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By Root 1183 0

’s cellars are the place for trance, techno, hip-hop, hard-core, and jungle music. Kong ( 1 rue du Pont-Neuf, Rivoli 1er | 75011 | 01–40–39–09–00 | Station:  Pont-Neuf) is glorious not only for its panoramic skyline views, but for its exquisite manga-inspired decor, the top-shelf DJs for weekend dancing, and its kooky, disco-ball-and-kid-sumo-adorned bathrooms. It was featured as a chic eatery in Sex and the City; need we say more? WAGG (62 rue Mazarine, St-Germain-des-Prés, 6e | 75006 | 01–55–42–22–00 | Station: Odéon) is tucked beneath the popular bar-resto Alcazar, in a vaulted stone cellar that was Jim Morrison’s hangout back in its ’70s incarnation as the Whiskey-a-Go-Go. It’s now a welcoming dance club featuring vintage disco, funk, groove, and salsa (the latter on Sunday nights, with classes that start at 3 PM), with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and guest DJs.

FLOOR SHOWS AND CABARET

Paris’s cabarets are household names, though mostly just tourists go to them these days. Prices range from about €30 (admission plus one drink) to more than €130 (dinner plus show).

Crazy Horse (12 av. George V, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–47–23–32–32 | www.lecrazyhorseparis.com | Station: Alma-Marceau) is one of the best-known cabarets, with pretty dancers and raunchy routines characterized by lots of humor and few clothes. Burlesque artist extraordinaire Dita von Teese has been known to perform here. Lido (116 bis, av. des Champs-Élysées, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–40–76–56–10 | www.lido.fr | Station: George V) stars the famous Bluebell Girls; the owners claim that no show this side of Vegas rivals it for special effects. The glitzy cabaret offers a special sanitized kids’ show. Michou (80 rue des Martyrs, Montmartre, 18e | 75018 | 01–46–06–16–04 | www.michou.fr | Station: Pigalle) is owned by the always blue-clad Michou, famous in Paris circles. The men on stage wear extravagant drag—high camp and parody are the order of the day. That old favorite at the foot of Montmartre, Moulin Rouge (82 bd. de Clichy, Montmartre, 18e | 75018 | 01–53–09–82–82 | Station: Blanche) offered a circuslike atmosphere when it opened in 1889; today, the famous cancan is still a popular highlight of what is now more of a Vegas-y show, starring 100 dancers, acrobats, ventriloquists, and contortionists, and more than 1,000 costumes.

HOTEL BARS

Some of Paris’s best hotel bars mix historic pedigrees with hushed elegance—and others go for a modern, edgy luxe. Following are some perennial favorites. The super-chic bar at L’Hôtel (13 rue des Beaux-Arts, St-Germain-des-Prés, 6e | 75006 | 01–44–41–99–00 | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés) gorgeously revamped by stylemeister Jacques Garcia, evokes the decadent spirit of onetime resident Oscar Wilde. Hôtel Le Bristol (112 rue du Faubourg–St-Honoré, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–53–43–43–42 | Station: Miromesnil) attracts the rich and powerful with fab cocktails, and occasional mini-runway shows at teatime. Hôtel Costes (239 rue Saint-Honoré, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–44–50–25 | Station: Tuileries) draws the big names to its exclusive red-velvet interior, and not just during fashion week. Hôtel Plaza Athénée (25 av. Montaigne, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–53–67–66–00 | Station: Alma Marceau) is Paris’s perfect chill-out spot; the bar was designed by Starck protegé Patrick Jouin. Hot–cool Pershing Hall (49 rue Pierre Charron, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–58–36–58–36 | Station: George V) has a stylish lounge bar with muted colors and an enormous “wall garden” in the courtyard. Colin Field, the best barman in Paris, presides at the Hemingway Bar & The Ritz Bar (15 pl. Vendôme, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–43–16–30–30 | Station: Opéra), but with a dress code and cognac aux truffes on the menu, Hemingway might raise an eyebrow. Across the hallway is the reopened Ritz Bar (formerly the Cambon), a soigné setting where Cole Porter composed “Begin the Beguine.”

Murano Urban Resort (13 bd. du Temple, République, 3e | 75003 | 01–42–71–20–00 | Station: Filles du Calvaire) is Paris’s epitome