DK Travel : Paris : Bars & Nightclubs

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Au Duc des Lombards

The Left Bank may be the traditional home of jazz clubs but this wood-panelled, velvet-seated club is firmly on the Right Bank, in the Les Halles district (see Beaubourg and Les Halles). The poster-covered walls illustrate some of the “greats” who have played here, and the club’s policy is still to bring in the best overseas jazz artists to play alongside home-grown talent.
Au Lapin Agile

Poets and artists not only drank in this cabaret club, some such as Renoir and Verlaine also laid tables. Picasso even paid his bill with one of his Harlequin paintings.
Au Trappiste

Among the many beers on tap you can sample Jenlain, a French brew and Blanche Riva, a Belgian beer. Food is also served.
Baiser Salé

Jazz, blues, Latin and African music are the mainstays at this tiny cellar club, which is low on space but high on volume. The Baiser was promoting World Music long before the phrase had been invented, and the eclectic approach has led to a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. It’s cheaper than many clubs, too.
Barrio Latino

Vast club on three floors with a generally louche Latin atmosphere.
Bataclan

The concert hall attracts international artists as well as household French names, while the adjoining bar provides beer and meals.
Cabaret Michou

Outrageous show of drag artists and a compère whose behaviour can never be predicted, this is close to the original spirit of Montmartre cabaret.
Café de Flore

A hang-out for artists and intellectuals since the 1920s, its regulars have included Salvador Dali and Albert Camus. During World War II Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir “more or less set up house in the Flore”. Although its prices have skyrocketed, its Art Deco decor hasn’t changed and it’s still a favourite with French filmmakers and literati.
Café de la Paix

A grand Parisian café with prices to match, but it’s worth a visit to enjoy the frescoed walls and sumptuous surroundings, designed by Charles Garnier, architect of the Opera House across the square (see Tuileries and Opéra Quarters). This is another Paris landmark with a string of famous past patrons, and arguably the best millefeuille cakes in town.
Café de l’Industrie

This fashionable and sizeable café has three rooms where the walls are lined with paintings and old-fashioned artifacts. The food is cheap but pretty good, and the later it gets the better the buzz.