Bars & clubs - Paris e-guide: The Travel Guide with its Own Website - page 128

Bars & Clubs

10 G5

Kong manga dream
1 rue du PontNeuf, 1er • 01 40 39 09 00
www.kong.fr Open to 2am daily
Philippe Starck's Asian-inspired project, Kong, sits
atop Kenzo's flagship store and offers a riot of
designer-kitsch to shoppers and bar-hoppers alike.
Kong's interior is a chaotic jumble of neon lights, acid
colours, Zen-grey pebble rugs, Tokyo street scenes
playing on big screens, life-size images of geishas,
rocking chairs, Hello Kitty and manga merchandise,
and Pokemon-motif cushions. And that's all before
you've headed to the top floor - as everyone does - for
the views over the Seine from the bar's wrap-around
windows. The upper level's toilets are also worth a
look, bedecked with glitter balls and beaded
curtains, and guarded by giant images of sumo
children.
This is definitely not the place to be if minimalism is
your mantra. If, however, you like bright lights in your

big city then the clutter and chaos of Kong is sure to
tick all the boxes. The clientele is just as colourful as
the backdrop: party puppies and
fashionistas clamour for space at the bar, while trust-
funders chill out in the rocking chairs. Cocktails are
served in glasses of intense hues by surprisingly
friendly aspiring models and wannabe actresses, and
sipped to an eclectic soundtrack. This is played on an
innovative music system that allows diners to vote for
their favourite tunes from a menu of ten categories,
including Sugar Pop and Glam Chic. A very reasonably
priced happy hour (6-8pm daily) means that this place
gets going before most of the city's other fashionable
drinking destinations. It's definitely best to get there
early if you want to get one of the sleek, silver Starck-
designed stools in a prime spot at the bar. Another
way to guarantee a seat is to book a table for dinner.
But beware: as in most see-and-be-seen destinations,
the food is pricey, average and really not the point.