Great Bars for Expats in Paris

As a non-French living in Paris I am often on the look out for bars that are laid back and are different from the usual Parisian Café / Bistrot or for that matter from the typical ‘popular’ hangouts. So here is my list of some of the funnest bars I have discovered in Paris and why I love them. PS: I am also a little biased since I have a little dog and all these bars are very dog friendly J

Culture Rapide  $

Now this little treasure is not great because of the drinks – no way! In fact you are better off ordering beer or a simple Gin Tonic to be on the safe side. And neither do they have food or snacks. But, what they do have is a wonderful atmosphere with live bands and poetry jams. With a huge terrace on which one can spend a long summer evening with friends and some of that famous Belleville graffiti to boot. A very interesting piece of art is a teddy bear strung up on a light pole in the terrace.

Address – 103 Rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris

Red House $

This very American bar close to Bastille run by an American is the kind of place where you go with friends and throw a few back to some great music. They have a pinball machine and nachos with an awesome hot sauce. They also have Movie nights on Mondays (free popcorn) and if you have no one to go with just sit at the bar and let the bar tenders entertain you. While there order the Old Torino – the best take on a Mojito I have had – spicy.

Address – 1 B Rue de la Forge Royale, 75011 Paris

Long Island Bar $

This little place at a corner in Pigalle is a precious little gem hidden away from the bustle of the typical popular bars. They have cheap cocktails, cartoons/football on TV, special deals every night and and and…candy in their cocktails! The food is rather good too albeit a bit expensive. This bar has a fun little terrace but you need to get in early to grab a place there.

Address – 24 Rue Pierre Fontaine, 75009 Paris

Melting Potes $

Okay, so technically this bar is not in Paris but just outside in the suburb of Les Lilas. A small neighbourhood bar owned by an old rocker who calls in some great artists to perform live regularly. The bar has decent platters of charcuterie and cheese by way of food and a good selection of alcohol (do not bother asking for cocktails though – the bar owner will ask you how to make it hehe). Also, if you have a dog feel free to bring Fido along, he can be let off the leash and sit on the couch with you.

Address – 32 rue Jean Moulin, 93260 Les Lilas

Très Honoré Bar $$$

Now this is my go to with girlfriends bar. The décor is to die for and so are the cocktails. It is the kind of bar you can go to in a jeans tee-shirt or get all polished p in heels and pearls. The terrace is great even in winters and the waiters know English. They do have a great restaurant as well though I never really go there to eat. I would suggest getting a reservation if you want to go in a biggish group. This is also perhaps the only bar I have been to where they not only welcomed my pooch but offered him a bowl of water without my asking for one!

Address – 35 Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris

Prescription Cocktail Club $$

I absolutely adore this bar! It is tiny and super cozy but can get very crowded, so get there early if you want to grab a table. They have some of the best cocktails and for sure one of the best whiskey sours I have had in Paris. The only negative is that they have no terrace and is definitely not dog friendly. It is a great place to go with a close group of friends and you can for sure meet new people since one is forced to sit in rather close quarters with strangers.

Address –  23 rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris, France

Grasse - A Personal Discovery ;)

On a bright sunny day we took a long drive up the hills of Cote D’Azur, dog and all, and made our way to Grasse – the little town made famous by it’s historical perfume industry.  Now, I have been to Grasse before and done the whole explore-the-town, perfume museum tours and shopping for perfumes dance. This time round though we went in with a very single minded focus – a sort of self-discovery – we went to Grasse to create our very own custom perfume!

Yep, you heard it right – I now have my very own signature fragrance :D and so does Alex haha. Anyhow, it all started with me doing some random research on what ‘else’ could I do in Grasse other than buy perfume (read: me wanting to invent my own walk around the city :P ). I found a few companies which host perfume making workshops with many many MANY different permutations and combinations of price points and offerings and recalled (rather randomly) that Alex always wanted a unique perfume that no one else had. It being man’s birthday and all during our vacation week I decided that a workshop like this makes for the perfect gift. We picked Galimard, which is the oldest Perfume house in Grasse (started in 1747), offers a complete 2-hour workshop and the noses that work there can speak many languages. At the start of our workshop they gave a set of 9 bottles with no names on them and asked us to choose 2 smell that we liked the most. These two smells served as the base families of our perfumes. From there we went on to pick out heart notes and then finally head notes; with a break in between so as not to get too muddled with all the smells around us. They had around a 100 scents to choose from for both men and women and each of our individual perfumes is made up of 4 base, 6 heart and 5 head notes. So, not just do you get to make your own signature perfume but they also keep the recipe on record so that you can order the perfume again once its over and also order stuff like Eau de Toilette, Soap, Body wash and Body lotion.

Turns out that Alex and I both like very strong, woodsy smells :P Also, I loved the hospitality because not only were they kind enough to accommodate the doggie poo but he actually went into the workshop area and slept blissfully in the cool AC room :) Overall I would say that if you do take the time out to go down to Grasse at any point do make an appointment with Galimard for this workshop (and you can of course buy some of their signature perfumes :P).

The Effect of All the Scents on my poor Nose :P

OOOhhhhhh Perfume Maker Thingies 

Our Perfumes :D

Galimard Website: http://www.galimard.com/

Paris Rediscovered

One week ago trouble landed in Paris in the form of AJ (My very Bengali non-Bengali frand)!!!! Not only was it great to hang out with someone from back home after ages but it was an experience extraordinaire to see Paris once again through the eyes of a tourist. This week I realized (once again) how much I love this city!

So, how does one enjoy Paris in the summer if all they have is 2 days and 3 nights? (PS that is if you want to do something other than going to the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre).

Absinthe Fountain

Friday Evening: Start the evening at 19:00 at La Fee Verte famous for their Absinthe! When you come to the city which set the pace of the Belle Époque you cannot leave without having your share of Absinthe and La Fee Verte near Bastille has one of the largest collections all with a fountain and everything. From there take a walk from Place de la Bastille down Rue de Rivoli to Hotel de Ville where in July they have the jardins éphémères and onwards to the Notre Dame and Île Saint-Louis. Grab an Ice cream from Berthillon (if it is open) or from Amorino and walk along the Seine in any direction!!

AJ, Me & Alex

The Seine by night

The Catacombs

Saturday:  Start early and hit Place Denfert-Rochereau at 8:30 am to get in line for the catacombs. I have to say that after the Notre Dame de Paris the Catacombs de Paris is my favorite part of Parisian history – beautiful, morbid and very fascinating. It’s 2 Kms of underground tunnels lined with bones and epitaphs. Tip: read up on the catacombs before hand and you don’t need to pay for the guided tour nor the audio guide. The entry is 8 Euros.  After the catacombs walk down to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and take a stroll down Rue de Rennes – shopping paradise with all the major high street brands (all of which are on sale if you happen to come in July or January). Next grab a quick lunch at one of the cafes at Saint-Germain-des-Prés and later walk down Boulevard Saint Germain to the Notre Dame. On the way make a pit stop at the Shakespeare & Co.  – an independent bookstore with a reading room (they host events quite often as well). Post the Notre Dame take the metro and make your way over to butte Montmartre…take in the once famous art district of Paris by just walking around and peeking into little boutiques and cafes. You can also find some very interesting bars and restaurants here. Or you can make like us….buy some cold beers, fresh baguettes and an assortment of cheeses and make your way to the Sacré-Cœur. Have yourself a little picnic till the last metro with your friends on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, taking in the breath taking view and sharing your summer night with thousands of others and make your way home a little tipsy…a little nostalgic for the pre-war Paris.

Notre-Dame

Sacré-Cœur

View from the Sacré-Cœur

Tuileries

Centre Pompidou

 Sunday: Well rise and shine beautiful people and hit Place de la Concorde by 8:30 am. Take a stroll down the Tuileries and walk all the way across Chatelet up to Centre Pompidou. Settle down in a small bistrot or Starbucks (which ever suits your fancy) and get yourself a Petit Déjeuner (breakfast) cos you will need it. Walk into Centre Pompidou once you are done and enjoy some beautiful works by Andy Warhol, Gauguin and others along with a spectacular view of Paris. After that take the Metro down to Place Gambetta and take respite from a warm afternoon with a beer and some lunch. Post lunch walk down to the Cimetière du Père Lachaise and pay homage to some of the greatest men and women that ever lived – Jim Morrison, Balzac, Eugene Delacroix, Oscar Wilde, Chopin and Marcel Proust to name a few. It doesn’t hurt that the cemetery is so very beautiful either (though I am sad to report that the authorities have cleaned up all the graves and fenced them in, so all the years of dedications by ‘fans’ are a thing of the past). After this you can either settle down in one of the many parks of Paris or make your way to Belleville (the modern Parisian HQ of Art and cheap bars) and settle down at O’Paris – a hipster bar near Parc de Belleville with one of the best terrasses in Paris. Post drinking walk down Rue de Belleville on your way to the metro and stop to admire the graffiti all along the streets (free art!!!!). 

The Grave of Oscar Wilde (2011)

The Grave of Oscar Wilde (Today)

At O'Paris

Belleville

View from the O'Paris terrasse

Et Voila!!!!! Your 2 days and 3 nights are over as is the weekend. Until next time mes poulets!

And I leave you with a picture taken by AJ :)

Picture Courtesies: AJ