Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paris is brilliant after dark. Save energy from your day's sightseeing and experience the City
of Light lit. Whether it's a concert at Sainte-Chapelle, a boat ride on the Seine, a walk in
Montmartre, a hike up the Arc de Triomphe, or a late-night café, you'll see Paris at its best.
Night walks in Paris are wonderful.
Adjust your expectations to the changing times. Paris will always be the City of Light,
but it shines a little dimmer these days. In an effort to go green and save money, Paris
has toned down the lighting on several monuments, including the Arc de Triomphe and the
Louvre's glass pyramid.
Jazz and Blues Clubs
With a lively mix of American, French, and international musicians, Paris has been an in-
ternationally acclaimed jazz capital since World War II. You'll pay €12-25 to enter a jazz
club (may include one drink; if not, expect to pay €5-10 per drink; beer is cheapest). See
Pariscope
magazine under “Musique” for listings, or, even better, the
Paris Voice
website
for a good monthly review (
www.parisvoice.com
). You can also check Time Out's website
(
www.timeout.fr/paris
)
or each club's website (all have English versions), or drop by the
clubs to check out the calendars posted on their front doors. Music starts after 21:00 in most
clubs. Some offer dinner concerts from about 20:30 on. Here are several good bets:
Caveau de la Huchette,
a characteristic old jazz/dance club, fills an ancient Latin
Quartercellarwithlivejazzandfrenzieddancingeverynight(admissionabout€12onweek-
days, €14 on weekends, €6-8 drinks, daily 21:30-2:30 in the morning or later, 5 Rue de la
Huchette, Mo: St. Michel, recorded info tel. 01 43 26 65 05,
www.caveaudelahuchette.fr
).
Autour de Midi et Minuit
is a an Old World bistro at the foot of Montmartre, sitting
above a
cave à jazz
. Eat upstairs if you like (see
here
for details), then make your way down
to the basement to find bubbling jam sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday and concerts on
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (no cover, €5 minimum Tue-Wed; €16 cover Thu-Sat in-
cludes one drink; jam sessions at 21:30, concerts usually at 22:00; no music Sun-Mon; 11
Rue Lepic, Mo: Blanche or Abbesses, tel. 01 55 79 16 48,
www.autourdemidi.fr
)
.
For a spot teeming with late-night activity and jazz, go to the two-block-long Rue des
Lombards, at Boulevard Sébastopol, mid-way between the river and the Pompidou Center
(Mo: Châtelet).
Au Duc des Lombards
is one of the most popular and respected jazz clubs
in Paris, with concerts nightly in a great, plush, 110-seat theater-like setting (admission
€20-30, buy online and arrive early for best seats, cheap drinks, shows at 20:00 and 22:00,
42 Rue des Lombards, tel. 01 42 33 22 88,
www.ducdeslombards.fr
).
Le Sunside,
run for
