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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.
Tucked among the cafés on the Rue Cler, this all-purpose bistro-cum–cocktail bar's all-day and night hours (it's open until 2 am), welcoming atmosphere, and tasty cocktail concoctions make it an ideal option in a neighborhood decidedly short on late-night watering spots.
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.
Run by a female-only collective, this feminist bar is described as “a space run by and for queers, women, trans people, dykes and bis.” It's a chic spot for drinks, music, and dancing, but there’s plenty beyond socializing over a drink. Artist exhibitions, discussion nights, writing workshops, and stand-up shows make this more a place of community.
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.)
One of the first bars to bring natural wine to the capital, Le Garde-Robe unites a casual atmosphere and truly knowledgeable staff for a fun, funky experience steps from the Louvre. Order a platter of cheese or charcuterie to accompany your sulfite-free bottles, and take advantage of this bar with a neighborhood feel in the heart of the city.
A chic cocktail bar steps from the Champ de Mars is a rare find indeed, but this one is steeped in a cosmopolitan speakeasy mystique, with wood paneling and 1920s touches (leather chairs, gramophone, old Underwood typewriter) evoking the New York of its namesake. A covered sidewalk terrace and a dance floor in the cellar add to the clubby fun, along with a small menu of tasty morsels and some very good cocktails.
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.
An answer to Paris’s lack of jazz supper clubs, this chic and intimate venue offers a top-notch program of live jazz and world music, along with suave cocktails and a short menu of gourmet tapas. Attentive service, a welcoming atmosphere, and an appreciative, cosmopolitan clientele make this club a good choice for a Parisian night on the town.
You'll find this concert hall and club tucked behind the Café Charbon. Pop and rock concerts prevail during the week, and the revelry continues on Friday and Saturday from midnight until dawn. House, minimal, and techno DJs are the standard.
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.
This 18th-century wine cellar was built by Trudon, the sommelier to King Louis XV, and tastings here are truly an experience fit for royalty. Book in advance for a tasting, cheese pairing, or even a make-your-own-wine workshop.
The storied Parisian cabaret, which hosted the likes of Josephine Baker, Edith Piaf, and Noel Coward, closed its doors in 2022 to emerge in late 2023 as the city’s most glamorous music venue. Resplendent in burnished gold and red velvet, Art Deco crystal, and Venetian marble, Lido 2 is equal parts music hall, nightclub, and cabaret, featuring immersive productions that run the gamut from Stephen Sondheim musicals to a lavish 50th-anniversary staging of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The lavish bar is a great place to sip Champagne and people-watch.
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.
Conceived by a cocktail aficionado and an avid musician, this popular Franco-Japanese bar spins vinyls while concocting wildly inventive ambrosias like the Aztobizkar milk punch (with aguardiente de caña, rum, absinthe, cold brew, lime, and clarified vinegar with milk). There’s also a fine list of natural wines and pretty stellar food. Dishes served at lunch and dinner are as eclectic as the drinks: Japanese tempura, beef croquettes, hot dogs, a sashimi of the day, and other delights all served to a pulsing beat.
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.
This wine bar and tasting space is the go-to for Anglophones wanting to deepen their wine knowledge and refine their palates. With more than 1,000 options, 80% of which are organic, biodynamic, or vegan, it's ideal for sampling the best French vintages. Classes in wine tasting are offered; the two-hour "Tour de France" is a best-seller and a bargain at €75. More in-depth options are also available including cheese pairings and champagne cruises. Although the restaurant is closed Sunday, tastings are available daily.
Occupying a building that's attributed to Gustav Eiffel, Paradis Latin peppers its quirky show with acrobatics and eye-popping lighting effects, making this the liveliest and trendiest cabaret on the Left Bank. Prices range from €90 (for the show only) to €250 (with the top-of-the-line dinner option and wine added in).
This club is brought to you by the owners of Experimental Cocktail Club in London, New York, and Venice, so rest assured: the atmosphere will be stylish (think upholstered chairs, dim lighting, and vintage touches), the crowd will be hip, and the drinks will be tasty. Located in fashionable St-Germain-des-Prés, it's a good after-shopping apéritif or late-night option.
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.
Any place whose tagline is "cocktails and pajamas" is bound to be a good time, especially when located in the vaulted 17th-century cellar of a town house smack-dab on the Place des Vosges. Surprising cocktails fuel the anything-goes atmosphere that often includes late-night dancing and revelry.
The late, great David Lynch named his nightclub after a reference in his Oscar-nominated hit, Mulholland Drive. Silencio, which hosts concerts, films, and other performances, is open only to members and their guests until 11 pm; after that everyone is allowed. Guest DJs spin until 4 am Tuesday through Thursday, and until 6 am on Friday and Saturday.
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.
This two-part club hosts French and American jazz musicians: the Sunside upstairs is devoted mostly to acoustic jazz, while the Sunset downstairs features everything from electronic jazz, fusion, and groove to classic and swing. Jam sessions have been known to last well into the wee hours.
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