Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [232]
Le Dépôt
Le Cox
3W Kafé
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What’s your recommendation? www.lonelyplanet.com/paris
France is one of Europe’s most liberal countries when it comes to homosexuality – in part because of the long French tradition of public tolerance towards groups of people who choose not to live by conventional social codes – and Paris is the epicentre.
While certainly not London, New York or even Berlin, the French capital is home to thriving gay and lesbian communities, and same-sex couples are a common sight on its streets, especially in the Marais district of the 4e. In 1999 the government enacted PACS (Pacte Civile de Solidarité) legislation, designed to give homosexual couples some of the legal protection (eg inheritance rights) it extends to married heterosexuals (though it falls well short of the laws since codified in Spain and the UK). In May 2001, Paris elected Bertrand Delanoë, a European capital’s first openly gay mayor. He was returned to office for a second term in March 2008.
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EATING
AUX TROIS ÉLÉPHANTS Map Thai €€
01 42 33 53 64; 36 rue Tiquetonne, 2e; starters €7-12.50, mains €10-19.50; dinner to 11.30pm; Étienne Marcel
In a street where each restaurant is more original than the next, ‘At the Three Elephants’ takes the tart. Customers – a very mixed bag – are plunged into a highly exotic world where the extravagant ‘hostesses’ are equal to the dishes on offer. The subtle flavours of the yum plameuk (squid salad) and the homok pla (steamed fish served in a banana leaf; €10) are both excellent choices.
VILLA PAPILLON Map Thai €€
01 42 21 44 83; 15 rue Tiquetonne, 2e; starters €7-9.50, mains €13-20; dinner to 11pm Mon-Fri, to 11.30pm Sat & Sun; Étienne Marcel
Offering Aux Trois Éléphants (see above) some very stiff competition is this new and relatively authentic Thai eatery just across rue Tiquetonne. Try the duck with Thai basil and the prawns cooked in Musulman-style curry. Lovely staff.
LE GAI MOULIN Map French €€
01 48 87 06 00; www.le-gai-moulin.com, in French; 10 rue St-Merri, 4e; menus €12.90-20.90; dinner till midnight daily; Rambuteau
The much expanded ‘Gay Mill’ (we don’t get it either – unless they mean ‘rumours’) serves ‘classic but honest’ French cuisine, including decently priced set menus, to a mainly (but not exclusively) gay clientele. With the tables this close, there’s no chance of not making a friend or two between (or even during) courses. We love the piano bar downstairs on Tuesday evenings.
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DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
The Marais (4e), especially those areas around the intersection of rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie and rue des Archives, and eastwards to rue Vieille du Temple, has been Paris’ main centre of gay nightlife for over two decades. There are also a few bars and clubs within walking distance of blvd de Sébastopol. Other venues are scattered throughout the city.
The lesbian scene here is much less public than its gay counterpart, and centres around a few cafés and bars in the Marais.
In Paris, the need for exclusiveness appears to be relaxing – as is the general public’s mentality towards homosexuality. Clubs are generally all gay friendly, while specifically gay venues are increasingly mixing things up – becoming some of the coolest spots in Paris. The bars and clubs listed here are almost exclusively gay or lesbian. For mixed clubs, see the Nightlife & the Arts chapter Click here.
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LOUVRE & LES HALLES
LE TROISIÈME LIEU Map Bar
01 48 04 85 64; 62 rue Quincampoix, 4e; 6pm-2am Tue-Sun; Rambuteau
This friendly bar is a popular place for chic young lesbians and, at times, for everyone else. There’s a large, colourful bar and big wooden tables at street level, with good-value canteen meals. The vaulted cellar below leaves space for dancing to DJs, rock/alternative music concerts and live singers. On the last Saturday of the month it opens at 2pm.
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MARAIS & BASTILLE
3W KAFÉ Map Bar
01 48 87 39 26; www.3w-kafe.com, in