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Nightlife in le Marais |
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At first glance, nightlife in le Marais is mostly a gay scene…if you
just have a quick look around rue des Archives and the corner of rue du Temple,
it is indeed very masculine and very cruisy. But this is not the only way you
can have fun in le Marais, a true cosmopolitan area where everyone can enjoy
the pleasures of the night. There is a place for every type and every style….
Dining out, even as late as 5 in the morning, having a cocktail at anytime
of night, dancing, meeting new friends or having devilish sex parties…whatever
you desire, you can find it in le Marais. Here is a selection of the best addresses
where you can be as glamorous or as kinky as you wish!
 Where to dine
out very late
Chez Omar
47 rue de Bretagne 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 42 72 36 26
Every night, until at least 11:30 p.m.
Famous for its couscous, this great brasserie hasn’t changed in 30 years.
It is still impossible to beat for the atmosphere – it’s the local
politicians cantina. Great steak with pepper sauce for 16 euros. Come early
or you’ll have to queue – there are no reservations here!
Chez Janou
2 rue Roger Verlomme 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 42 72 28 41
A famous place for the American community in Paris, you can go there to have
dinner until midnight and stay for drinks until 2 a.m.
Chez Jenny
39 boulevard du Temple 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 44 54 39 00
On the east side of Place de la République, Jenny is THE Alsacian brasserie
of Paris, and serves delicious seafood and “choucroute” all year
long. Dinner is served until 1 a.m. on weekends and midnight on weekdays.
La Perla
26 rue François Miron 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 42 77 59 40
Non-stop service from noon to 2 a.m. One of the few places that specialize in
Tex Mex with a wide choice of tequila…
The Studio
41 rue du Temple 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 42 74 10 38
Serving American and Tex Mex food, this restaurant features a terrace on a wonderful
Marais courtyard. Not quiet, but a very young and trendy crowd. This is the
place to enjoy spareribs until midnight, if you want to take a break from French
cuisine….
Bofinger
5 rue de la Bastille 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 42 72 87 82
Another gastronomic institution near place de la Bastille where you can eat
out until 1 a.m. So Parisian and elegant, with a very beautiful décor
and service “a la française, s’il vous plait” –
that is to say, perfect.
Where to have
a beer or a cocktail at night
The Quiet Man
5 rue des Haudriettes 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 48 04 02 77
Open until 2 a.m., this is one of the few “pub style” bars where
you can enjoy a large selection of Irish and British beer.
L’Apparemment Café
18 rue des Coutures Saint Gervais 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 48 87 12 22
A tea-house in the afternoon and a cocktail bar at night until 2 a.m. Located
just next to the Picasso Museum, this fabulous place often presents art exhibitions,
as well.
Café Martini
11 rue du Pas de la Mule 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 42 77 05 04
Next to the chic Place des Vosges, this new café welcomes you until 2
a.m. for…guess what? Martini, shaken, not stirred, or any other drink,
from Kir (Cassis liqueur and white Burgundy wine) to a Monaco (red fruit syrup,
plus half beer, half lemonade) in a very jazzy atmosphere.
Chez Richard
37 rue Vieille du Temple 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 42 74 31 65
Dare to push open the doors (6 p.m. to 2 a.m.) and you’ll discover Ali
Baba cellars on three levels. You’ll have fun in a typical Marais cellar,
probably built in the 16th century, plus cheap drinks and cocktails, and a menu
under 20 euros – good enough to be noticed.
Café du Trésor
7 rue du Trésor 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 42 71 10 72
On a pedestrian street in one of the smartest places to see and be seen…have
drinks and enjoy live DJ’s, a fashionable ambiance and a very good-looking
crowd. Open noon until 2 a.m.
The Auld Alliance
80 rue Francois Miron 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 48 04 30 40
This is one of the few pubs to have a licence until 4 a.m. on weekends (most
bars in France cannot stay open later than 2 a.m.). A good selection of Scottish,
Irish and British beer, and a very friendly Anglophone crowd, of course. Happy
hour from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Frog and Rosbeef
116 rue St Denis, corner rue Tiquetonne 75002 Paris
Tel: 01 42 36 34 73
British pub with a wide selection of beer and classic British food at reasonable
prices. Great ambiance and very popular in summer
with its open-air terrace.
Where to shop late
Epicerie on 17 boulevard du Temple 75003 Paris
Close to République métro
Open until midnight every day.
Monoprix
160 rue du Temple 75003 Paris
Open until 9:30 p.m., which is quite late for an upscale, Parisian supermarket
– most close around 7 p.m.
BHV Bazaar de l’Hôtel de Ville
rue de Rivoli at the corner of rue des Archives 75004 Paris
You can also shop late at BHV for home design and clothing until 9 p.m. every
Wednesday evening.
Cocci Market
14 rue Vieille du Temple 75004 Paris,
Open daily 9 am to midnight for basic food shopping – except Wednesdays
( closed at 8 p.m)
Daily Monop
6 boulevard de Sebastopol 75004 Paris
Fast but good food, boulangerie and last minute shopping Monday to Saturday
from 9 a.m. to midnight
Blue Book
61 rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris
The place to buy a book late, until 11 p.m. A new art expo every month and a
small coffee corner to have a break and start reading the title you’ll
soon decide to buy….
Chemist
24 boulevard de Sebastopol 75004 Paris
Open until 2 a.m. weekdays
With or without a prescription, they’re open to help you, and are, the
place to buy the basics like aspirin, vitamins or condoms…
Where to dance
Mixer
23 rue Sainte Croix de Bretonnerie 75004 Paris
Tel: 01 48 87 55 44
This small dance bar with a gay and mixed crowd is a fun place to start your
evening, complete with live DJ’s and the latest music to get you warmed
up – 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Les Bains
7 rue du Bourg L’Abbé 75003 Paris
11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Located in a former bathhouse, this club was very hip in the 80’s and
is still a favorite with the Parisian jet set. It boasts a mixed crowd of fashion
models, designers and “wannabeseens.” Looking good and not too formal
is the key to getting in the door, with a cover charge of 20 euros that includes
your first drink.
Le Cabaret
2 Place du Palais Royal 75001 Paris
Just a few blocks away from le Marais in the direction of the Louvre, you’ll
find what is probably this year’s chicest club. With a space ship design
by Ora Ito and great house and hip hop music, it is difficult to get in if you
don’t look very “branché” – wearing chic, smart
fashion but informal and unconventional. George Clooney and Mick Jagger go there,
and so do many sexy young models. Say “Cab” or you’re totally
a “has been.” Features a gay tea dance on Sundays from 5 p.m. Open
every night from 11 p.m. Entrance fee around 20 euros.
Le Tango
13 rue au Maire 75003 Paris
10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Located in one of le Marais’ small chinatowns, this club is out of time,
open to all, but mostly gay and lesbian. You’ll hear everything but techno
– good old disco, tango and every kind of music, especially good old French
hits from the seventies. Fun if not chic! Entrance fee is 7 euro. Don’t
look too smart or too straight or they won’t let you in!
Le Troisième Lieu
62 rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris
Very French and underground, unconventional at least. The décor is quite
tacky, but with a good ambiance, live DJ and cheap drinks. Closes early at 2
a.m.
Where to be naughty
Le Château des Lys
If you want something a little more seductive and don’t mind traveling to Montmartre, there is a hot, new place, perfect for a wonderful, intimate dinner. Let your imagination run wild in one of the many rooms and love corners, including a dungeon that makes you feel like you are back in medieval times.
This place is naturally for adults only and is an experience you could not even imagine in the U.S. Most of the famous French porn stars visit often, not to mention many cute boys from the French army and the sexiest girls in town.
Book your table at +33 6 08 58 75 36
103 Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris
http://www.chateauclub.fr
Le 41
41 rue Quincampoix 75004 Paris Tel: 01 40 27 07 90
Very friendly club set in medieval cellars where everything we could not describe could happen. Best value in this category with no entrance fee and Champagne Glass at 22€. Action start late, and can be outrageous. Policemen and Firemen go there often. Sexy young men mix up with single women and very open minded couples. Denise and her Team are very welcoming and will show you what is sexy Paris!
Le Pluriel Club
13 rue Francois Miron 75004 Paris
Dinner buffet and a place for meetings between couples who wish to have exchanges or group action! Set in medieval house cellars, the décor matches the desires. Open at 8 p.m., doors close at 2 a.m. – but the action continues as long as you’re there. Don’t worry – they’ll let you out if you ask nicely.
Le Club 13
13 rue Dussoubs 75002 Paris
Another exchange club for kinky couples who wish to reignite their libidos. Free entrance for single women. Small rooms and a cozy décor. Open 11 p.m. until late…. Les Chandelles
1 rue Therese 75001 Paris
One of the most selective sexy clubs. A Baroque labyrinth in which couples enjoy meeting and playing. Dinner…and then after, anything you want. From 60 euros.
Le Depot
10 rue aux Ours 75003 Paris
10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
We just mention it for you to avoid it... As it’ s no longer mixed as it used to be on wednesdays, but only gay and getting rather scarry. Watch your pockets at all times as this is not the kind of place you can leave your Vuitton without keeping an eye on it!
Where to have your early breakfast
Most Parisian cafés open as early as 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., as there is always
someone who would like “un petit café” with a freshly baked
croissant. One that is open from 6 a.m. is Les Chimeres,
(“the dreams”) 133 rue Saint Antoine, 75004, Paris, just next to
Métro Saint Paul. Café, croissant and orange juice for as little
as 2 euros.
Now it’s time to sleep, don’t you think? Be sure you choose your
hotel or flat from our excellent selection – we have chosen them specially
for having the best insulation, so you can sleep all day without any street
noise to wake you up!
A
revolution in Paris public transport.
By Adrian Leeds
It took me a while to get used to my teenage daughter
and her friends leaving at about midnight to go "clubbing"
knowing I wouldn't see her return until after 5:30 a.m. when the
Métro started up again. American friends scolded me for being
too permissive a parent, but they didn't understand.
Here in Paris, the Métro shuts down between
12:30 a.m. and 1 a.m., and a very sparse bus system known as "Les
Noctambus" offers service but very limited and all the buses
meet at the center, Châtelet, then fan out. If they didn't
have taxi fare, they didn't go out, or they stayed in the clubs
all night long, nursing one drink (too expensive to drink more!)
and dancing. I learned to live with it and because she was always
with friends, I wasn't too worried and nothing bad every happened.
The early cut-off of the Métro puts a damper
on my own partying, too. Dinner parties tend to end abruptly as
friends rush out the door to make the last train. Living in central
Paris is a plus, so that a walk home can be an alternative to public
transportation or expensive taxi rides -- the minimum fare is 5.20
euros no matter how far you travel, and often, the driver is adverse
to taking you too short a distance for his taste. But, what if you're
not in central Paris and don't own a car?
After years of lobbying in favor of Paris by Night,
after having obtained the promise that 500 supplemental taxis will
be on the streets of Paris over the next five years, the wait to
extend the shutting-down of the Métro one hour from 1 a.m.
to 2 p.m. is finally a reality! The city has obtained permission
from the Syndicat des Transports d'Ile de France (STIF) to put this
into practice in 2006 and to improve the nighttime bus service as
of September 20, 2005.
Finally, Parisians will have public transportation
all night long! The system now known as "Les Noctambus"
will become "Les Noctiliens" like its counterpart, "Transiliens."
The buses will function every night from 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.
every 10 minutes during the weekend (instead of every 20 minutes)
and the number of lines will be augmented from the current number
of 15 to 35 serving all of Paris and the surrounding areas.
The biggest news of all is that passengers will no
longer be obligated to reach the center of the city at station Châtelet
to catch a nighttime bus, but will have a "ring road"
connecting the major train stations as major points (Gare de l'Est,
Lyon, Montparnasse, St-Lazare) and 2000 stops to choose from.
The equipment is all new -- comfortable sheltered
stops with electronic waiting times indicated and lit for easy viewing
and believe it or not, personnel on the stop to assist! The hip
nighttime neighborhoods will be served best: Bastille, Bercy, Oberkampf,
Canal Saint-Martin and La Villette -- for nightclubbers and night
workers. Another change is that no special RATP ticket is necessary
-- all forms of transportation tickets and cards (Imaginaire and
Navigo) will be accepted.
It is a revolution in Paris public transport and
it is predicted that this one change will permit an enormous economic
growth in nighttime industries. Before long, Paris may be welcoming
stores and businesses open 24/7!
For more information, visit http://www.stif-idf.fr, http://www.ratp.fr, http://www.paris.fr
or call 08 92 68 77 14 (0,34 euros/minute).
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