school tables and wooden trays, and other details that will draw your attention with their unusual, but not excessive, touch.

In a search for good mood and cheap drink, or if you find yourself en route to Montreuil, Popular fathers is definitely worth a visit.

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Les Pères Populaires | Bars, Music | Coffee € 1.00
46, rue de Buzenval | Belleville/Nation | +33143484922
08:00 – 02:00 daily

Looking to grab a quick drink and some snacks? Do you like feisty, fun waiters and a festive environment? Then Les Piétons is for you!

Nestled in the midst of the otherwise touristy Chatelet area and easily accessible by a host of metro and bus lines, Les Piétons is a good place to go for tapas and has a host of good deals.

Stop by for lunch for the very well-priced lunch menu every day but Sunday, which will give you the choice of three tapas plates, dessert and a glass of sangria or soda for only €13.50. The warm tapas are the best and the small portions make this an ideal place to go with friends and share different types of dishes. The menu also includes a plat du jour and paella for those wanting a heavier meal.

The place gets quite busy at night, for those who like a livelier ambiance. Lunchtime is best for those who wish to have quieter conversation.

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Les Piétons | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish) | Tapas dish € 4.50
8 rue des Lombards | Louvre/Les Halles | +3348878287
12:00 – 02:00 daily

Walking down the gloriously named rue des Rigoles (one of its meanings being ’they who laugh’!) may feel like stepping into residential Paris but do not be put off by the location; Les Trois Arts is truly a gem. With Balkan troupes, jazz quintets, chanson française as well as literary soirées and story telling, its about as eclectic as it gets.

The venue attracts a happy mix of folk. Plus, the musicians (often quite weird and wacky types) usually hang around after the concerts. Simple food is available too, from shareable stuff like cheese and pate plates to salads and a plat du jour.

Many of the concerts are free. If not, entrance is never more than € 5.00. It is advised to arrive early as the basement room fills up quickly making it difficult to get a seat. Their website contains information concerning concerts, location and so on.

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Les Trois Arts | Art & culture, Bars, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (French) | Beer (demi) € 3.00
21 Rue des Rigoles | Belleville/Nation | +33143493627
Tue – Sat 17:00 – 00:00, Sun 17:00 – 21:00

This is a place that doesn’t really need advertising; it is well known to Parisians and their guests. Whenever I came in the evening, there were more people than actual room for them, and the crowd is very diverse.

The atmosphere is very easy going and nonchalant, it makes you feel like it is the weekend all the time. Especially during the spring and summer period, when the spacious terrace reminds of Mediterranean bars. Lively and vibrant, calm and relaxing in the same time, it doesn’t have a typical big city flair, because it is retracted from the main big streets.

The surroundings are attractive so you have a real choice of bars to visit and check if they are your cup of bar or not.

It is positioned near the “bobo” trendy Rue Oberkampf where there are some nice places too, but this little enclave of original somehow eccentric mix of non pretentious yet special group of bars is a one of a kind.

People come to Lou Pascalou from different parts of Paris (I travel for about 40 minutes, but never regret the trip) but it has also has the image of a neighbourhood bar. During the day neighbours come with their kids playing around, usually well known to the bar owner.

It is not only a place to drink and talk – its speciality is different exhibitions and concerts that take place here. Exhibitions change monthly and concerts are held once a week, usually at weekends.

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Lou Pascalou | Art & culture, Bars, Music | Half-pint of beer € 3.00
14, rue des Panoyaux | Belleville/Nation | +33146367810
09:00 – 02:00 daily

With the tourist experience becoming more and more sanitised, the gamble of the Mama Shelter creators has been to predict a desire in visitors to base themselves in a more working class, post-industrial landscape. Opened principally as a hotel, the Mama Shelter also operates as a bar, café and restaurant.

Designed in part by Philippe Starck, the curiosity of this discrete, black and white establishment is that it has been built in the footprint of a brutalist multi-story car-park, overlooking the disused Petite Ceinture railway line. It is in a fact a twin-establishment to an older East Paris icon, the Fleche d’Or café, which is situated opposite the hotel in the old train station that served the line.

With 172 rooms, this is far from being a boutique hotel, but it does offer the management the opportunity to offer very attractive prices (from 79 Euros). As each room also features an iMac, a fridge and basic cooking facilities, it can be used as the base for a very reasonable stay in Paris. For more casual visitors, it will be the long terrace overlooking the railway line, or the sleek café/restaurant that will be the principal attractions.

Seeing itself as a beacon for a new bohemia, the establishment is a success despite this rather artificial concept. In reality, the whole of the east of Paris has shifted upmarket in the last 20 years, so what exactly the hotel is providing shelter from is not clear. It does however offer reasonable prices and a pinch of something different, and that’s already not a bad thing in any city.

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Mama Shelter | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Fusion) | Main dish € 15.00
109 rue de Bagnolet | Belleville/Nation | +330143484848
24 hours daily

Run by Usines Éphémère – a not-for-profit organisation that converts wastelands into cultural centres for young artists – the Point Éphémère features a variety of interesting exhibitions and concerts.  Artists’ and musicians’ studios and workshops are also housed there making it one of the most innovative cultural projects in Paris today.

Simple food and inexpensive drinks are available until late and the canal-side terrace is a great hang-out kept snug all winter by outdoor heaters.

Leaflets and flyers with information on concerts/club nights and exhibitions can be found in almost all bars and on their website.

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Point Éphémère | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Relaxing, Snacks | Club nights € 10.00
200 Quai Valmy | Belleville/Nation | +33140340248
13:00 – 02:00 daily (later if there’s an event/concert on)

I discovered this place not long ago, and immediately, even from the outside, I knew it would become dear to me.

It has a specific open atmosphere and goodwill vibrations that are all visible. People are relaxed, friendly, the staff totally unpretentious and new guests feel welcome, even it has some intimate, we know-each other’s mood.

Les Marcheurs de Planète-Resto Zinc is officially a wine bar-and offers about 50 sorts of wine. The excellent food is home cooked and freshly prepared. Inclination is to terroir food, in France meaning the food having the special characteristics attributed by specificity of the land of certain geographic region. In this case cheese and sausages and with wine it is very important, depending on the region grapes.

The food is served till midnight and the bar is open till 2am. I won’t say more than if you like hot chocolate, you should try it – and don’t eat anything before.

And that is not all, it has small cute details like chess tables, old piano…books, travel souvenirs, cask, old armchairs. Often they host small exhibitions, in type very similar to Art brut cafe.

Fair trade ideas that are moral bases of this bar and it’s great ambiance make Resto Zinc just the perfect place.

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Resto Zinc | Bars | Brunch € 15.50
73, rue de la Roquette | Marais/Bastille | +33143489098
Tue – Sun 17:30 – 02:00 (kitchen 19:30 – 00:00)

The principal argument of Le Syphax is that it serves probably the cheapest drinks in Paris over the longest period of time (the happy hour lasts all evening!), but it is also a bar that has managed to create an agreeable atmosphere of its own.

The spirit of the bar has nothing to do with the neutral clean interior, but comes rather from the groups of students who have adopted the venue as their own. With the average age under 25, and a lack of posturing and posing in the bar, conversations are quick to spark.

I use it as a place to begin an evening, a place to wind down from work and warm up for the next destination, but others may well find that they unwittingly spend the whole evening in the bar.

I hesitate to describe the place as a venue to go to if you want to meet a young Parisien(ne), but it is a place any visitor can go and feel relaxed. And when people are relaxed, making new friends is that much easier!

Le Syphax does also operate as a restaurant during the day, but although the prices are again very reasonable, a combination of daylight and office worker suits quickly strip the bar of its chilled night-time atmosphere.

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Syphax Cafe | Bars | Pint of Beer (18:00 – 02:00) € 3.00
26, Rue de Chateaudun | Grands Boulevards | +330148784645
10:00 – 02:00 daily

Irish pubs are usually known for having cheerful atmosphere and good spirit. This one is no exception.

The Cork and Cavan Pub is a welcoming pub at the canal St Martin, in the area with a rich concurence concerning cute and unpretentious places for a drink.

Step inside and you will find a rare and interesting 2 rooms place: one room with a counter (serving great Irish bears) and bookshelves where you can exchange english books and the other room with a sports TVscreen. Both of them are equally enjoyable. It’s possible to sit on the outside so choices are here.

Cosmopolitan easiness, cute interieur, nice look over the canal makes this place attractive and inviting. I almost forgot: you can play darts too!

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The Cork&Cavan Pub | Bars | Beer pint € 5.50
68/70 Quai de Jemmapes | Belleville/Nation | +3342081115
Mon – Thu 15:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 02:00

Irish or British pubs (or so-called) are not lacking in Paris. I would say that there are 3 types of such bars:

- Genuine: which attract loads of expats and show mostly UK and Ireland sport (and in which you won’t be easily understood if you order in French)

- Fake ones which try to reproduce style and atmosphere without succeeding

- Finally, a third category, which doesn’t try to seem genuine, but which manage to develop their own character.

The Gentleman belongs to the third category. There, like in many pubs, you’ll find a Guinness sign outside, most beers on tap and ordered in pints (not “demis”), service only at the bar, and TVs showing live sports. But here the crowd and the staff are mostly made of young, French students (acknowledging the proximity of most of Latin Quarter universities) plus Erasmus ones attracted by the very cheap prices for the area and relaxed atmosphere.

The pub, although small, is divided into three different sections with different atmospheres: the noisy area along the bar with mostly standing people (good for interactions and chatting); the main room, with tables, chairs, and sometimes even a singer, frequented by small groups of friends; and the first floor, quieter (even if the proximity of toilets brings unexpected animation), for private parties or more intimate meetings.

Bar gets crowded between 19:00 and 22:00 but when happy hour ends it becomes easier to get a table and relax, with drinks just a little more expensive.

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The Gentleman | Bars, Music | Pint of beer (happy hour) € 3.50
3 rue Hautefeuille | Quartier Latin | +33140510404
12:00 – 01:45 daily

One of the best places in Paris that I have found to watch sports is the Great Canadian Pub, located on the banks of the Seine in the 6e arrondissement. With five large TV screens and a variety of special sports networks, the Great Canadian is THE spot for sporting events.  The pub also hosts a number of special events around major holidays – check their website for event details.

The staff is friendly, multilingual and very accommodating – if there is a certain match or game that you’d like to watch, in many cases they will show it if it’s available on one of their many networks.

Enjoy a variety of beers on tap or try one of their tasty appetizers. The nachos are among the best I’ve had and are the perfect dish to share among friends while cheering on your favorite team. Tuesday night is a great time to stop by for happy hours and drink specials all night long. Or, try the Great Canadian’s traditional brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am.

An added bonus of this spot is the view- the Notre Dame cathedral can be seen from the outdoor patio or the front area of the pub.

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The Great Canadian | Bars, Restaurants (Canadian) | Pint of Draught Beer € 7.50
25, quai des Grands Augustins | Quartier Latin | +330146335420
Mon – Fri 11:00 – 01:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 01:00

Tribal Café offers one of the best atmospheres for a bar in Paris. Located near the “Turkish” neighbourhood (you have to pass under a porch on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis), not in a very busy street, you have only little chance to end there by chance.

Mostly frequented by students or tourists looking for a bargain, its reputation has grown thanks to its cheap beers (the basic pint costs only € 3.50) and the free food offered! Indeed a plate of moules-frites (mussels with fries) will accompany your drinks on Wednesdays and Thursdays, while on busier Fridays and Saturdays, Tribal offers a plate of couscous.

More than just a deal for eating for free, the mussels/couscous deal makes the ambiance particular and actually reminds of how most French people conceive their dinner parties, ie where the “apéro” (apéritif) is actually longer and far more important than the dinner itself.

Indeed, since only seated people will be served food, Tribal gets crowded by 19:00 – 20:00, but food is served later, by 21:00 – 22:00 and beer is cheap, so spending time on the comfortable sofas of Tribal Café will resemble a long apéro before a quickly swallowed – but decisive for your stomach! – dinner…

The big octagonal tables are also great for socializing: small groups are generally asked to share a table with bigger ones, and the relaxed atmosphere of the place will do the rest.

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Tribal Café | Bars, Restaurants (Couscous, Mussels) | Pint of Amstel € 3.50
3 Cour des Petites Ecuries | Grands Boulevards | +33147705708
17:00 – 02:00 daily

Move outside the heart of Paris and you quickly arrive in areas that were previously small surbaban towns and villages. Some of these are well known today and have moved upmarket, such as Belleville, Montmartre and Batignolles, but in my opinion the one which has managed to keep its original identity the most is Charonne. This is all the more surprising when you consider that huge towers today constitute one edge of this ‘village’!

The best way to appreciate this area is to walk up the Rue de Bagnolet from M° Alexandre Dumas until you arrive at the XIIth century Romanesque Eglise St Germain de Charonne, one of only two left in Paris with an adjoining cemetery.

If I want silence, nowhere in the city is better than a bench in this bucolic spot. After a quick rest, hop over the road to the Rue St Blaise, a small cobbled street on which a selection of bars, restaurants and artists studios have now settled.

As you arrive at the end, the towers loom up in front of you but veer right here through the Rue Vitruve and Rue des Pyrenees until you arrive on the Rue des Haies, possibly the most authentic working class street left in the city.

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Village de Charonne | Art & culture, Bars, Relaxing
Rue de Bagnolet, Rue St Blaise | Belleville/Nation
24 hours daily