Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Sunset is the best time to hit this iconic, 7th-floor bar for drinks overlooking Paris' rooftops and – on Saturday night – on-trend DJ sets. Greenery…
Must-see nightlife in France
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Paris
Black-and-white photos and memorabilia (hunting trophies, old typewriters and framed handwritten letters by the great writer) fill this snug bar inside…
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Épernay
The downstairs cellar has a stash of 400 different varieties of Champagne; sample them in the softly lit bar-bistro upstairs. Accompany with a tasting…
St-Germain & Les Invalides
If ever there was a cafe that summed up St-Germain des Prés’ early-20th-century literary scene, it’s this former hang-out of anyone who was anyone. You'll…
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Latin Quarter
Instant history was made when this literary-inspired cafe opened in 2015 adjacent to magical bookshop Shakespeare & Company, designed from long-lost…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
The folks running the hugely successful rooftop bar Le Perchoir are also behind this enchanting, self-proclaimed 'temple du bonheur' (temple of happiness)…
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Nantes
Far more than just a bar, Le Nid (or The Nest) is an interactive art installation by Nantais artist Jean Jullien. Designer armchairs, with yolk-yellow…
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Bordeaux
A black steel door marked with a small, red doorbell (aka 'le point rouge', or 'the red dot') heralds the entrance to this trendy speakeasy, a theatrical…
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Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
A favourite address with hobnobbing socialites in the 19th century, this historic Italian cafe is suddenly the trendiest spot in Haut Marais to linger…
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Paris
An elongated stone archway houses this hidden riverside bar, with digital light displays projected on the ceiling, and DJs spinning from 8pm nightly in…
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Paris
With its worn petrol-blue facade and decorative vintage ironwork (look for the bunch of grapes), Quai de Bourbon appears to be just another quintessential…
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Bordeaux
There is something inviting about this clandestine address with a soft green facade across from the river on the fringe of the Chartrons district. This is…
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St-Germain & Les Invalides
The Parisian coffee revolution is thanks in no small part to Coutume, artisanal roaster of premium beans for scores of establishments around town. Its…
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Chamonix
A favourite among seasonal workers letting off steam, 'Room 9' boasts the most spirited (rather, loudest) après-ski party in Cham (from 3pm or 4pm). There…
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St-Germain & Les Invalides
Grab a table in the evening light at this wonderfully authentic wine bar or head to the quintessential bistro interior, with original zinc bar, tightly…
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Chez Garcia – Cave de la Guiguette
La Rochelle
For a sweet taste of 1930s La Rochelle, follow the hipster crowd to this rough-cut wine bar where little has changed since it opened in 1933 in a…
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Latin Quarter
One of a crop of co-working cafes to mushroom in Paris, Nuage (Cloud) lures a loyal following of nomadic digital creatives with its cosy, home-like spaces…
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Nantes
This enchanting bar à vin with vintage green wood façade is the best spot in town to taste regional wines with a laid-back, hipster crowd. When the…
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Paris
If there's a more atmospheric bar in the 14e, we haven't seen it. Opened in 2019, Poinçon occupies a delightfully restored railway station that was part…
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Arcachon
As seafront cafes go, you can't do better than stylish Café de la Plage. From sunrise to sunset and beyond, this gourmet cafe and bar by the vintage Big…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
Plastered top to bottom in peeling posters, an otherwise unmarked façade conceals one of Paris' hottest cocktail bars, but it's no fly-by-night. Le…
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Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
Snag a stool at the central circular bar at this eternally fashionable, brick-and-timber-floored cocktail bar or reserve one of a handful of tables online…
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Paris
Paying homage to immortal Parisian musician Serge Gainsbourg (1928–91), this seductive bar has foliage-print carpets replicated from his 7e mansion, ruby…
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Bordeaux
The decor – herringbone parquet, grandiose stained glass depicting the godly Bacchus, and sky-high ceiling – matches the reverent air that fills this wine…
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Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville
A lime-green taqueria serving homemade tacos, quesadillas and tostadas conceals one of Paris' coolest cocktail bars through an unmarked internal door…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
The latest creation of talented chef Pierre Touitou of nearby Vivant, this jam-packed wine bar lures foodies and fashionistas with its huge selection of…
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Paris
Hidden behind a stone wall, this historic mansion-turned-hotel opens its bar nightly to nonguests – and the setting redefines extraordinary. Winter drinks…
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Paris
Chilling with the hip crowd in this alfresco rooftop bar, with beer or cocktail in hand between potted palms and colourful orange parasols, is very much…
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Paris
Just about the ultimate Parisian wine-bar experience, this wonderfully unpretentious local meeting place, where everyone is welcome, has barrels stacked…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
The clandestine cocktail bar of boutique Hôtel Particulier Montmartre is an entrancing spot for a summertime alfresco cocktail. Each cocktail (€10 to €16)…
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Dijon
Stone walls, red-and-white-checked tablecloths and gracious service set the mood at this cosiest of Dijon wine bars. With late hours and a wealth of local…
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Montmartre & Northern Paris
Gravity's wave-like design interior, crafted from slats of plywood descending to the curved concrete bar, threatens to distract from the business at hand …
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Marseille
Marseille’s creative chameleon and the heart of the cours Julien scene, Waaw ('What an Amazing World') has everything you could possibly want for a night…
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Lille
Spread across three levels – a vaulted stone cellar, a beamed-ceilinged ground floor and an upper level reached by a spiral staircase – Lille's best craft…
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Bordeaux
At home in an old church, this much-venerated art address is a local institution – its sunny terrace alone is fabulous. Art-house cinema, mellow cafe, hot…
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Paris
Behind black curtains, this retro-chic speakeasy is a sophisticated flashback to those années folles (crazy years) of Prohibition New York. Cocktails are…
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Nice
Kitties rule the roost at this one-of-a-kind cafe, an absolute must for cat-lovers. Five free-range felines roam about the tables, seeking the right lap…
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Calvi
Eight decades on, hedonistic hipsters still flock to this super-smooth piano bar, a Calvi institution founded high in the citadel by White Russian émigré…
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Bordeaux
Hip hop, rock, indie pop, psyche blues rock, punk and hardcore are among the varied sounds that blast out of this fun nightclub and concert venue, on a…
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Nice
The focus at this classy wine shop–bar is organic wines – a few are sold by the glass, but the best selection is available by the bottle, served with…
