Nightlife in London and Paris
 

Hello,

My boyfriend and I would like some suggestions for places to go at night(bars/lounges/clubs, etc.) in London and Paris. We'll be there mid-August. Both 24 year olds (he's from the Netherlands and I'm from California) on student budgets.

Thanks!

I had a great time a a canadian pub in the latin quater of paris called the moose. It had a british edge with cheap pints of cidar and friendly, wink,wink, twenty something travelors from england.

Lots of hotspots in the Bastille/Oberkampf area (western Arr. 11) of Paris. When MTV's "Real World" went to Paris, this is where the kids went to go out. The Marais is a lot of fun, in addition to the Latin Quarter and St. Germaine. Also, check TimeOut magazine and AvantGuide for ideas for both cities. Drink draft beer if you want to save money.

For London, keep an eye on Time Out magazine, and you might get some tips from

http://www.londonstudent.co.uk/forum...splay.php?f=10

Two words for London: Soho and the East End (ok that was 5).

Soho (Piccadilly tube station) has masses of restaurants, cafes, DJ bars, pubs and a few clubs. Its the sex ditrict/ media village/ gay village/ Chinatown and part of the theatre district all rolled into one. It has an amazing see-to-be-believed ambience after dark and on summer weekends - over a million partygoers pass through on any given night. Ground zero would be Old Compton street full of drag queens and street theatre, finding a straight bar here is part of the fun.

The East End - the old working class half of London now seeing a renaissance with more artists than just about anywhere and a slightly worrying trendie wave of bars, shops, pubs, clubs and cafes.
(old Street Tube) covers Hoxton Square which is wall to wall with super trendy bars (dont ever be scared though, people are as friendly and down to earth as anywhere else). As you come out the station and try to find it, you'll probably pass many bars and clubs on your search (keep asking!) - these drinking holes are just as good if youre going to be doing a bar crawl.

(Aldgate East tube) covers Brick Lane, the heart of the Bangladeshi community. Halfway down the lane (full of Indian restaurants) you'll come across the 'trendie' area, a whole minicity of bars, shops, cafes, clubs and art spaces. From thereon the rest of the street is about booze and shopping and organic food shoppes, its great. Currently there is a beach, yes a beach, complete with deckchairs and little potted palms thats taken over a carpark. Next to that is a little kebab van dishing out swanky restaurant grade (and presentation) Lao food, at very cheap prices. Also next to that is a nondescript cafe bar across what remains of the carpark - explore over there and youll come across a vast room in what you'd think was taking you to the toilets - I saw the Italy-Germany match there and the atmosphere was electric. Anyway, do EXPLORE round here, many nondescript shops are actually awnings to massive art spaces or hold numerous market stalls inside. Every Sunday the whole area imentioned from Aldgate northward erupts into a network of 5 huge streetmarkets selling tack, art, fashion, flowers and cheap clothes. That day all the pubs and bars will be great too catering to about 100,000 young people as the day turns to night. I would HIGHLY reccommend you visit any market in London whether it be Spitafields, Borough or the imcomparable Portobello (just so long as its not the ones in Camden as all thats still stuck in a 90s timewarp).

ps if you want a guaranteed good club night go to the tried and tested, worlds first superclub, Fabric. Just expect to pay £20 to get in , but after that theres no hassle, no fashion policy and remember its all about the music. This isnt a club where your judged on what you wear or who youre with, (hence its superstar status - thats so refreshing in London), but many people who go there are pretty glam.

oh yeah, nowhere I mean NOWHERE in London caters to a student budget. Drinks are from $4-7, entrance to a club on a weekday is from $10-20, and on weekends $20-$40, though there are numerous free DJ bars. If you want cheap drinks you'll have to visit 'traditional' boozers (read: dark and dingy and catering to an extremely 'local' customer base). Budget for going out in London, this place is evil when it comes to knowing how to make people part with their money. Another tip, a new 'trend' in many drinking holes is to give your change back on a little metal plate, as in the US, where you would leave a tip behind. This is just a trap - NO ONE tips as this is just another a vulgar attempt to up prices that little bit further, this is a phenomenon thats only started last year and the Brits are completely ignoring it. Dont expect the bartender to get grouchy either, the only people who will have tipped him/her will be unsuspecting tourists.
When I first saw this I actually asked the girl serving me if I was meant to leave a tip behind, the answer was "I really don't know, management just started us doing it".

What are you looking for in terms of music/atmosphere/clientele? Then we could perhaps give you some specific suggestions.

Otherwise, as zupermaus said, Time Out is a very good guide to London nightlife.

The first, the only place (as far as I'm concerned) you should head to in Paris is THE BUDDHA BAR. Rue Boissy d'Anglas-right behind the Hotel Crillon and just next to the American Embassy-very easy to find. It's fabulous-the most beautiful people you've ever seen will be there (but don't try to go on the weekends, I doubt seriously you'd get in, unless you go in the downstairs part for dinner-Asian fusion cuisine-but it's the music and the drinks and the upper level bar area that people go for-with a magnficent 20 foot high golden Buddha presiding over both levels-very cool. Look for the house-mixed Buddha bar world music CDs in Tower Records-they're great.

dreambagsjaguarshoes in hoxton.