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LA PERLE Map Bar

01 42 72 69 93; 78 rue Vieille du Temple, 3e; 6am-2am Mon-Fri, 8am-2am Sat & Sun; St-Paul or Chemin Vert

This is where bobos (bohemian bourgeois) come to slum it over un rouge (glass of red wine) until the DJ arrives and things liven up. We like the (for real) distressed look of the place and the locomotive over the bar.

LE CAFÉ DIVAN Map Bar

01 48 05 72 36; 60 rue de la Roquette, 11e; 8am-2am; Bastille

Although a touch sombre, the Divan bar-restaurant scores a mention for three reasons. First, its long copper bar with stools: highly suitable for that moody apéritif or Le Monde–scrutinising coffee break. Second, a local clientele that’s older and considerably less hysterical than the usual rue de Lappe lot. And, finally, it opens onto a little passage – great on a warm evening.

LES ÉTAGES Map Bar

01 42 78 72 00; 35 rue Vieille du Temple, 4e; 5pm-2am; Hôtel de Ville or St-Paul

Students and expats find ‘The Storeys’ (all three of them) a viable alternative to the standard Marais fare, and happily appropriate the upgraded lounge rooms upstairs. Before 9.30pm certain cocktails are €4.50 (instead of the usual €8).

LES FUNAMBULES Map Bar

01 43 70 83 70; 12 rue Faidherbe, 11e; 8am-2am Mon-Sat, noon-midnight Sun; Faidherbe Chaligny

Like so many small cafés in east Paris, ‘The Tightrope Walkers’ has been transformed into a fashionable bar. While the original architecture provides character, nowadays the terrace is crammed with beautiful people on warm summer evenings. The rest of the year customers take shelter inside under the stunning coffered ceiling with chandelier and bird cages and enjoy a cocktail at the bar or a snack in the back room.

L’ÉTOILE MANQUANTE Map Bar

01 42 72 48 34; 34 rue Vieille du Temple, 4e; 8am-2am; Hôtel de Ville or St-Paul

A long, elegant room with a long, elegant wine and cocktail list, ‘The Missing Star’ takes standard café-bar décor up a slight notch with modern art, metal frames and fittings, clustered mirrors and dim lighting. There are light meals but it’s not a restaurant as such.

L’OBJECTIF LUNE Map Bar

01 48 06 46 05; 19 rue de la Roquette, 11e; 6pm-5am; Bastille

This perennial favourite (the name comes from a Tintin story) in Bastille attracts punters with its ‘Maxi Happy Hours’ – 6pm to 9pm and 9pm to 1.30am, when pints are €3 and €4 respectively – and its Cuban-themed and DJ nights, when it works itself up to a fever pitch.

MIXER BAR Map Bar

01 48 87 55 44; 23 rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4e; 7pm-2am; Hôtel de Ville

This bright and colourful club has regular party nights and chill-out sessions. Blended up in this hedonistic mix are an animated gay crowd, a happy sprinkling of enlightened heteros, and three different DJs each night, spinning techno, electro and house.

POP IN Map Bar

01 48 05 56 11; 105 rue Amelot, 11e; 6.30pm-1.30am Tue-Sun; St-Sébastien Froissart

All skinny jeans and cultivated pop-rock nonchalance, the Pop In somehow got itself on the in-crowd map but maintains a relaxed regulars’ vibe. It’s popular with expats and Parisian students starting out the evening, and the drinks are reasonably priced.

SANZ SANS Map Bar

01 44 75 78 78; 49 rue du Faubourg St-Antoine, 11e; 9am-2am Sun-Thu, to 5am Fri & Sat; Bastille

A little cheesy, a lot sleazy, this lively bar clad in red velvet and zebra stripes continues to hold out as a busy drinking venue on the Bastille beat. DJs play a very mixed bag of music, mostly electronic or funk and soul, and the crowd is similarly unpredictable. It’s always good fun. There’s a €5 cover charge at the weekend.

LE PICK-CLOPS Map Bar, Café

01 40 29 02 18; 16 rue Vieille du Temple, 4e; 7am-2am Mon-Sat, 8am-2am Sun; Hôtel de Ville or St-Paul

This buzzy bar-café – all shades of blue and lit by neon – has Formica tables, ancient bar stools and plenty of mirrors. Attracting a friendly flow of locals and passers-by, it’s a great place for morning or afternoon coffee, or that last drink alone or with friends. Great rum punch served with