Paris

WELCOME TO PARIS

Lets face it, when it comes to style, cuisine and drink the 

French do pretty well. Paris is a great place to do some 

sampling, especially with so much else going on. Most people 

want to stay in the Latin Quarter but you'll be able to find 

curios and decent bars and eateries practically anywhere - 

even near the Gare Du Nord. Then, of course, there's the 

culture. Besides the glorious depth of world music talent, you 

can't go to Paris and not take in the Louvre, the Pompidou, 

the Musee D'Orsay, the Opera, Notre Dame, the Eiffel 

Tower… it goes on! For bars and restaurants it's always 

worth poking around the smaller streets for culinary gems - 

just what you need after a morning's bargain hunting in the 

markets.

Bars and Restaurants 

Bound Bar

49 Avenue George V, 8th Mº George V, Paris, 75008.

Telephone: +33 1 5367 8460

New York meets Paris in this hip and popular bar which is spiritual home of the city's bon chic bon genre. One of the coolest nightspots in Paris is the Bound Bar which is decorated in an eye-catching glam rock style and which has set a new standard in contemporary chic since September 2005. Centrepiece is the pink metallic bar which is complimented by a variety of other flourishes such as bead curtains, crocodile leather bar stools and postmodernist artworks displayed on plasma screen TVs – in fact, it’s a splash of decadent New York in the heart of Paris. The terrace, overlooking the celebrated Avenue George V, is a perfect spot to enjoy drinks or sushi during the summer months. At night the bar completely transforms itself into a buzzing house club complete with atmospheric lighting making it a popular haunt for the city’s cultural and financial elite.

Buddha Bar

8 Rue Boissy d' Anglais M. Concorde, Paris, 75008.

Telephone: 01 53 05 90 00
Hmm... no prizes for guessing what dominates the floor space inside this ultra-cool Parisian imbibery. You might think it's the Buddha that attracts the oh-so-trendy set here, as it's always flattering to stand next to someone more rotund, but there's more to it than that. A popular haunt with drinkers and diners alike, it's easy to while away the hours here over cocktails or with a dish from their well-balanced menu.

Hotel Costes

239 rue St-Honore, Paris, 75001.

Telephone: +33 14244 5000

If your current beau blanches at the bill in Hotel Costes, they're not worthy. Jacques Garcia's imagination ran riot when he was commissioned to create Paris' most talked about hotel and his originality is evident in both the bar and courtyard cafe. His maxim was all things in excess and we whole-heartedly agree. The bar at Hotel Costes is a den of opulence, dedicated to detail, intimacy and the expectations of the frighteningly wealthy. Classic design reinvented at the hands of a genius and a Lounge Lizard's Mecca.

Louis2

14 rue de la Trémoille, Paris, 75008.

Telephone: +33 1 40 70 01 08

Housed in the grand – and recently renovated - hotel La Trémoille, Louis2 is a bar and lounge that blends contemporary elegance with classic 1930s style. Situated near the Champs-élysées, the bar has an intimate, highly sophisticated feel. The interior is full of private nooks, and there’s also a library and a fireplace seating area. Modern fabrics and thick carpets give the place a clean up-to-date feel. Live piano music adds to the atmosphere. A great place to stop when all shopped out in the boutiques of Paris. Stow your bags and order a cocktail; life should always be like this.

Bar Fontainebleau

228 Rue de Rivoli, Paris, 75001.

Telephone: +33 1 44 58 10 10
Like a diamond stud set on the gold necklace that is the Rue de Rivoli, sits le Meurice. Charmingly restored to the tune of $65 million dollars, it boasts a health club, a winter garden and a fine bar where there is no striving for effect, no emphemeral bells and whistles but an effortless elan. With some 50 whiskies and malts to choose from, not to mention a not unimpressive selection of Armagnac (some over a 100 years old), you are spoilt for choice. How better to celebrate 'liberty, fraternity and equality' than with the Meurice Millennimum, less a champagne cocktail, and more a liquid ode to Bacchus in which liqueur de rose, cointreau and pink champagne combine to make a drink very much greater than the sum of its parts. How pleasant then to sink back into plush leather armchairs and ponder the great and the good who have done likewise before you!

The Barrio Latino

46 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, Paris, 75012.

Telephone: +33 1 55 78 84 75

Weird and wonderful four-floor restaurant, bar and nightclub where the quirkiest of many gimmicks is the glass-covered trolleys that wait staff push around from which they dispense snacks. The first and third floors are given over to dance floors that pump out funky Latino sounds, while the second floor is a restaurant offering regional Latin dishes such as Brazilian feijoada and Argentine steaks (try their Bife de Ocho). The top floor meanwhile is a nightclub where the Caipirinhas and Mojitos flow, and dusky bodies writhe to samba and salsa rhythm like it's Carnival. There's even a new VIP section to which important hombres and senoritas have a special access key. Viva la fiesta!

Favela Chic

18 rue du Faubourg du Temple, Paris, 75011.

Telephone: +33(0)1 40 21 38 14

While the name might border on the objectionable - ghetto chic, seriously? - if you can get past that, and the casual disregard that implies, this a pretty hip night spot. On Fridays and Saturdays the in-house DJs do their thing and their Mojitos are some of the best in town. The menu of Brazilian dishes is also worth exploring and their Caipirinha are authentic (and delicious); the Batida de Coco is ideal for those with a sweet tooth, and they even serve a superb version of that retro favourite, the Pina Colada. There’s a good mix of wines available too and the music, all bossa grooves and modern samba is transporting. The crowd is mostly made up of stylish twenty-somethings reveling in the Brazilian glamour of the place.

DANCE CLUBS

Batofar 

Port de la Gare – 75013 Paris

Add a little novelty to your nighttime pursuits at this funky club, which is set on a red lighthouse ship moored on the Seine. Trance, house and techno tunes are spun by international DJs into early hours, while in the evening patrons are treated to varied selection of live bands as well. The dance floor gets lots of action down below, and several bars, including one on the quayside in summer, take care of liquid refreshment. However, great music draws great crowds, especially on weekends, so be prepared for a wait.

REX CLUB

5, Bd poissonnière 75002 Paris

This Parisian dance factory always draws a crowd, just as it's been doing since the mid-1980s. Thanks to a host of top DJs (Laurent Garnier, Carl Cox) and a terrific sound system, patrons can expect to be inundated by thumping house and techno sounds. Depending on who's spinning, you might also catch reggae, funk, rock and even world tunes. Don't be surprised to find long lines for admittance.

QUEEN CLUB

102 avenue des champs elysées

75008 Paris

Although it's not as strictly gay-only as when it premiered, this grande dame of Paris dance clubs maintains its legendary status as one of the city's top places to groove and be seen. The fantastic venue attracts hordes of gay men, along with celebrities and folks from creative fields. While dancing is always in fashion, other regular events include drag and strip shows and varied theme nights. Go late, and be prepared for crowds — with no air-conditioning, just like in most Parisian clubs :-)

VIP ROOM PARIS

188 Bis rue de Rivoli

75001 Paris

The VIP Room specializes in a personal service for its exclusive guests. The members’ only club is located in the heart of the famous and most beautiful avenue in the world. Inside, rich colors and opulent textures surround the space, with stunning examples of French rococo furniture and baroque styling. The VIP Room’s unique reputation ensures that anyone who chooses the venue for business or pleasure is guaranteed to convey sophistication, charm and elegance to their guests. The club offers a variety of quality menus and the Chef will work closely with the client to select a perfect menu for the occasion. The staff will cater to your every need, and will even send a personalized invitation to your guests with details of the celebration and a free pass into the VIP Room. Everything is designed with the client in mind.

PALAIS MAILLOT

Palais des Congrès de Paris – 2, place de la Porte Maillot

Palais Maillot is the new fashionable venue, its enchanting soul and contemporary baroque decor adding to its many other charms.

The prestigious Club is ideally located between Neuilly and Champs Elysées in the Palais des Congrès de Paris, a huge business place near many luxurious hotels.

Each of its evenings radiate and are transformed through a subtle combination of extravagance, splendour and charm into veritable ceremonies, unforgettable events that make the Palais Maillot's nights such a success.

Since its opening, Palais Maillot has become a real institution for the big family of the huge celebrities and showcases, as: Rihanna, Usher, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Neyo, Lil Kim, Timbaland and lots more!