Welcome To The Bars In Paris!
Nightlife Review In The City Of Lights


The lively Bastille area is one of two main nightlife party places in Paris.

Paris is the city of lights and for those who want to get themselves lit up at night, there are several bars, pubs and clubs in which to achieve that goal.

The two main places to do this are the Latin Quarter and Bastille. They heat up between 10-11 and both have bars featuring Happy Hour pricing from roughly 1700-2000. But your best bet for Happy Hour is not a bar but a church. On the steps of Sacre Coeur in Montmarte, Parisian men gather at sunset to serenade largely American girls in a hopeless romantic gesture. It's quite the scene.

Dancing it it up and one of the small – but fun – Latin Quarter bars.

THE LATIN QUARTER – This is generally regarded as a place for the 20s and early 30s partiers. It's half-dozen narrow streets are comprised mainly of cafes and ethnic restaurants (lots of Greek tavernas, in fact). A half-dozen small bars can be found along the "main" street, Rue de La Huchette. The most lively of these is Bar Ambiance Latino, with good music, a small dance floor and even a disco ball. George's Cafe at the end of the street is a sit-down bar with cool tunes, though the patrons seem to have a bit less enthusiasm than the bubbly waitresses. Continue across the street to Polly Magoo, a neat little bar with a big screen, upstairs restaurant and friendly patrons.

One of our favorite places in Paris is on the other side of the Latin Quarter entrance, The Friendly Canadian. On Quay De La Tourrelle at Rue Git-Le-Cour, it's a newer pub with very cold beer, leather seats and sofa and, believe it or not, ESPN. Yes, a bar showing sports other than soccer, rugby or other European favorites. It has no less than four plasma TVs and a jovial crowd, to match.

Just down the street toward St. Michel is a very small but lively Irish pub, LeGatway, with a live Irish band. A favorite of longtime Paris visitors is Harry's American Bar (by the Opera House, 5 Rue Danou), birthplace of the bloody mary. It can be expensive at up to 15 Euros a drink, though.

Hot, sweaty dancers jam the flooor at Chantier Interdit, a PubClub favorite.

BASTILLE – The French once stormed here to release prisoners and start the French Revolution. Now, locals storm here for great nightlife. The large plaza, Place de la Bastille, is the main entrance point and bar-hoppers are immediately greeted by an Irish bar on the corner, But for the real action, continue down the street to a row of about a dozen bars on the small side street,

It's the intersection of Rue DeLa Rouquette @ Rue De Lappe and the place to begin this journey is Iguana Cafe on the corner. From there, it's take your pick and here's our picks. On the right, three doors down, is a place with no name on the glass door. It's a hot, smoky joint with jammin' R&R and beers for 4 Euors. It's sound system looks as if it's a hand-me-down from the Delta frat in Animal House. But it works!

For a few breaths of fresh air afterward, Bar Bat has couches and chairs facing out on the street and a big plasma showing surfing and extreme sports. Tribar is a nice lounge, almost Vegas-style.

The casual, fun bars in Bastille are PubClub's recommended Paris party place.

The best and most lively place is near the main intersection. Chantier Interdit is part bar, part lounge and part club. Hot and sweaty dancers fill the small dance floor and the place just cranks.

The Bastille area goes later than the Latin Quarter so a good routine is to start at the former and wind up at the latter. And for you late-night clubbing owls, keep reading on how to party on in Paris.

NIGHTCLUBS – Paris' hot nightclubs clubs are Budda Bar, a place with no name on the door and Etoile. This is where to see the "pretty people of Paris" in a nightclub scene. Both are located in Champs-Elysées – any taxi driver knows the location – and be sure to dress the part.