Nightlife

Rex Club

Featuring sunken dance floors and an international crowd often in search of a mood-altering experience, the Rex Club easily recalls the big techno-grunge clubs of London. The music here is usually bass-heavy house and electronica, while crowds don't start pouring in until well after the metro has closed. The bouncers here are known to be temperamental and grouchy at times, though, so come dressed the part (avoid jeans and t-shirts) and toe the line when in line.

Address: 5 boulevard Poissonnière 2e Paris
Metro: Bonne Nouvelle Bus: 20, 85
Phone: 01.42.36.10.96
Website

Le Social Club

Located in the smack center of the Grands Boulevards club scene, not far from the aforementioned Rex, this electro venue boasts some of the hottest acts from the French and international DJ scene. Designed in a self-proclaimed "retrofuturist" style, the 500-capacity club is housed in the same building that used to print George Clemenceau's "L'Aurore" newspaper. The music tends to be eclectic, but house, techno, disco, electro, and similar genres usually end up reigning.

Address: 142 rue Montmartre 2e Paris
Metro: Bourse ou Sentier
Phone: 01.40.28.05.55
Website

Showcase

Set beneath the stately Pont Alexandre III, this may be the only club you'll ever enter that's literally nestled under a bridge. A stylish, "BCBG" (yuppie) crowd, usually with champagne bottles at close hand, dances to DJs and live bands while taking in iconic views of the Seine. While live bands are all over the genre map, DJs tend to stick to sets of house, electro, and disco beats.

Address: Port des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris, France
Phone: +33 1 45 61 25 43
Website

Queen

Looking for glitz, glam, and sparkles? Queen is as close as you’re going to get in old gay Paris. This institution was home to artistic director David Guetta in the early '90s when it was the place for the gay club scene. These days, it hosts parties every night catering to all tastes and sexualities, leaving Sunday night the dedicated evening for gay parties. Though some of the shine has worn off, it’s still loads of fun for guys to bring their girlfriends who want to see gay nightlife à la Carrie Bradshaw.

Address: 102 av des Champs-Elysées 8e Paris
Opening hours: 12mid-7am Mon-Thur, Sun; 12mid-8am Fri, Sat
Metro: George V
Website

Le Baron

Once housing the most expensive brothel in Paris, this small and exclusive lounge for 150 people serves as the "it" place for the international jetset crowd. Featuring original 1920's decor intact, including tiles painted with nude women, tasseled lamps, and red walls, the dance floor at Le Baron is one of the most packed in Paris. With some of the world's most beautiful people in attendance, befriending a regular still serves as the best way to get in.

Address: 6 avenue Marceau 8e Paris
Metro: Alma-Marceau
Website

VIP room

The VIP has moved from its Champs-Elysées address into the former Scala nightclub, but other than that, nothing has changed. It's still a hit with the people who also enjoy the VIP's sister venues in Cannes and St Tropez during the summer, and the music is still dance-oriented. The opening of smart Italian restaurant Gioia, serving food until 5am at weekends, is a welcome addition.

Address: 188 rue de Rivoli 1er Paris
Phone: 01.58.36.46.00
Metro: Tuileries ou Palais Royal - Musée du Louvre
Opening hours: Midnight-5am Thur-Sat
Website

Le Bus Palladium

This legendary rock venue, graced by the likes of Mick Jagger and The Beatles in its heyday, is back on the map after a 20-year spell out of the limelight with a vintage house vibe somewhere between retro rockabilly and punk psychedelia. While the new generation gets wild in the pit, former regulars are trying to catch their breath at the restaurant upstairs (8pm-5am Tue-Sat). Check the programme for concerts. Club nights on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays are a guaranteed riot, and diners get in for free.

Address: 6 rue Pierre Fontaine 9e Paris
Phone: 01.45.26.80.35
Metro: Blanche
Website

Le Montana

Le Montana is possibly the most exclusive club in Paris, even more so than Le Baron because of the VIP guests who are often there. Le Montana also belongs to La Clique, and it is rive gauche, right by Le Café de Flore.

The guests there are what you would expect: people who work in advertising, PR, as well as models...everyone says hi and call each other by their first name. Inside, you can alternate between the ground floor bar and the underground level dancefloor.

Do not try to get in if you are not with someone who knows the place. Le Montana is everything you would expect from a club that is "in": a small and intimate club, with a redesigned gothic-baroque interior, where everyone is drinking a piscine (champagne with ice cubes).

Address: 28 rue Saint Benoit, 75006
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Opening hours: Open from 11pm to 5am

Badaboum

Looking for a new Parisian club for electronic music ? The badaboum offers an eclectic programmation and a quality sounds systems. One vintage / cozy / trendy apartment on the first floor and a real club downstairs to dance all night long, we can say that they succeeded to give a new life to this former concert hall.

Good point: The Badaboum got the 3rd place in the Top 10 new European club by DJ Broadcast magazine !

Address: 2 bis rue des Taillandiers 75 011 Paris
Phone: 01.48.06.50.70
Website

Le Matignon

A cozy atmosphere for a secret and cheeky club.

Created by Gilbert Costes, the Matignon is a chic and cheeky club. Definitely Parisian. The decor blends contemporary art pieces, gold and platinum surfaces.

Address: 3 avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 89 64 72
Opening hours: Open from midnight until 6am
Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Website

Wanderlust

Over 1,600 square metres with a huge wooden terrace, perfect for watching the sunset with a cocktail in hand. About the music? Minimal/techno/house on a top quality sound system! A safe bet for a good parisian night out !

Address: 32 quai d’Austerlitz 75 013 Paris
Metro: Gare d'Austerlitz ou Quai de la Gare
Website