Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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This bar stays open super late right in the swing of things—a stone’s throw from the Seine and in the heart of the Latin Quarter’s bar scene. Live pop and rock music every night at 10:30pm is not exactly original, but it certainly gets the job done. Old and young alike get down on the often sweaty dance floor; the old folks take the cake in terms of funkiness (smell and dancing abilities included).
St-Michel. Disco in the basement W-Su 10:30pm-midnight. Beer €5.50-12. Cocktails €10-12. Open M-Th 5pm-5am, F-Sa 6pm-6am, Su 5pm-5am.
Invalides
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. Filled with sights but devoid of personality, the neighborhood gets quiet early. The corner-cafe bars at École Militaire are packed almost exclusively with tourists, and the rue Saint-Dominique has some brassieres frequented by locals. The following venues are a solid bet.
CHAMPS DE MARS
ROMANTIC
Droves of French youngsters march over to the Champs de Mars with the setting sun, schlepping bottles of wine, cases of beer and packs of cigarettes with them. You’ll be thankful it’s legal to drink outside in Paris as you approach this grassy stretch in front of the the Eiffel Tower. Why? Because you’ll find it overflowing with revellers playing guitar and Bocce, exploring the subtleties of each other’s faces (read: PDA), and generally being merry. The Eiffel Tower lights up on the hour and makes for a spectacular backdrop to the start of a good night. École Militaire or La Motte Picquet-Grenelle.
CLUB DES POÈTES
30 rue de Bourgogne
CLUB, POETRY
01 47 05 06 03 www.poesie.net
If you want to drink and feel cultured, this restaurant by day and poetry club by night brings together an intimate community of literati for supper and sonnets. The hip patrons all seem to know each other and may seem intimidating at first, but you’ll soon become fast friends as you cram in next to each other the L-shaped long table.
Varenne. Poetry readings Tu, F, Sa at 10pm. Come a little before then, or wait for applause to enter. Prix-fixe (entrée-plat or plat-dessert) €16. Lunch menu €16. Wine €4-8. Open M-F noon-2:30pm and 8pm-1am. Kitchen closes at 10pm.
Champs-Élysées
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 to bring your wallet, dashing good looks, and if possible, a super-important and/or famous friend.
LE QUEEN
102 av. des Champs-Élysées
CLUB
01 53 89 08 90 www.queen.fr
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. Her Majesty is one of the most accessible GLBT clubs in town, and has kept its spot on the Champs for a reason. Women have better luck with the bouncer if accompanied by at least one good-looking male.
Georges V. Disco M, Ladies Night W, ’80s Su. Cover €20; includes 1 drink. All drinks €10 after that. Open daily midnight-6am.
BUDDHA-BAR
8 rue Boissy d’Anglas
BAR, RESTAURANT
01 53 05 90 00 www.buddha-bar.com
Apparently too cool for overdone trends like capital letters, buddha-bar is billed as the most glamorous drinking hole in the city—Madonna tends to drop by when she’s in town. If you’re sufficiently attractive, wealthy, or well-connected, you’ll quickly be led to one of the two floors of candlelit rooms, where your internal organs will gently vibrate to hypnotic “global” rhythms. A two-story Buddha watches over the chic ground-floor restaurant, while the luxurious upstairs lounge caters to those looking to unwind in style with one of the creative mixed drinks (€16-21). A solid contingent of “atheist drinkers” think buddha is over-rated.
Madeleine or Concorde. Cocktails €16-21. Open daily noon-2am.
Opéra
CAFE LE BARON
11 rue de Châteaudun
BAR, RESTAURANT
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 American, that is), and cough up the fog of someone else’s cigarette smoke. In a good way. Cafe Le Baron’s sunny outdoors terrace is right in the thick of things near the Opéra district; the scene here is simply classic, and beautiful. Each cocktail looks like a work of art (€2.20-7), and drinks are accompanied by a complimentary tasting plate of olives, veggies, and cheese. Tasteful modern decor graces the interior, with whitewashed walls lined with red wine bottles and an assortment of maroon sofas. The food here is also quite delectable, but expensive; just about everything on the menu is delicious, so you probably won’t regret it.
Notre Dame de Lorette, Cadette. Happy hour cocktails and pints €5. Beer €2.60-7. Wines €2.60-5.50 per glass. Shots €5-18. Appetizers €14-19. Plats €17-26. Desserts €9-10. Open daily 11am-1am. Happy hour 5:30-8pm.
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 town dominated by expats and tourist-types, while rue Oberkampf, rue Amelot, and rue Thaillandiers are more eclectic, low-key, and local. Both streets are definitely worth your time, even if you have only one night in the area. Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine is a world of its own, dominated by enormous nightclubs who only let in the well-dressed. Rue du Faubourg St-Antoine is the dividing line between the lively 11ème and the tamer 12ème. The hotspots overflow into the streets, and you can hop from one club-lounge to another all night—but it won’t be cheap.
FAVELA CHIC
18 rue du Faubourg du Temple
BAR, CLUB
01 40 21 38 14 www.favelachic.com
A self-proclaimed Franco-Brazilian joint, this place is light on the Franco and heavy on the brassy Brazilian. Wildly popular with the locals, this restaurant-bar-club has an eclectic decor and equally colorful clients. Dinner in the restaurant segues into unbridled and energetic table-dancing to Latin beats. Exceedingly crowded with sweaty (in a hot way) gyrating bodies during the weekend and a long line snaking out the door. Regulars report that groups high on estrogen and ethnic diversity will get you in more easily.
République. Walk down rue du Faubourg du Temple, turn right into the arch at no. 18; the club is to your left. F-Sa cover €10; includes 1 drink. Cocktails €9. Open Tu-Th 8pm-2am, F-Sa 8pm-4am.
ZERO ZERO
89 rue Amelot
BAR
06 68 84 28 57
A tiny, tiny bar covered from head to toe in stickers and graffiti, jammed with the artistic and the unpretentious. DJs spin hip-hop in the lowly-lit corner. The signature drink “Zero Zero,” whose size you should not let deceive you, is a dangerously potent mix of dark rum, ginger, and lime (€3).
Saint Sebastien Froissart. Beer €2.80-4. Cocktails €6.50-8.50. Open daily 6pm-2am. Happy hour 6:30-8:30pm.
LE POP-IN
105 rue Amelot
BAR, ROCK CLUB
01 48 05 56 11 www.popin.fr
Leaning more towards “popping” than “pop-in,” this two-level bar/rock club/90s time warp boasts a basement that’s a favorite all-night hangout for Paris’s hipster crowd. Pop, rock, folk, and indie fold concerts almost nightly.
St-Sebastien Froissart. Check website for concerts. Happy hour 6:30-9pm. Beer €2.80-5.50. Open daily 6:30pm-1:30am.
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 you never knew that a city as conscientiously chic as Paris could keep up. Walk down to the Porte de
la Gare, grab a bottle of wine with some friends, and watch the Seine go by.
LE MERLE MOQUER
11 rue de la Butte-aux-Cailles
BAR
01 45 65 12 43
Capturing the spirit of the neighborhood with its eclectic mix of African art, uneven stools and spray-painted doors, this bar is a little funky, not at all fussy, and the best place on the street to dance. Homemade, flavored rum punches are well worth the €6. Ginger-apple-pear-cinammon is the bartender’s choice.
Place d’Italie. Drinks €4-6. open daily 5pm-2am.
LA DAME CANTON
Porte de la Gare
BAR, CONCERT VENUE
01 45 84 41 71 www.dame-decanton.com
A quirky alternative to all those passé land-locked watering holes, this floating bar is deliberately odd in the extreme, even by Butte-aux-Cailles standards. A seizure-inducing collection of fishing nets, musical instruments, books on Australia, postmodern takes on the Mona Lisa and small Chinese lamps decorate the walls and ceiling. The floor slopes, the patrons rock dreds, and the owner’s been known to wear jean suits. The burly bartenders will serve you Pirate Punch (€3) and cocktails (€7.50) in plastic cups or out of cans. The lolling waters of the Seine make La Dame Canton a little less than stable, so we advise that you avoid getting plastered on board. But the view of the Seine is spectacular, and the mix of soul funk, hip hop and reggae demonstrate excellent taste. Live concerts every night, starting at about 8:30pm.
Quai de la Gare. Cocktails €7.50. Cover Tu-Th €8, students €6; F-Sa €10. Open Tu-Th 7pm-2am, F-Sa 7pm-5am.
Passy and Auteuil
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 at home.
SIR WINSTON
5 rue de Presbourg
BAR, CLUB
01 40 67 17 37
This cafe/salon/bar/club is a sophisticated hotspot of the young Parisian Bobos (that’s bohemian bourgeoisie, for those not in the know). Lean back into a leather chair and sip on a glass of wine (€5) or smoke attractively alongside a pensive Buddha. After all, Buddha would have totally done the same. There’s a dance space downstairs, though the music is mainly jazz and lounge tunes.
Kleber. French fries €5. Caesar salad €5. Open daily from 9am-4am.
Batignolles
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 a couple of new ones. Sometimes, though, that’s all you need.
LE BLOC
21 rue Brochant
CAFE, BAR
01 53 11 02 37
Like a good mistress, Le Bloc is always open, accommodating, and kind of cool. This former clinic turned industrial cafe/bar caters to the neighborhood’s turtleneck-wearring types from morning till dawn, and will be whatever you want it to be. The food is decent enough (penne au pisto; €8.80), and drinks range from whatever to shocking. Look for the little nook under the stairs with the brown couch, pink walls, and fake skeleton.
Brochant. Free Wi-Fi. Salads €9-10.20. Most cocktails €6.50. Open daily 8:30am-2am.
Montmartre
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 DES AMIS
23 rue Gabrielle
BAR
01 46 06 01 60 www.rdvdesamis.com
You know that you’re in for a night of bebauchery when the bar’s owners and bartenders drink harder than their customers, pounding shots and beer at random. A true Montmartre institution, Le RVDA has been around for 17 years, and it’s not hard to see why. Convivial and untouristed, this bar has a live-free-or-die ethos. Patrons rock out to house music and experimental hip-hop, and occasionally live music. The cocktails are a rip-off, so stick to the beer, though that can also get pricy. Welcome to Montmartre. Cigarettes are sold out front on an informal basis, but don’t bring your drink outside—the burly but friendly bouncer will have words for you. Small appetizers are available to help you stomach the beer.
Abbesses. Beer €2.30-7, pitchers €7. Open daily 8:30am-2am.
L’ESCALE
32bis rue des Trois Freres
BAR
01 46 06 12 38
A very popular spot among the students of Montmartre, this restaurant serves famously strong cocktails for just €4.50. Young folks huddle around cozy, small tables, and the owner proudly proclaims on the website that L’Escale and its strong drinks are the #1 enemy of the police. There’s generally a guest DJ playing house music, or whatever else is super hip at the moment, on Sunday nights.
Abbesses. Beer €3.50-8. Cocktails €4.50. Open daily 2pm-2am. Happy hour 4-10pm.
THE HARP
118 bld. de Clichy
SPORTS BAR
01 43 87 64 99
Feel like starting the day off wrong with a beer or two? The Harp’s got your back. Open untl 9am on weekends, this sports bar revolves around rugby, soccer, and booze, and hosts plenty of late-night partiers. Boasting a great selection of beer on tap, a pint costs only €6, a hell of a deal for the Red Light District. If the Harp had an anthem, it’d be James Brown and Betty Newsome’s “It’s a Man’s World”; expect lots of bros and the women who love them. Several big-screen TVs make this the ideal spot to watch the game.
Blanche. Beer €4-6. Open Th-Sa, 5pm-9am. Su-W, 5pm-4am.
Buttes Chaumont
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 the more student-ish bars. If you can only hit up one place, it has to be the Ourcq. The beer goes for only €2.50 and keeps the locals coming.
OURCQ
68 quai de la Loire
BAR, TEA HOUSE
01 42 40 12 26
Where the students, hipsters, hippies, and other budget-conscious folks go to get down. There’s always a party going on, whether it’s a Tuesday or a Saturday night. During the day, this classic brasserie doubles as a tea salon and provides its customers with a wide selection of board games and books to go along with their hot beverage of choice (€2-3).
Laumière. Wine by the glass €2-3. Beer €2.50-4. Cocktails €5. Open W-Th 3pm-midnight, F-Sa 3pm-2am, Su 3-10pm.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater
ODÉON THÉTRE DE L’EUROPE
2 rue Corneille
LATIN QUARTER, ST-GERMAIN
01 44 85 40 40 www.theatre-Odéon.fr
The big fish in a theater-themed neighborhood. Even the streets leading towards the Odéon Theatre are named after some of France’s most famous playwrights, including Corneille and Racine. The Odéon itself is a classically beautiful theater; gold lines the mezzanine, and muted red upholstery covers the chairs. Considering that this is the Mecca of Parisian theater, the prices are stunningly reasonable. Works range from the classical to the avant-garde.
Odéon. Shows €5-32. Limited number of extremely cheap rush tickets available right before the show. Performances generally M-Sa 8pm, Su 3pm.
THÉTRE DE LA VILLE
2 pl. du Châtelet
CHTELET-LES HALLES
01 42 74 22 77 www.theatredelavilleparis.com
Built in 1862, the Théâtre de la Ville underwent a rapid number of name changes (and identity crises) in the 1870s. It has since come of age and is now one of the most renowned theaters in Paris—in the ’80s it became a major outlet for avant-garde contemporary dance and, therefore, its attendant younger artists. A soiree here should fit into most travel budgets. Bravo!
Châtelet. Tickets €17-23, students €15. Box office open M 11am-7pm, Tu-Sa 11am-8pm.
> Cabaret
LE LAPIN AGILE
22 rue des Saules
MONTMARTRE
01 46 06 85 87 www.au-lapin-agile.com
Halfway up a steep, cobblestoned hill that American tourists describe to be “just like San Francisco,” Le Lapin Agile has been around since the late 19th century, providing savvy and physically fit (that hill was something!) Parisians and tourists with a venue for music, dance, and theater. The tiny pink, green-shuttered theater was a hotspot of the 20th-century bohemian art scene in Paris—Picasso and Max Jacob are on the list of people who cabareted (is that a word?) there.
Lamarck-Coulaincourt. Ticket price includes 1st drink. €24, students under 26 €17. Open Tu-Su 9pm-2am.
BAL DU MOULIN ROUGE
82 bld. de Clichy