Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Sorry! We don't have any recommendations for Paris right now.
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.
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.
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 bar stool or cubbyhole alcove.
One of the newer outposts in a neighborhood with plenty to choose from, this scene-y hangout strikes a cool balance between a cocktail lounge, a Mediterranean restaurant, and a club—it's all of these. Set on three floors, Magniv has streamlined, vaguely futuristic decor, arched mirrors, and dusky lighting—perfect for dining, drinking, or dancing. Expect inventive tapas and truly delicious cocktails.
It's not just hotel guests who flock to this hotel's Island Bar, one of the coolest spots around Belleville. 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.
When it opened in 1889, the Moulin Rouge lured Parisians of all social stripes—including, of course, the famous Toulouse-Lautrec, who immortalized the venue and its dancers in his paintings. Although shows are no longer quite so exotic (no elephants or donkey rides for the ladies), you will still see the incomparable French cancan. It's the highlight of what is now a classy version of a Vegas-style revue, starring 100 dancers, acrobats, ventriloquists, and contortionists, and more than 1,000 costumes. Dinner starts at 7, revues at 9 and 11 (arrive 30 minutes early). Men are expected to wear a jacket. Prices range from €115 for just a revue to €240 for a luxe dinner and a show.
This wine bar–cum–tasting space is the go-to for Anglophones wanting to deepen their wine knowledge and refine their palates. With more than 1,000 options, it's ideal for sampling the best French vintages. Classes in wine tasting are offered, starting at €69 for an hour-long "Tour de France" in English, with more in-depth options available including cheese pairings and Champagne cruises. Although the restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday, 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 €80 (for the show only) to €175 (with the top-of-the-line dinner option and wine added in).
A stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe, this trendy spot—equal parts concept store, pharmacy, cinema, and brasserie-café—is stocked with an ever-changing array of upscale wares from designer handbags and diamond bracelets to fine wine and cigars. When you're done browsing, enjoy a bite at the on-site eatery (a prix-fixe menu is available) or stop by the bakery for food to take away.
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.
Splashes of neon add a dash of glitz to this Japanese-chic bar attached to a sophisticated Nipponese restaurant set in an elegant Paris town house. A choice menu of exotic Asian-themed cocktails (e.g., the Akira, with rum, apricot liqueur, jasmine syrup, wasabi, mango, and green tea) is accompanied by Japanese finger food.
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 townhouse smack dab on the Place des Vosges. Surprising cocktails fuel the anything-goes atmosphere that often includes late-night dancing and revelry.
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.
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.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
