France
Paris by Night: Discovering the City’s Hidden Night Spots
Tucked away from the mainstream bars, concert venues and clubs, Paris has a vibrant secret nightlife. Read on for our guide to partying in Paris after 10pm.
Paris has been famous for its nightlife since its citizens began to flock to Montmartre’s risqué cabarets in the 1880s. Night owls will certainly have no difficulty in finding something to do in the city after dark, whether that's enjoying gourmet dining in Michelin-starred restaurants, meeting up with friends in a wine bar, listening to jazz or bopping the night away in cool clubs. Here’s what we recommend if you're looking for a lesser-known side of Paris by night.
Eating, drinking and clubbing in Paris after dark
Like every big city, Paris has individual neighbourhoods with distinct vibes to them. If you’re looking for dressy and glamorous dining or nightclubs, the elegant Avenue des Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement is your best option – and prices are correspondingly high. Charming Le Marais (4th) is the hub of the city’s gay scene. The Latin Quarter (5th and 6th) is best for casual drinks in crowded bars, while Bastille (11th) is known for anything from chic bistros and cocktail bars to intimate jazz clubs always packed with a young crowd.
The edgy bars along Canal Saint-Martin are the preserve of monied 30-something urbanites, but if you prefer to do your nightlife a bit more offbeat, hipster Belleville in the 20th arrondissement is known for its affordable late-night cafés and boho bars with live music. Wherever you end up, Paris nightlife starts late, with much of the action taking place well after 10pm and into the early hours. If you're drinking, do remember to plan your journey home beforehand so you can have a safe but fun evening.
Good to know: Finding your way around Paris is easy. The last two digits of a Paris postcode denote the arrondissement: the Eiffel Tower is in the 7th arrondissement and its postcode is 75007. The numbers start from the Île de la Cité and spiral out from there, with arrondissements 1–4, 8–12 and 14–20 on the Right Bank, 5–7 and 13–15 on the Left Bank.
4 unusual things to do in Paris by night
1. Take a night-time cruise on the Seine
If you’re visiting Paris with your beloved, there’s little to beat the romance of a glide down the river after dark. There are numerous options, from a one-hour sunset sightseeing cruise to a candlelit dinner aboard a classic bateau mouche as the lights of the stunning cityscape twinkle all around. There are embarkation points at several places, the most popular being the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the Port de la Conférence and the Île de la Cité.
2. Spend an evening at the cabaret
Cabarets epitomise Paris by night. Once considered slightly subversive, they are now legendary venues full of sparkle, glitter and showgirls dancing to exquisitely choreographed routines. The can-can and bare breasts are still sometimes part of the glitzy package, but today you can also watch shows designed for families, enjoy a cabaret with your dinner cruise down the River Seine or watch the antics of a bawdy drag act. Here are a few of our favourites – and remember you’ll need to book well in advance as the shows are fantastically popular.
Au Lapin Agile
For anyone seriously into their music, Au Lapin Agile is a down-to-earth Montmartre must-visit once frequented by Pablo Picasso. Don’t go expecting dancing girls, for this is a place where musicians gather around a piano to belt out a mixed bag of French drinking songs and folk tunes.
- Address: 22 rue des Saules, 75018 Paris
- Shows 9pm-1am Tue, Thur–Sat, but you can turn up whenever you please
- Transport: Métro line 12 to Lamarck
Le Moulin Rouge
Simply put, the most famous cabaret in the universe. Home of the high-kicking can-can, which scandalised Paris in the 1830s, Le Moulin Rouge puts on nightly extravaganzas featuring the sparkling, feather-encrusted Doriss Girls, who’ll knock your socks off with their dancing skills. Book a stay at Mercure Paris Opéra Faubourg Montmartre Hotel for a base that's close to the action yet still a peaceful escape.
- Address: 82 boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris
- Dinner 7pm; shows 9pm and 11pm daily
- Transport: Métro line 2 to Blanche
Le Zèbre de Belleville
One for the kids, Le Zèbre de Belleville showcases acrobats, jugglers, puppeteers and contortionists in a wonderfully relaxed, family atmosphere. Weekly workshops are also on offer in this striking Art Deco former cinema.
- 63 Boulevard de Belleville, 75011 Paris
- Circus workshop 2pm Wed; kids' shows 2pm Sat and 2:30pm Sun; evening shows various times Tue–Thur; dinner show 7:30pm Sat
- Transport: Métro lines 2 or 11 to Belleville-Couronnes.
Good to know: When attending the more traditional Parisian cabarets like Lido2Paris or Le Moulin Rouge, be sure to dress smartly. Trainers, shorts and ragged jeans are not considered suitable attire.
3. Be an after-dark flâneur
“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty and in the point of life.” – Thomas Jefferson, US president
And indeed there’s nowhere better than Paris for a late-night wander. As long as you're sensible and don’t stray too far off piste, it's a safe city where you can enjoy a romantic stroll down the Seine between beautifully illuminated Paris bridges like Pont Mirabeau and the Pont Neuf. Another spectacular riverside spot for walking off a cosy bistro dinner is the Île de la Cité; the Gothic façade of Notre Dame Cathedral is dazzlingly lit up at night. Otherwise, if you’re staying in boho Montmartre, you can enjoy a glass of fizz in a pavement café while watching artists painting portraits in Place du Tertre, or pop into the Sacré-Cœur Basilica to admire its gilded Byzantine-style interior (it doesn’t close until 10:30pm).
4. Attend a big-name concert
Paris attracts mighty names including Andre Rieu, Sting and Maluma to the Accor Arena in Bercy, also the site of major sports tournaments. For an alternative nightlife experience in Paris, Point Ephémère is a massive bar-cultural centre-fusion restaurant on the Quai de Valmy, where you can catch concerts by up-and-coming musicians as well as dance performances and theatre.
Getting around Paris by night
If you’re out and about in Paris after 10pm, chances are you’ll be having a drink, so be sensible and either allocate a driver or stick to public transport. The following options are available for late-night travel around the city.
The Noctilien bus network
This service runs between 12:30am and 5:30am and is handy as it serves all the RER stations. Night buses are denoted by a blue “N” next to the route number displayed at the bus stop.
The Métro
If you want to travel underground in Paris, there are 14 métro lines crossing Paris; between Sunday and Thursday, the service stops at 1:15am at the latest. On Friday and Saturday, the last train stops at 2:15am.
The Velib’
A great choice if you’re not drinking (the police will not tolerate drunken cycling), there are around 1,250 Vélib’ stations in Paris. The bikes can be paid for by bank card and the first half hour of travel is free.
The taxi service
This is obviously the fastest and most comfortable way to get around late-night Paris. It’s also the most expensive, with a minimum set fare of €7.30.
Good to know: there are various tickets and passes available for travel on Paris’s public-transport system; some of the best deals are found on the Navigo app.
We hope you enjoy our suggestions for enjoying Paris at night. You may just need this handy guide to Parisian coffee the next day. See you in the bar!