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A swanky bar/ restaurant come nightclub. The original Mahiki and one which has a worldwide following of its music.

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Once upon a time, talk of Le Baron nights would have triggered fond memories of eating fishfinger sandwiches and watching Top of the Pops in the mid-1970's. But, no longer. Le Baron is tiniest, coolest, moodiest club on the Seine. Its hard to get in, believe me. Really. We had to e-mail many times in advance and bring a noted celebrity in order to just get our noses through the door. But, if you can get in, and you can afford the 200 Euro charge for a bottle of champagne, then you are in for a rare treat. Offering an eclectic mix of live music performance and DJ sets, this club is the closest thing to hip I've ever come across in 17 years of visiting the Old Gay. Proper. No messing. Dripping with the distressed glamour and effortless cool of the French underground. It's the Paris of Sebastien Tellier, Air, Phoenix, Marie Antoinetter, Baise Moi (Ok, not Baise Moi) and Daft Punk. There is no sign of pompous men with moustaches, wearing scarves and dreaming of Francois Mitterand. And if there were people like that there, they were doing it ironically. An important milestone in Parisian culture, this is a return to its bohemian roots. Go there, spend the value of a small house in Middlesborough and enjoy yourself.

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