Paris, the Grande Dame of international tourism, is the most visited and perhaps the most emblematic city in the world. Each year, millions make the pilgrimage en masse to tourist hotspots such as the Louvre and Eiffel Tower, unaware of the many hidden jewels tucked away throughout the city and just waiting to be discovered. In-the-know places, quirky holes in the wall, cutting edge art houses, eclectic hangouts – the City of Lights is rife with them…
bestcocktail bar: Experimental Cocktail Club Perhaps the most interesting bar in the city at the moment, the Experimental Cocktail club seems to break all the rules. The young owners are not professionally trained barmen, but hardcore enthusiasts who love cocktail history – indeed, many recipes are from the 1920s. The bar is carefully hidden away in a discreet street with no signage, and almost all of its business is from word of mouth. Weekends are more adventurous, with DJs and a more carefree vibe. Where >Experimental Cocktail Club, 37 rue Saint-Sauveur, Paris, Tel: +33 1 45 08 88 09. view map Website > www.experimentalcocktailclub.com
best(and strangest!) new museum: Le Musée des Vampires The Musée des Vampires recently opened on the outskirts of Paris, and is the only museum of its kind in France. Exhibits include paintings, costumes and other artifacts relating to vampires – owner Jacques Sirgent leads guests (by reservation) throughout the small establishment, animating the tour with his own profound knowledge of bloodsucking culture!
Where >Le Musée des Vampires, 14 rue Jules David, Les Lilas, Paris. view map Website > www.musee-des-vampires.com
bestfor carnivores: Meating If you’re in the mood for a bit of blood yourself, one of Paris's best restaurants for a hearty steak (don’t leave without trying the excellent Black Angus) is the aptly named Meating. But these days it’s not just for carnivores. The restaurant has recently unveiled a newly expanded, non-carnivore menu on top of its bloody favourites, so you can enjoy inspired French dishes using only the best ingredients. Think lobster with coconut milk risotto or Fines de Claires Oysters with oyster cream and seawater gelée. Heaven! Where >Meating, 122 avenue Villiers, Paris, Tel: +33 1 43 80 10 10. view map Website > www.restaurantmeating.com
bestwalk: Le Viaduc des Arts Located between the Gare de Lyon train station and the Bastille on the Avenue Daumesnil, Le Viaduc des Arts (a former railway viaduct) offers a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Studios specialising in furniture, textiles and art tempt shoppers from beneath the graceful arches of the railway, while above, the Promenade Plantée (a 4.5km-long stretch of gardens) provides the perfect place for a leisurely stroll. Where >Le Viaduc des Arts, the length of the avenue Daumesnil, Paris. view map Website > www.viaduc-des-arts.com
bestclubbing: Le Batofar For a night out with a difference, head to Le Batofar. This strange nightclub, located in one of only three lighthouse boats existing in France (the other two can be found in the Maritime Museum), has some of the most eclectic electronic music in all of Paris. Moored just in front of the towering postmodern François Mitterand national library (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), it has become a nighttime pilgrimage for those in the know. Where >Le Batofar, 11 quai François Mauriac, Paris, Tel: +33 1 53 60 17 30. view map Website > www.batofar.org
bestart house: La Maison Rouge La Maison Rouge, located in a 2,000m2 factory near the Bastille, is a private art foundation opened and run by art collector Antoine de Galbert. Apart from a great revolving selection of cutting-edge artists, it also has a restaurant, patio and bookstore, all located in a fascinating open-plan gallery. And, surprisingly, it’s pretty much unknown to non-Parisians. Where >La Maison Rouge, 10 boulevard de la Bastille, Paris, Tel: +33 1 40 01 08 81. view map Website > www.lamaisonrouge.org
Compiled by Adrian Moore
besttrivia
The "Lights" of Paris actually refers to the intellectual residents who made Paris a world-renowned cultural centre back in the 18th-19th century, drawing other artists, and intellectuals from around the world. But the millions of lightbulbs illuminating every Paris monument help too!
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