Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [201]
* * *
top picks
FOR TEA
Salons de thé – English, Japanese or North African – are increasingly chic in Paris.
Kilàli, 6e
Mamie Gâteaux, 6e
La Jacobine, 6e
La Mosquée de Paris, 5e
The Tea Caddy, 5e
Angélina, 1er
Le Loir dans la Théière, 4e (right)
* * *
PURE MALT Map Pub
01 42 76 03 77; 4 rue Caron, 4e; 5pm-2am; St-Paul
A little Scottish pub-bar just south of the lovely place du Marché Ste-Catherine, the Pure Malt is for the whisky connoisseur. More than 150 types of whisky are on hand to try at €7 to €17 a glass. It concentrates mainly on single malts, though there’s beer available for €5 or €6 a pint. It’s a great place for watching sport and there’s a DJ on Friday and Saturday evenings.
STOLLY’S Map Pub
01 42 76 06 76; 16 rue de la Cloche Percée, 4e; 4.30pm-2am; Hôtel de Ville or St-Paul
This itty-bitty Anglophone pub on a tiny street just above rue de Rivoli is always crowded, particularly during the 4.30pm to 8pm happy hour, when all cocktails and a pint of cheap blonde (that’s the house lager – not the Monroe lookalike propping up the bar) cost €5. When big football matches are on and you’re looking forward to a quiet drink, go elsewhere.
LE LOIR DANS LA THÉIÈRE Map Tea Room
01 42 72 90 61; 3 rue des Rosiers, 4e; 9.30am-7pm; St-Paul
The cutesily named ‘Dormouse in the Teapot’ is a wonderful old space filled with retro toys, comfy couches and scenes of Through the Looking Glass on the walls. It serves up to a dozen different types of tea, excellent sandwiches and desserts like apple crumble (€8.50 to €12), and brunch at the weekend. Best time to find a table is about 4pm.
LE BISTROT DU PEINTRE Map Wine Bar
01 47 00 34 39; 116 av Ledru-Rollin, 11e; 8am-2am; Bastille
This lovely belle époque bistro and wine bar should really count more as a restaurant than a drinking place; after all, the food is great. But the 1902 Art Nouveau bar, elegant terrace and spot-on service put this place on our apéritif A-list – and that of local artists, bobos and local celebs.
LE CAFÉ DU PASSAGE Map Wine Bar
01 49 29 97 64; 12 rue de Charonne, 11e; 6pm-2am; Ledru Rollin
This is the destination of choice for willing wine buffs, who relax in armchairs while sampling vintages from the excellent range on offer. Le Café du Passage has hundreds of wines available, including many by the glass (from €5.80). Whisky aficionados are also catered for and won’t be disappointed by the selection of single malts. It’s a warm, cosy place and gourmet snacks and light meals (€6 to €17) are available.
Return to beginning of chapter
LATIN QUARTER & JARDIN DES PLANTES
Rive Gauche romantics, well-heeled café society types and students by the gallon drink in the 5e arrondissement, where old-but-good recipes, nostalgic formulas and a flurry of early-evening happy hours ensure a quintessential Parisian soiree. It’s all good fun here, though nothing ground-breaking.
LE CROCODILE Map Bar
01 43 54 32 37; 6 rue Royer Collard, 5e; 10pm-6am Mon-Sat; Luxembourg
This bar with racing-green wooden shutters has been dispensing cocktails (more than 200 on the list) since 1966. Apparently the ’70s were ‘epic’ in this bar, and the dream kicks on well into the wee hours of the new century. Arrive late for a truly eclectic crowd including lots of students, and an atmosphere that can go from quiet tippling to raucous revelry.
LE PIANO VACHE Map Bar
01 46 33 75 03; 8 rue Laplace, 5e; noon-2am Mon-Fri, 9pm-2am Sat & Sun; Maubert Mutualité
Down the hill from the Panthéon, this bar is covered in old posters above old couches and is drenched in 1970s and ’80s rock ambience. Effortlessly underground and a real student fave, bands and DJs play mainly rock, plus some goth, reggae and pop.
LE VIEUX CHÊNE Map Bar
01 43 37 71 51; 69 rue Mouffetard, 5e; 4pm-2am Sun-Thu, to 5am Fri & Sat; Place Monge
This rue Mouffetard institution is reckoned to be Paris’ oldest bar. Indeed, a revolutionary circle met here in 1848 and it was a popular bal musette (dancing club) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today it’s popular