Paris Business City Guide: Paris bars, cafés & nightlife
Parisians love to go out: for a coffee on one of the many outside tables in the daytime, for an evening drink in a classy cocktail bar and to dance in the city's unrivalled clubs all through the night. People-watching is a national sport, but don't even try to compete with Paris's beau monde.

Paris nightlife reviews

Café de Flore
172 bd St-Germain
6th, M° St-Germain des Prés
01-45 48 55 26
Former haunt of surrealist painters and poets. Today, a place to see and be seen. Fantastic people-watching: writers, artists, celebrities, tourists. Outdoor terrace seating, but upstairs is more exclusive.

Le Fumoir
6 rue de l’Amiral de Coligny
1st, M° Louvre-Rivoli
01-42 92 00 24
Sleek and hip without being snooty, open till 2am. Try a martini while perusing a book from the 3,000-volume library. Restaurant serves contemporary fare.

Moulin Rouge
82 bd de Clichy
18th, M° Blanche
01-53 09 82 82
Home of the cancan, immortalised by Toulouse-Lautrec. Chef Laurent Tarridec shines in the kitchen, while 100 dancers sparkle on stage. Sumptuous sets. Jacket and tie required.

The China Club
50 rue de Charenton
12th, M° Ledru Rollin or Bastille
01-43 43 82 02
Classy and dark, styled to recreate the atmosphere of a Hong Kong gentlemen’s club. Live jazz downstairs. Superb, if expensive, cocktails. Restaurant serves Asian-influenced fare.

Harry’s Bar
5 rue Daunou
2nd, M° Opera
01-42 61 71 14
Legendary birthplace of the Bloody Mary, serving an impressive array of exemplary cocktails. The best dry martini in Paris. Expats and businessmen predominate.