See and be seen in Paris
Our guide to where to eat, drink and dance in the French capital
There’s something for everyone in this romantic city. Even just walking around the beautiful streets of Paris is a pleasure, and there’s always something going on, from the annual Nuit Blanche (White Night), when the whole city is open for 24 hours, or the yearly Paris-Plage, with sandy beaches created at three locations along the Seine for the summer. Visit in August and you’ll have the city to yourself, as most locals will be on vacation for the month.
Where to eat
Traditional: Chartier
Traditional French dishes, including raw steak tartare and garlicky snails, are served by speedy waiters in this noisy and crowded large 1900-style restaurant.
7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre 75009
No reservations
www.restaurant-chartier.com
Trendy: L’Entrepôt
This laid-back restaurant in the 14th arrondissement serves up a dose of culture alongside its good traditional French dishes and desserts, as it also doubles up as an art gallery, cinema and concert hall.
7 Rue Francis de Pressensé 75014
www.lentrepot.fr
Deluxe: Plaza Athénée
The restaurant at the Plaza Athénée Hotel is run by Alain Ducasse, the only French chef to get nine stars in the Michelin Guide. His contemporary menu will astonish your palate, thanks to a delicate sense of flavor and fresh products. This is an exceptional place with an exceptional bill: between $390 and $515 before wine.
25 Avenue Montaigne 75008
www.plaza-athenee-paris.fr
Where to drink
Bar Ourcq
This bar is small, cozy and cheap. As soon as the sun is back, choose between sun lounger and petanque. You can take a mojito or a beer in a plastic glass and have a walk along the Canal de l’Ourcq.
68 quai de la Loire 75019
http://barourcq.free.fr
Le Pantalon
This tiny atmospheric bar draws in students with a mix of cheap drinks, loud music and eccentric interior decorations including paving stones, a traffic light, a balcony and road signs.
7 Rue Royer-Collard 75005
Les Deux Magots
One of the most famous cafés of Paris, Les Deux Magots has attracted writers, philosophers and poets including Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and André Gide since it opened in 1933. Old-fashioned waiters dressed in black and white serve a traditional menu, with a coffee at $6 and salads from $12 to $26.
6 Place Saint Germain des Près
www.lesdeuxmagots.fr
Where to dance
Underground: Truskel
Rock rules, and there’s a club in Paris that knows it. From outside, Truskel looks like an Irish pub, but inside, indie concerts and DJ sets will take you to the end of the night. Entrance is free, and the drinks are quite cheap.
10-12 Rue Feydeau
www.truskel.com
Trendy: Batofar
In this club on a barge, you can dance watching the Seine. Up to 300 people can squeeze into the downstairs dance floor, and there’s a stage for live gigs generally from the cutting edge of electro, but the DJs also play house, rock and hip-hop.
11 quai François Mauriac 75013
www.batofar.org
Expensive and exclusive: Showcase
It didn’t take long for Showcase to become the place to be last summer in Paris. If not for the great number of VIPs, you have to go there for the beautiful dancehall and the view on the Seine, under the magnificent Alexandre III bridge, near Concorde. But don’t forget: You’ll have to dress up to get in.
Port des Champs-Elysées
www.showcase.fr