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You haven't seen the City of Lights until you've seen the city at night. Throngs pour into popular streets, filling the air with the melody of engaged conversation and clinking glasses. This is when locals let down their hair and reveal their true bonhomie, laughing and dancing, flirting and talking. Parisians love to savor life together: they dine out, drink endless espressos, offer innumerable toasts, and are often so reluctant to separate that they party all night.
Parisians go out weekends and weeknights, late and early. They tend to frequent the same places once they've found spots they like: it could be a wine bar, a corner café, a hip music club, or, more and more, a chic cocktail bar in an out-of-the-way neighborhood. A wise way to spend an evening is to pick an area in a neighborhood that interests you, then give yourself time to browse. Parisians also love to bar-hop, and the energy shifts throughout the evening, so be prepared to follow the crowds.
Equal parts cocktail bar and gourmet pizzeria, this stylish offspring of the übercool concept store Merci promises top-quality libations and stone-oven-baked pizza. The decor is industrial-rustic, with pressed-tin ceilings and a corrugated-iron bar, all enhanced by mood lighting. It's jam-packed with neighborhood hipsters, so reservations are a must.
Also known as Harry's New York Bar, this cozy, wood-paneled hangout decorated with dusty college pennants is popular with expats and American-loving French people who welcome the ghosts of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, both of whom drank themselves unconscious here. Gershwin composed An American in Paris in the piano bar downstairs, and the Bloody Mary is said to have originated on-site.
Despite years on the scene, the bar at Hôtel Costes still draws big names—and not just during fashion weeks. Expect to cross paths with anyone from Rihanna to Leonardo DiCaprio (as long as you make it past the chilly greeting of the statuesque hostess) to enjoy classic cocktails and down-tempo music from an ever-changing roster of DJs. Dressing to kill is strongly advised, especially for newcomers; otherwise, expect all the tables to be suddenly reserved.
This spot is heaven for anyone who ever wished they had a book in a bar (or a drink in a bookstore). The bar littéraire is the infamous spot where gal-about-town Catherine M. launched her vie sexuelle that became a bawdy bestseller.
Among the bars and eateries lining Rue Lancry, is the welcoming La Patache. It has a wide selection of wines and a retro-inspired ambience fueled by a jukebox and candlelight that illuminates the vintage photos on the wall.
An ultraluxe, clubby hideaway in the Four Seasons Hotel, Le Bar at George V is perfect for stargazing from the plush wine-red armchairs, cognac in hand. Its charm still lures the glitterati, especially during Fashion Weeks. Be sure to notice the hotel's signature—and stunning—flower arrangements.
This hotel bar par excellence has a clubby feel that lures a younger fashion crowd. Lounge in leather chairs under an Yves Klein–blue ceiling installation while sipping stylish cocktails, like the signature Rose Royal (champagne, raspberry, and a splash of cognac). Mood lighting and music spun by a live DJ Thursday through Saturday set the tone for a glam late-night rendezvous.
Parisians from bobos (bourgeois-bohemians) to pompiers (firefighters) are lured to Le Café Noir's elegantly worn digs for organic coffee during the day or a glass of natural wine come evening. In addition to cool drinks and friendly staff, the place features a pipe-smoking papier-mâché fish and a vintage leopard-print-covered motorbike. (The restaurant with the same name is unrelated.)
Swanky decor and luscious drinks are drawing the cocktail cognoscenti to this intimate lounge hidden away in the legendary Le Fouquet's Hotel. If you prefer daylight, the hotel offers two other superchic bars: Le Joy and L'Escadrille.
This makes an intriguing midway breather if you climb the hill of Montmartre by foot. Le Rendez-Vous des Amis has a jovial staff, eclectic music, and a century's worth of previous patrons immortalized in painted murals.
Step through the Art Nouveau front door of Jean-Paul Sartre's onetime haunt and you'll be instantly immersed in the dark, moody, fourth dimension of Old Montparnasse, where white-jacketed servers and red-lacquered tables transport you into the past.
Café/restaurant by day, Le Sancerre turns into an essential watering hole for Montmartrois and artists at night (until 2 am every day), with Belgian beers on tap and an impressive list of cocktails. Locals love its traditional old-school vibe.
On a tiny street that's a tad separated from the sometimes-madding crowd of the Marais, this large, lively Auvernian café has mismatched Baroque furnishings and a chill vibe, but its biggest appeals are the sprawling outdoor terrace (heated in winter) and late weekend hours.
Behind the red door, you’ll discover a dark, cozy lounge that has style, sophistication, and atmosphere without the attitude. Creative cocktails—supplemented by artisanal beers and well-chosen wines by the glass (the last of which aren't always easy to come by in a cocktail bar)—can be enjoyed from a cushy velour barstool or cubbyhole alcove.
It's not just hotel guests who flock to this hotel's Island Bar, one of the coolest spots around the neighborhood. Local hipsters also appreciate the live music and DJ nights, foosball, and even the adjacent pizza bar. In summer, the fun extends to the bar's rooftop cocktail lounge, especially popular on weekend evenings.
In true Prohibition-era fashion, this 1920s-style speakeasy is reached through a freezer door in the depths of a pizzeria, so don't be alarmed at first glance (it's quite obvious when you're there). House cocktails are imaginative and delicious, but the friendly bartenders are equally adept at the classics—and the pizza's good, too.
The ever-popular Raidd has a dark downstairs bar and potent drinks. The men are hot, and so is the steamy shower show presented after 11 pm—not for timid voyeurs.
This happening lesbian bar in the heart of the gay district welcomes all comers (including small groups of men). The DJ in the tiny basement cooks on Friday and Saturday nights.
The hushed Baroque bar at L'Hôtel is ideal for a discreet rendezvous. Designed in typically opulent Jacques Garcia style, the hideaway evokes the decadent spirit of onetime resident Oscar Wilde.
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