There are countless watering holes and sidewalk cafés in the City of Lights that promise a good time, but it takes more than a few nights out to find the best bars in Paris. Whether you are looking for an intimate wine cave, craft cocktails, the best rooftop view of Paris, or just a place to dance, look no further.
How Frenchly Chooses the Best Bars
With an editorial team comprised of journalists who have lived and traveled extensively in France, Frenchly has the unique opportunity to share authentic experiences of the best restaurants and bars throughout France. Frenchly recommendations are based on personal experience, thorough research, and customer reviews. We update these lists regularly as new restaurants and bars open and existing ones evolve.
The 14 Best Bars in Paris:
- Scilicet
- Le Perchoir
- Experimental Cocktail Club
- Le Syndicat
- Le Barav
- Little Red Door
- Le Comptoir Général
- Chez Georges
- Prescription Cocktail Club
- Aux Folies
- Chez Francis
- Bar Hemingway
- Giclette
- Le Crocodile
1. Scilicet
Scilicet is the ideal place to meet a friend on the Seine, and it opens midday on the weekend. The music and outdoor seating invite you to order a beer and enjoy the afternoon sun. From cheese platters to fish and chips, there are several food options to choose from as well. Inside you’ll find a spacious cave. With glasses of wine starting at five euros, it can be a strategic place to start the night before moving to one of the floating bars on the Seine. With endless people watching and a clear view of the Eiffel Tower, it is hard to get enough of Scilicet.
Price: €
134 Voie Georges Pompidou
2. Le Perchoir
The sky stays light until after ten in June and July, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the view from the rooftop of Le Perchoir Ménilmontant. Upon arriving, you can wait for the elevator, or climb a large spiral staircase in the building’s courtyard to the roof, where you will be greeted with music and a bustle of happy patrons. There are several Perchoir locations, including one in the Marais. But the location in Ménilmontant is right off the nightlife mecca that is rue Oberkampf in the 11th arrondissement, and has spectacular rooftop views. Their original cocktails are made with local ingredients and an attention to equilibrium. Learn more about the bartending team and their cocktail menu here.
Price: €€
14 Rue Crespin du Gast
3. Experimental Cocktail Club
The Experimental Cocktail Club might be one of the most famous cocktail bars in Paris, and the place that kicked off the Parisian craft cocktail craze, but it somehow manages to live up to the hype. Their inventive reinterpretations on classic cocktails, which use French spirits and custom cordials and bitters alongside traditional apéritifs, are fabulous. The atmosphere is convivial and welcoming, relaxed without being dull, vibrant without being overwhelming. The bar itself is outfitted with velvet chaise longues and comfortable armchairs glimpsed under dim lights, and the walls have been cut back to reveal a restored half timbered facade and old stone walls. Even the music, a selection of slightly out of date, not quite vintage pop music, adds to the charm.
Price: €€€
37 Rue Saint-Sauveur
4. Le Syndicat
This cocktail bar might be hard to find at first, as the name isn’t written on the outside, but rather on the whitewashed walls within. Le Syndicat is one of the city’s top cocktail bars, and no matter what cocktail you order, you won’t have an issue finding good drinks on your next trip to this favorite local spot. Parisian bars like this turn an outing into a proper party, with the crowd spilling out onto the streets and good-naturedly jostling at the marble-topped bar while nodding their heads to old school hip-hop in this industrial space. Part of a new cadre of Paris cocktail bars focused on highlighting local French spirits and apéritifs, the masterful bar staff at Le Syndicat uses their next level knowledge of French cocktails to make their drinks unique and irresistible.
Price: €€€
51 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis
5. Le Barav
Short for “le bar à vin,” or wine bar, Le Barav is one of those Paris bars where the vibes are impeccable, the food is phenomenal, and the wines are unbeatable. You’ll be lucky to snag a table with a small group, but waiting is worth it for one of the best wine bars in the city. Order some small plates off their food menu, like the Ravioles Gratinées with comté and chorizo or some oeufs mayo, then move on to drinks. Their wine list is a little unconventional, and instead of listing the specific wines available, they have a rotating selection you can pick by category. So you can order the featured white wine of the moment, or “the South of France in a bottle,” or you can even order their mystery white or red wine. If you can guess the region, grape, and appellation, you’ll win a free bottle. You might end up with anything from a mild Bordeaux to a funky natural wine. (They also have a small selection of eau de vie and digestif options for the end of your evening.)
Price: €
6 rue Charles François Dupuis
6. Little Red Door
Since this bar opened in 2012, it has been on the World’s 50 Best Bars List 9 times, and has developed a reputation worldwide as, quite literally, one of the best cocktail bars in the world. Little Red Door in the Marais district is marked only, as the name would imply, by a little red door that leads into the small space, where sophisticated drinkers gather to try the bar’s creative cocktails. They offer a “Farm to Glass” cocktail tasting menu, through which you can enjoy a curated selection of cocktails paired with tasty bites of food, that showcases their ethos of promoting locally sourced ingredients from farms around France for the cocktails on their ever-changing menu. Come with a small group or make a reservation ahead of time.
Price: €€€
60 rue Charlot
7. Le Comptoir Général
The Canal Saint-Martin is always crowded starting in the early evening, with friends catching up as they drink a beer or share a bottle of wine by the water. Le Comptoir Général is mere steps from the canal, although the bar itself is at the end of a long hallway. Inside you’ll find an entire shipwrecked boat, and rooms decorated to look like a set out of Indiana Jones. There is often a DJ, and an ample seating space. If you are looking for a place to dance, this is your spot. All of the drinks on their cocktail menu are between twelve and fourteen euros, with a focus on all things rum. At around ten the lights are dimmed and the music is turned up. Everyone in Paris knows the name of this bar, and now you do too.
Price: €€
84 Quai de Jemmapes
8. Chez Georges
Chez Georges is my favorite bar in Paris. Located in the heart of the Latin Quarter, Chez Georges has a strong intergenerational pull. The bistro bar is classic and perfect for the daytime, but I recommend that you try and find your way down the tiny staircase into the basement cave. If you go early enough you can grab a table, order a bottle of wine for around twenty euros, and settle in. They host events with live music, which is best enjoyed sipping on a bottle of beer. If you find yourself in the cave dancing at two in the morning, then you’ll understand why I love this place.
Price: €
11 Rue des Canettes
9. Prescription Cocktail Club
There is not a shortage of popular cocktail bars in Paris, and with world renowned bars like Little Red Door all around the city, it can be hard for cocktail aficionados to choose one. Prescription Cocktail Club embodies everything a cocktail club brings to mind, with equal parts fun and sophistication. The bar staff are well dressed and friendly behind their elegant bar, and their creative cocktails are delightful. The DJ on the weekends helps to turn the party up a notch. Prescription Cocktail Club is part of the Experimental Group, along with the Experimental Cocktail Club on Rue Saint-Sauveur.
Price: €€
23 Rue Mazarine
10. Aux Folies
The Belleville neighborhood has a constant buzz of energy radiating from its sidewalk cafés. Aux Folies is a picturesque café-bar right on the Rue de Belleville that is always full of young people enjoying beer and wine both day and night. If you arrive on your Lime bike or electric scooter and park it out front of this unpretentious spot, you will fit right in. From Aux Folies, there are numerous bars within walking distance you can hop to if you want to keep the party going.
Price: €
8 Rue de Belleville
11. Chez Francis
Every night, the Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes at the top of the hour, and Chez Francis is the perfect place to enjoy the view. Any French café can turn into a bar experience, you simply sit down and order accordingly. Chez Francis’s proximity to the Eiffel Tower is striking, and the sight is sure to stir emotions. Perfect for a nightcap on your first evening, you can sit back and allow the image of the Eiffel Tower to inspire dreams of all that will come to pass during your stay in Paris, with a drink in hand and 80s music on the playlist. The nice thing about café menus is that they offer a variety of options, and the ability to have your wine or cocktails paired with a dessert.
Price: €€
7 Pl. de l’Alma
12. Bar Hemingway
One of the most well known bars in the city, Bar Hemingway is a haven for Americans passing through Paris. Its notoriety carries with it the allure of infinite possible encounters. As it is the most expensive bar on this list, it is worth planning for ahead of time if you decide to go to this hotel bar. I recommend arriving through the beautiful Place Vendôme and walking through the lobby of the Ritz Hotel, as opposed to entering through the back of the hotel where Google Maps will direct you. As written on the menu, bartenders serve cocktails that are “garnished with a rose for the ladies.” There is a lot written online about this bar, but I recommend going to experience it for yourself. It is worth noting that the dress code is enforced, and shorts are not permitted. (Their legendary head bartender, Colin Field, recently left his position there, but will be moving to Maison Proust in the fall!)
Price: €€€€
15 Pl. Vendôme
13. Giclette
The hip wine bar Giclette is full of surprises. On a recent visit, I met the owner of a different bar who was spending his one day off enjoying Giclette. There was also a winemaker from Alsace who was promoting his newest wine; his Sons of Wine pétillant naturel was a refreshing treat. By the time the bar reached last call on a Sunday night, the place was standing room only. For all the curious foodies out there interested in natural wines and an extensive wine list, this wine bar is the perfect place to discover something new each visit.
Price: €€
13 Rue Keller
14. Le Crocodile
Located a block off the Luxembourg Gardens, Le Crocodile is a watering hole for Sorbonne students after class. This dive bar is cash only, but there are plenty of nearby ATMs, and the cocktails are sold at Happy Hour prices until eleven. Orders are written on small pieces of paper, like medicinal prescriptions, and each cocktail arrives with a crocodile gummy at the bottom of the glass. Given the small booklet-sized menu, the bartenders are happy to recommend something based on your preferences. Whether you are the first to arrive when the bar opens, or you stay until the crowd begins spilling into street, Le Crocodile is a must visit.
Price: €
6 Rue Royer-Collard
Things to Consider While Choosing a Bar to Visit in Paris
When preparing for a night out, be sure to plan for how you will get home. The Paris metro does not run 24/7, but there is a night bus. You can find more information here. Bars typically close around 2AM, and clubs around 4AM, so 1AM tends to be the time when bar hoppers make the decision between running to catch the last metro of the evening, and committing to a proper night out.
Which area has the best bars and nightlife in Paris?
Neighborhoods near the Canal Saint-Martin, République, rue Oberkampf, and the Latin Quarter have some of the best bars in Paris.
What is the number one bar in Paris?
Le Perchoir, Le Comptoir Général, and the Experimental Cocktail Club are some of the most loved bars in Paris.
What is the best day for nightlife in Paris?
Parisians enjoy a post-work apéro throughout the week, but Friday and Saturday are the most active days for nightlife.
Is Paris good for bars?
Paris has some of the best bars in the world, from affordable cafés to experimental cocktail clubs.
Sarah Green hails from Florida but currently calls New York home. She has a background in real estate and is spending the summer in Paris completing research for her master’s degree in French Studies.
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