Hoosta Magazine

The locus of cool is constantly on the move and perhaps no city has been as well travelled as that of Paris. From Montmartre pre-First World War to Montparnasse post-Second and St Germain des Prés in the meantime, the artists and writers who defined ‘cool’ were never quite decided as to where to rest their bohemian bones.

So it’s no real surprise that younger generations cannot seem to make up their minds either. Nearly every arrondissement, and every quartier within it, has some late-night venue to offer – and with the centre of Paris being so cheap and easy to get around, there’s no excuse not to hunt down the bar or club that’s most suited to you.

The Buddha Bar may once have been renowned for its passing trade in international stars, but these days its giant effigy is more likely to look out over a wide-eyed sea of celebrity-hungry tourists and cash-ready businessmen. The entertainingly extravagant Mandala Ray or Man Ray (owned by Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, John Malkovich and Mick Hucknall) still hangs onto its A-list credibility, as does the opulent and fabulously fake Hôtel Costes, designed by Jacques Garcia and the setting for that real-life love story – when Johnny met Vanessa. Also worth a visit is the Conran-designed Alcazar, which has a light, spacious New York-loft feel with first-rate ‘world food’ on offer and a mezzanine where, from sleek, velvet booths, you can gaze at the well-dressed BCBG (bon chic, bon genre) clientele.

The bar at the Plaza Athénée, reopened after a fire in October 2001 and memorably featured in Sex and the City Carrie’s Paris trip, is situated in one of the city’s most elegant hotels. Designed by a former Philippe Starck protégée, Patrick Jouin, the bar resembles a long, sculpted iceberg – a chilly look accentuated by the metallic stools and tables. This elegant fridge effect contrasts with an adjacent cosy area, where Gucci-clad barflies lounge in deep leather chairs beneath dramatic lighting that alters tone and mood throughout the evening. Here, if you can sweet talk your way past the doormen, the cocktails are excellent, from classics such as Rose Royale, made with champagne and fresh raspberry purée, to their Fashion Ice concoctions – essentially multicoloured, alcoholic popsicles.

The hippest nightclubs are inevitably the most recent ones and there are two definitely worth checking out: Le Baron, opened in 2004 by André and his associate Lionel, who previously organised Paris’s most successful raves, is the after-dark address. Stating their desire for a club that depended on neither ‘models nor bottles’, this duo created a space to attract artists, musicians and actors, and in doing so they created the city’s trendiest venue. The secret of their success, says André, is that they refuse to take themselves too seriously. Once an escort bar with links to the Russian mafia, the club still has an intimate feel with red walls, tassled lamps and plush velvet couches around a neon dancefloor.

The star-studded clientele (including Sofia Coppola, Marc Newson, Björk and Michel Gaubert) dance the night away to nostalgic pop rock tunes. After the success of Le Baron, André and Lionel opened Paris Paris in October last year. Here, an equally laid-back atmosphere reigns in a more traditional DJ club setting. An old-style cabaret ambiance has been updated with fairground red lights, a fibreoptic-lit stairway above a spacious dancefloor, slinky leather seating and illuminated letters on the wall spelling out ‘le monde est à toi’.

It is not only the new clubs that attract the beautiful ‘pipole’, and predictably the most recherché addresses have thresholds that are the hard to cross. One way to circumvent the bouncer’s disdain is to reserve a table, and most of these clubs have dining areas. Les Bains Douches, traditionally the preserve of stars and the snobbiest doormen in town, has recently re-opened with a refreshingly ‘open-minded’ philosophy. Once a place where the over-30s listened to tunes from their gilded youth and Naomi Campbell celebrated her birthday, it now attracts top DJs such as Erol Alkan and JoVonn.

Chez Castel is another veteran club that has recently changed ownership. Now in the hands of Philippe Fatien, who also owns the highly popular Queen and Bus Palladium, this three-storey private mansion with plush, red velvet and golden interiors has catered exclusively for the upper echelons of Parisian society for several years. However, perhaps Paris’s best-kept secret is the Mathis Bar where on any single evening you could bump into Isabelle Adjani, Yves Saint Laurent or Jamiroquai. You’ll only get into this tiny club if you go with someone who’s already a regular, but if you do succeed then this is where the stars of French theatre, cinema and television are most at home.

If you’re looking for a younger and less ostentatious crowd, the vibrant area around la rue Oberkampf and Ménilmontant has long been hailed as the up-and-coming mecca for those in the know and is still the best place to start a night out on the town. Even when many of the bars close, there are still places to go. Try Cithéa, a cosy club with a seating area and a small dancefloor, where an unpretentious throng sways to the eclectic sounds of jazz, funk, Latin beats or electro. Or alternatively try the Le Nouveau Casino, tucked away behind the now legendary Café Charbon, where a more serious clubbing crowd boogies away to live concerts throughout the week and DJs at the weekend.

Then there is always the oldest techno club in town, the Rex. Founded by Laurent Garnier, this echoing blue-and-orange space has an irresistible selection of techno and house. For original décor, try La Flèche d’Or. Set in a former train station, this rocking club offers an alternative slant, thanks to funky decor, art exhibits, and diverse menu of events. However, for a true Parisian experience, the old cabaret club Aux Noctambules is a must-see. Here a 1970s glitter ball casts a flattering light on the legendary star-turn Pierre Carré. Of indefinable years, this flamboyantly dressed creature of the night bangs out old Parisian ballads to a crowd that will not settle for anything less than out-of-the-ordinary.

Alcazar, 62 rue Mazarine 75006 www.alcazar.fr
Aux Noctambules, 24 boulevard de Clichy 75018 www.auxnoctambules.com
Buddha Bar, 8 rue Boissy d’Anglais 75008 www.buddha-bar.com
Chez Castel, 15 rue Princesse 75006
Cithéa, 114 rue Oberkampf 75011 www.cithea.com
Hôtel Costes, 239 rue St-Honoré 75001 www.hotelcostes.com
Hôtel Plaza Athénée, 25 avenue Montaigne 75008 www.plaza-athenee-paris.com
La Flèche d’Or, 102 rue de Bagnolet 75020
Le Baron, 6 avenue Marceau 75008
Les Bains Douches, 7 rue du Bourg-l’Abbé 75003
Mandala Ray, 34 rue Marbeuf 75008 www.manray.fr
Mathis Bar, 3 rue de Ponthieu 75008
Nouveau Casino, 109 rue Oberkampf 750011 www.nouveaucasino.net
Paris Paris, 5 avenue de l’Opéra 75001
Rex, 5 boulevard Poissonière 75002 www.rexclub.com