Since the opening of Hotel Costes, creating a designer hotel that centered Parisian nightlife around its bar and restaurant has been a trend. This bar/club was once a hotspot of the 1960's Parisian nightlife, and after closing for almost two decades, reopened just in time for the Spring 2009 Fashion Week. The space was designed by André Saraiva, nightlife entrepreneur and graffiti artist, and Purple Magazine editor Oliver Zahm. Saraiva is well-known in Paris for designing the famous nightclub Le Barón, as well as the Hotel Amour, but is also known worldwide for his bars in New York, London and Tokyo. Since it's 2009 opening, the surprisingly tiny space has regularly hosted universally known celebrities and models, especially during Fashion Week, and is even known to be a favorite of Diane von Furstenburg. The design is impeccable in every corner of the bar, with chalk sketches on the black walls contrasting white sculptures and the white and silver mosaic wall behind the bar. Its location, directly adjacent to Cafe de Flore, is another reason why this club has become, once again, one of the most exclusive places to be on weekends. During the daytime, both Hotel Montana's restaurant and bar have an incredible view of the left bank.
Open every day from 11PM-5AM
28, Rue Saint-Benoit, 75006
+33142224603
The Bar at the Hotel Costes is a necessary stop for anyone who wants to understand Parisian nightlife and Neo Baroque in its finest expression. The hotel is trendy and ultra-chic, attracting the young and famous crowd of Paris. It is also known for its electro-lounge music—Bar Costes even publishes albums containing recordings of their best sets. Designed by Jacques Garcia in 1991, decorator of the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, the Buddha Bar in Montecarlo and Le Champe du Bataille in Normandy, the ambiance resembles a belle-epoque sex club, with its dim lights, velvet, and ropes. Its luxurious mood derives from Garcia's original concept for the Costes Bar: "all things in excess". Obviously, the Bar Costes is another great place to spot celebrities and artists, and with its delicious cocktails and chandeliers, an absolute must for a glimpse of Parisian upper class lifestyle.
Image credit: Instagram/hotelcostes
Open from 5PM-2AM Sunday-Wednesday, 7PM-3AM Friday & Saturday
239, Rue Saint Honoré, 75001
+33142445050
This bar/club, situated in the 3rd arrondissement, has more historical importance than any other club in Paris. Its initial purpose, when it opened in 1885, was to host intellectuals and artists from all over the city in its thermal baths, artists like Edouard Manet and Marcel Proust. Later on, Maurice Manois bought the location in the late 1960's, making it a nightclub. Because the thermal baths needed reconstruction,
Philippe Starck joined the project to re-design the bar and baths. The "Studio 54 of Paris," as it was called in the 80's (the club opened in 1979), artists like Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol and Linda Evangelista would be seen frequently, and its live music could only compete with the CBGB, a famous club in NYC and the undisputed birthplace of punk, with artists like Joy Division and Depeche Mode. When it closed in 2010, the historic owner Maurice Manois started a renovation project that would re-open Les Bains Douches a year later. Its designers are
Vincent Bastie, Denis Mantel and Tristan Aver, who were inspired by the decor of the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles. This renovation saw the addition of a hotel and restaurant. The bar is an exquisite tribute to the baths, with its white and black checkered floors. The stairway to the bar is minimalistic but bold, with white lights in a window-blind like design, reflecting into numerous mirrors. The colored lights and the electronic music blast on the checkered floor while the bathing rooms are decorated with white and black mosaics. The thermal baths are still accessible, so unless you don't want to ruin your party dress, I suggest you take a dip.
Open Wednesday-Saturday 11PM-5AM
Rue du Bourg l' Abbé, 75003
+33142770707
Located just after the Impressionist Gallery at the Musée D'Orsay is the sophisticated Café Campana, a revisitation of the Café de l'Horloge by the famous Campana brothers. The two Brazilian designers were appointed to redesign the original café in the Musée d'Orsay, which reopened in late 2011. The concept of the design by
Humberto and Fernando Campana is a whimsical aquatic tribute to Art Nouveau, inspired by
Emile Gallé, a French artist who worked in glass, one of the major forces of Art Nouveau glass craft. The golden lamps, the chairs in polyurethane and the orange rubber cloud sculptures give the café a vibrant ambiance, mixing the artistic vibe with the history of the location. The light is natural, as the clock allows in plenty of sunshine, making it a great place for a quick lunch or coffee.
Open from 9:30AM- 6PE
1, Rue de la Légion D'Honneur 75007
+33145494233
As the bar of the W Hotel at Operá, Bar Brulé is a fusion of Parisian nightlife and New York's energy, mixing elegance with modern street art. This fusion can be sensed even before entering the bar, as on the stairway to the bar is a sureallist recreation of the famous "I Heart NY" symbol, designed by
Ludo, a Parisian artist. Inside the bar,
Fafi's "fafinettes", chalk drawings of women and animals represent the street artists' exploration of femeninity in urban art.
Yue Wu designed a fresco behind the bar that portrays more than 50 iconic artists credited for shaping Parisian nightlife throughout the ages. The most recognizable are Beaumarchais, Kiki de Montparnasse and Tekilatex. In the bathrooms, Nasty's graffiti's cover the walls, inspired by Charles Baudelaire's "Le Jeu" and "Les Hiboux". These artists joined to create a design bar in a more classic and chic area of Paris, where the crowd can enjoy a night out admiring contemporary street art. The bar, even with a breathtaking view of Opera, is worth the visit for its elegance and uniqueness that mix perfectly with its fearless street art.
Image credit: Instagram/barbruleparis
Open Thursday-Saturday from 7PM-3AM
2, Rue Meyerbeer 75009
+33177489449
A new gem from the
Experimental Group, the owners of 2 bars in Paris (and many others around the globe), is Night Flight, who's name comes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's
"Vol de Nuit" inside Hotel Bauchaumont. Both the bar and the restaurant of the hotel gave the location its fame for their incredibly chic and modern interiors. Despite the small amount of space,
Dorothée Meilichzon, young decorator of Café Pinson and Hôtel Paradis, created a trendy, intimate ambiance using low seating and Ottoman-style corner seating in orange hues, contrasting the high wooden blue chairs at the bar. The dim lights, the velvet textiles, and the crystal cocktail glasses mix perfectly into the modern style of the large, light windows. On busy weekends, the bar becomes crowded with artists and the best of Paris. Sip on incredible cocktails while enjoying the open view to the street and the velvet dark hues of the bar.
Open every day, 6PM-2AM
18, Rue Bachaumont, 75002
+33181664755
So enjoy the Saturday night chaos in these stylish and modern bars that give Parisian winters a refreshing and artistic perspective on the experience of bar hopping. These design bars become a people-watcher's paradise during Fashion Week and the center of trendy Parisian life, so if you want to spot designers or models while drinking the best cocktails in Paris in dim lighting, these are the best spots. Get inspired by the story behind its designers and the history of the locations, but remember: trendy equals no mercy. These bars are very selective, so no sneakers! Santé!
