Paris after dark: after-hours theater, queer spaces and late-night jazz

13.07.2024 - 12:43 / lonelyplanet.com

Jul 4, 2024 • 6 min read

It's famous for fashion and food, but the nightlife in Paris also deserves your attention. Whether you're looking for a late-night dive bar, after-hours theater shows, inclusive queer spaces with excellent cocktails, or natural wine in a cozy setting, Paris has you covered.

Here's our pick of the best places to go when the sun goes down on the City of Light.

Best for a splurge
Monday-Sunday: 5pm-1am
6th arrondissement

If you want to splash out, then a drink at one of Paris’ palace hotels – a status awarded to the most exceptional five-star addresses – is one of the best ways to do it. There are 12 palace hotels in Paris but Bar Josephine at the Hôtel Lutetia is one of the standouts. Named after Josephine Baker, who used the hotel as her Parisian pied-à-terre when in town, the historic bar still sports its original frescoes on the domed ceiling and serves up a fantastic cocktail menu crafted by rising bartender Angelo Forte. Unlike some other palace bars, it’s as popular with locals as it is with guests, which gives an easy, laidback feel, even if you might find yourself sipping champagne next to the likes of Marion Cotillard and Isabelle Huppert. There’s also a lesser-known speakeasy hidden away in the hotel with a different cocktail menu and a cozier, low-lit vibe.

Best for natural wine
Monday-Sunday: 4-11pm
11th arrondissement

Reservations go notoriously quick at the one Michelin-star restaurant Septime, but if you don’t manage to snag one before your trip, you can always try a taste of the natural wine list just around the corner at sister address Septime La Cave. As it opens at 4pm and serves sharing plates such as comté cheese and fig chutney and slices of pork terrine, it makes a great spot for an apéro (the French colloquial term for apéritif) before trying to get a table at Septime’s other address, Clamato, which has a no-reservations policy. The space is tiny, so it can be difficult to get a seat, but most locals spill out onto the street, glasses in hand. If you’re not familiar with natural wines, the English-speaking team is happy to talk you through the selection, and if you find something you like, you can buy a bottle to take home. 

Best for opera and ballet
Performance times vary
9th arrondissement

After surviving an assassination attempt at a nearby opera house, Napoleon III commissioned the young and unknown architect Charles Garnier to create what would become the Palais Garnier, complete with his own private entrance so he could slip past any would-be assailants for a night at the opera. The Emperor died before he ever saw it completed but at least he gave Paris one of its most beautiful monuments, and of course a home to the legendary Phantom of the Opera. You can do