The Best Bar in St-Germain-des-Pres, Paris

Background Illustration for Nightlife

Exclusivity is the theme in the bobo (bourgeois-bohème) left bank, where "private" clubs draw celebs and fashionistas, and stylish cocktail bars cater to an urbane mix of students, gallerists, expats, and urban sophisticates.

Café Laurent

St-Germain-des-Prés Fodor's choice

Bookcases on the wall and the glossy central piano recall this jazz bar's earlier incarnation as the Café Tabou, when Paris's postwar artists and intellectuals argued and partied the night away to the strains of New York jazz. Nowadays, the plush seating and low lights still draw a crowd of die-hard jazz lovers. Note that there's no live music on Sunday.