Top Spots for Paris Nightlife, Part II

Wanderlust
Dress: casual
Crowd: varies
Price: moderate, with cocktails starting around €12

Located beside the beautiful river Seine, this indoor-outdoor space serves as a multipurpose venue that is open during the day and at night. During the week there are community events such as yoga or movie screenings, but once the weekend rolls around this becomes a great spot for an unforgettable night. The outdoor patio is equipped with a bar and a beautiful view, and it is always filled with people eager to strike up a conversation. Inside, however, the energy is high and the music is loud, so it will be hard to control the urge to dance. The music varies from favorite throwbacks to some of today’s hottest hits, so you’re guaranteed to spend the night singing at the top of your lungs. Wanderlust has hosted a variety of notorious DJs for exciting evenings, so be sure to check out the venue’s Facebook page for all upcoming events.

Social Club. Photo via Social Club on Facebook. 

Social Club
Dress: chic, trendy
Crowd: 20s
Price: moderate, with cocktails starting at €10

Social Club is known as the underground hipster club of Paris nightlife. Once you descend the large staircase, you enter a world different from that of most clubs in Paris. This fairly small venue has hosted some of the top DJs from around the world and always plays a great variety of electronic music. The graffiti-decorated smoking room is tucked behind the bar and is a great place to meet new people. The bartenders are superfriendly, and the crowd is a mix of English and French speakers, all dressed to impress. The loud music and cool decor will make you never want to leave this chic club.

Le Comptoir Général. Photo via DZine Trip Magazine. 

Le Comptoir Général
Dress: casual
Crowd: 20s, 30s
Price: cheap, with cocktails under €10

Also known as the “Ghetto Museum,” this hole-in-the-wall is tucked away behind a dark alley in the 10th Arrondissement. Located next to the canal Saint-Martin, it’s the ideal place to start any night, with a crowd showing up around 9 p.m. Once the place fills up, you’ll be surrounded by a variety of different people, ranging from tripists to native Parisians. The music includes club remixes of your favorite hip-hop songs spun by a live DJ, and once the clock hits 12, the dance floor quickly comes alive. Along with the hilarious decor, this bar has great drinks and a friendly atmosphere. 

VIP Room. Photo via VIP Room on Facebook.

VIP Room
Dress: dressy, chic
Crowd: 20s, 30s
Price: expensive, with cocktails starting around €18

VIP Room has a never-ending list of celebrity guests including Kate Moss, Robin Thicke, Rihanna and many more. Located on the rue Rivoli across from the Louvre, this exclusive club is always packed and hosts the most-talked-about events in Paris. The door policy is strict (so dress to impress), but once you move past the bouncers you will be greeted by VIP’s “wall of fame” along with its rotating dance floor and confetti cannon, which goes off every hour or so. This two-story venue is the ideal place to spend a night out with a large group of girlfriends and a bottle of Dom Pérignon. The music is great, and the energetic crowd will have you dancing until the wee hours of the morning. 

Café Oz
Dress: casual
Crowd: 20s
Price: cheap, with cocktails under €10  

This Australian bar is what seems like the Parisian version of an Outback Steakhouse gone club. Located on the bar strip in Châtelet, it’s the ideal place to start your evening with cheap beer and €6 cocktails during the 5 p.m.–8 p.m. happy hour. The bar then begins to fill up and quickly transitions to a nightclub. As the night progresses, you’ll find yourself singing to an “American Top 40” playlist and dancing on tables. The bartenders here are friendly and never pass up the opportunity to take shots with their customers! Oz also caters to a younger crowd of Parisians, students and even tripists, so you will easily find yourself speaking with people from all over. Some evenings, Oz hosts soirées with a fun theme, so be sure to check its Facebook page before you arrive. This is also a great place to watch your favorite sports teams on the big screen during the day and on weeknights. 

For more great ideas on where to go and what to do in Paris, get the GO-Card—everything you want to know about how to eat, live, play and stay in Paris for less!

Related Links
Wanderlust
Social Club
Le Comptoir Général
VIP Room
Café Oz
Visit Alexis Barnett at alexisnoellephoto.tumblr.com.