Bars & clubs - Paris e-guide: The Travel Guide with its Own Website - page 133

Centre

17 B1

La Belle Hortense bookworms & barflies
31 rue Vieille du Temple, 4ème • 01 48 04 71 60
www.cafeine.com Open to 2am daily
A quintessentially Parisian mix of alcohol and intellec-
tualism can be found at La Belle Hortense, an unusual
combination of bookshop and bar. Serious tomes line
the shelves and the clientele is encouraged to leaf
through the latest Mario Vargas Llosa and indulge in
a bit of lit-crit with the clever barflies perched at the
zinc bar. The back room is smoke-free and quieter,
with art for sale on the walls, leather banquettes,
and low tables clustered together to make debating
the latest hot topics that little bit easier.
The strictly French wine list, though relatively short,
is well chosen and very well priced, and most of the
bottles can be bought to take home. Listen, and you

might hear tall tales from the regulars - who often
claim to have been drinking partners with most of
the 20th-century's great authors - philosophical
arguments, debates about critical theory, or
Sorbonne professors scoffing at their colleague's
latest book. However, despite the formidable IQs
present, this place is devoid of pretension, and it's
not unusual for people to suddenly start dancing the
tango, or engage in other less-dignified pursuits.
For lofty literary minds, posters around the bar
advertise plenty of events and meetings. Try the
monthly Proust reading group or attend a happening
book launch. (Catherine Millet's hit sexual memoir La
Vie Sexuelle de Catherine M debuted here.) Or leaf
through the piles of flyers for other cultural events
taking place in venues across the city.