Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [197]
LE CŒUR FOU Map Bar
01 42 33 91 33; 55 rue Montmartre, 2e; 5pm-2am; Étienne Marcel
‘The Crazy Heart’ is hip without attaining that too-cool-by-half pretentiousness that reigns in the Étienne Marcel environs. It’s a tiny, gallery-like bar with little candles nestled in whitewashed walls, a dapper late-20s crowd that doesn’t keep to itself, and art exhibitions that rotate every two weeks.
L’IMPRÉVU Map Bar
01 42 78 23 50; 9 rue Quincampoix, 4e; 1pm-2am Sun, noon-2am Tue-Sat; Rambuteau
‘The Unexpected’ is just that – something of an oasis in the busy Les Halles area. It’s a relatively inexpensive and gay-friendly bar, with mismatched furniture and a relaxed charm. The bar is quite large but the different rooms and corners mean you’ll soon find your niche. It’s popular with students.
CAFÉ DES INITIÉS Map Café
01 42 33 78 29; 3 place des Deux Écus, 1er; 8am-2am; Louvre-Rivoli
This modern-design café almost on rue du Louvre is popular with journalists and communications types. While not a late-night venue, it has a pleasant terrace and is great for evening drinks, coffees and light meals (plats du jour – daily specials – around €14.50). Slick service, nondeafening music and good food attract a trendy 30-something mix of suits and hooded tops.
HARRY’S NEW YORK BAR Map Cocktail Bar
01 42 61 71 14; 5 rue Daunou, 2e; 10.30am-4am; Opéra
One of the most popular American-style bars in the prewar years (when there were several dozen in Paris), Harry’s once welcomed such habitués as writers F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, who no doubt sampled the bar’s unique cocktail and creation: the Bloody Mary. The Cuban mahogany interior dates from the mid-19th century and was brought over from a Manhattan bar in 1911. There’s a basement piano bar and, for the peckish, old-school hot dogs and tasty club sandwiches. The advertisement for Harry’s that occasionally appears in the International Herald Tribune still reads ‘Tell the Taxi Driver Sank Roo Doe Noo’ and is copyrighted.
HEMINGWAY BAR Map Cocktail Bar
01 43 16 30 50; Hôtel Ritz Paris, 15 place Vendôme, 1er; 6.30pm-2am; Madeleine
This epic bar, nestled in the finery and grandeur of the Ritz, is a paean to Papa and is where he imbibed after making a name for himself. Legend has it that during the liberation of Paris, Hemingway himself was put in charge of the bar – complete with machine gun. Fabulous décor, outstanding cocktails (from €22) and expert bar staff.
KONG Map Cocktail Bar
01 40 39 09 00; 5th fl, 1 rue du Pont Neuf, 1er; 10.30am-2am Sun-Thurs, to 3am Fri & Sat; Pont Neuf
This Philippe Starck–designed bar is carefully perched upon the Kenzo building. The concept is kind of postmodern Japanese, a cradle for new-generation wannabes who trail their Vuitton handbags along the bar and snap their fingers for more bottles of champagne. The cocktails are around €13, not bad for a place this pretentious, and DJs playing hip-hop Thursday to Saturday somehow get everyone dancing on the tables. Happy hour is 6pm to 8pm. Dress up: no running shoes.
LE FUMOIR Map Cocktail Bar
01 42 92 00 24; 6 rue de l’Amiral de Coligny, 1er; 11am-2am; Louvre-Rivoli
This colonial-style bar-restaurant opposite the eastern flank of the Louvre is a fine place to sip top-notch gin from quality glassware while nibbling on olives; during happy hour (6pm to 8pm) the cocktails, usually €8.50 to €11, drop to €6. There’s a buoyant, corporate crowd on weekday evenings. The restaurant is popular for late breakfast during the week and brunch on Sundays; try to get a seat in the ‘library’.
CAFÉ OZ Map Pub
01 40 39 00 18; 18 rue St-Denis, 1er; 5pm-3am Sun-Thu, to 6am Fri, 1pm-6am Sat; Châtelet
A militantly Aussie pub at the bottom of sleazy rue St-Denis, Oz is authentic – from its wood-and-ochre décor to its strong commitment to maximising your drink intake. Convivial bordering on raucous, it’s popular with Anglos but the French love it too. The place is packed