Paris bars - Any recommendations?

As everyone knows Paris is absolutely massive with bars here there and everywhere.

Can anybody suggest the best areas to go to and bars in that area? I hear the Latin Quarter seems to be the best from people are saying

http://forum.ybig.ie/the-harp-bar-paris_topic12081_page3.html

Seanachie wrote: ABFC wrote: As everyone knows Paris is absolutely massive with bars here there and everywhere. Can anybody suggest the best areas to go to and bars in that area? I hear the Latin Quarter seems to be the best from people are saying The Latin Quarter is decent enough with plenty of studenty places like Le Piano Vache, Bar Dix, Chez Georges, Le Bateau Ivre, The Gentleman as well as expat hangouts The Bombardier, La Pomme d'Eve, The Moose, and the odd Irish pub (Finnegans Wake and Connolly's Corner). Rue Mouffetard is also a good place for drinking on though it is unlikely to be the centre of Irish fans' activities. Place de Clichy looks to be the place where most Ireland fans are focusing on. It's not, strictly speaking Montmartre (but down the hill from it) though for the purposes of Irish fans it is being called that. The Harp, O'Sullivans and Corcorans are the Irish pubs here and there are plenty of other bars too. Grands Boulevards is similar but further south, where there is another O'Sullivans, a Corcorans, a Cafe Oz the Hard Rock, as well as plenty of other places. It gets very busy at the weekends and a number of the places open late. More grungy and cheaper would be rue de Lappe in Bastille, which is a bit like Temple Bar, full of small bars and cafes. There are a few Irish pubs within walking distance, including Corcorans Bastille, Patrick's and The Green Goose. The rue Oberkampf/rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud area close to that is a big bar area too, though it has no Anglophone bars. The Cork and Cavan Irish pub is on the Canal St-Martin, which is a good area for outdoor drinking (a couple of supermarkets nearby to buy cans and bars sell pints to go) but drinkers are often moved on by cops after 9pm, though they might be more lenient for the Euros. There is also a small concentration of bars around Chatelet, with another Cafe Oz, O'Sullivans Rebel Bar, McBride's and the Hideout. It can get a bit messy but is the pints are relatively cheap. Avoid Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Champs-Elysees, which will be overpriced and in general unwelcoming to large crowds. Elsewhere in town, you can find cheap beer in plenty of places, particularly at happy hour, but you are unlikely to find it in large chain pubs, which is where the majority of fans will be congregating. But if you're willing to be adventurous and branch out in smaller groups, you can have a good time without spending 8-9 euros on a pint.

Great stuff! Canal St-Martin is very close to where I am staying.

I've been noticing, more so on other forums but also occasionally here, that a lot of people heading over reckon they'll be be paying upwards of 9 euros for a pint everywhere in Paris and there's no way of getting round it other than stocking up on cans.

I have a feeling people get this impression of the city from being there on weekend trips with their other half and walking into the first nice-looking place near their hotel and then being gobsmacked when the bill is landed them for two drinks. The thing about Paris is, unlike many other cities, there's generally a huge variance in price between places, depending on the neighbourhood but also often the clientele they're trying to pull. Check the prices before you order. You might find a bar is way cheaper than the one next to it.

It's also worth knowing that every bar, even Irish pubs, has at least one beer that is considerably more affordable than all the rest. It's usually a bog-standard lager such as Kronenbourg (in France, 1664 is a separate, slightly more expensive beer), Stella, Pelforth, or one of a number of cheap Belgian lagers and usually works out at somewhere between 5 euros and 6.50. It's not dirt cheap of course but if you confine yourself to the lower end of the menu you won't find a huge difference in price between Paris and Dublin.

In general if you want to drink cheaply in Paris, I'd advise sticking to neighbourhood French bars, which are often very well-priced, especially at happy hour. Of course, most of us want to soak up the atmosphere with big crowds of Ireland fans so that means sticking around the main hubs, one of which will be Place de Clichy. Salzburglilly has secured a great deal from The Harp for Sunday and Monday so that'll ease the financial burden. Even so, that might be out of the budget of some fans but you should be grand drinking cans, which you'll be able to find in most corner shops or supermarkets and which are a good deal cheaper than in Ireland (the supermarkets are a better bet because they won't jack the prices up). Street-drinking is generally tolerated in France though the cops might move you to a more manageable area if the size of a crowd gets potentially disruptive. One thing to remember is that some arrondissements, such as the 11th and the 18th (where Montmartre is), ban the sale of take-out alcohol after 10pm. This is strictly enforced so you'll have to get your orders in early if you want to be able to drink into the night.

Some neighbourhoods are more expensive than others too. The Champs Elysees and St-Germain-des-Pres ought to be avoided while Grands Boulevards is more expensive than Chatelet. Montmartre is one place where the prices vary from bar to bar.

Irish pubs fall around the middle of the price range. Cheaper are small, neighbourhood bars while brasseries, cafes and more loungey places are expensive (this is where you will pay that 9-10 euros a pint but nobody in Paris goes to those places to booze the whole night). I don't think the Irish pubs will push prices up for the Euros but they might suspend happy hour, though many don't have one anyway or do only on weekdays. Rest assured though that happy hour will continue as usual in most places in town. The apero is too much of a Parisian institution to be messed with for a mere football tournament.

If you don't fancy beer, spirits are a little more expensive than in Ireland (around the 7-8 euro mark for a short+mixer with 4cl measures). Wine has been getting more expensive in recent years with a 14cl glass now generally 4 euros in most places though in some it's still 3.50. It's rare to see either on a happy hour deal, which usually involve just beer or cocktails.

Elsewhere in France, Bordeaux isn't a huge amount cheaper than Paris while Lille, Arcachon and La Rochelle are more affordable. Still, it's not Poland (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) so it's going to be a more expensive few weeks than in 2012. On the upside, eating out is cheaper and far better value than in Ireland, so use the opportunity to eat well while you're over there.



Edited by Seanachie - 07 Jun 2016 at 8:54am

I'm not sure if this question makes me sound more like a knacker or a posh twat but will an off license have a corkscrew to open bottles of wine or is it best to carry one? 

Seanachie wrote: I've been noticing, more so on other forums but also occasionally here, that a lot of people heading over reckon they'll be be paying upwards of 9 euros for a pint everywhere in Paris and there's no way of getting round it other than stocking up on cans. I have a feeling people get this impression of the city from being there on weekend trips with their other half and walking into the first nice-looking place near their hotel and then being gobsmacked when the bill is landed them for two drinks. The thing about Paris is, unlike many other cities, there's generally a huge variance in price between places, depending on the neighbourhood but also often the clientele they're trying to pull. Check the prices before you order. You might find a bar is way cheaper than the one next to it. It's also worth knowing that every bar, even Irish pubs, has at least one beer that is considerably more affordable than all the rest. It's usually a bog-standard lager such as Kronenbourg (in France, 1664 is a separate, slightly more expensive beer), Stella, Pelforth, or one of a number of cheap Belgian lagers and usually works out at somewhere between 5 euros and 6.50. It's not dirt cheap of course but if you confine yourself to the lower end of the menu you won't find a huge difference in price between Paris and Dublin. In general if you want to drink cheaply in Paris, I'd advise sticking to neighbourhood French bars, which are often very well-priced, especially at happy hour. Of course, most of us want to soak up the atmosphere with big crowds of Ireland fans so that means sticking around the main hubs, one of which will be Place de Clichy. Salzburglilly has secured a great deal from The Harp for Sunday and Monday so that'll ease the financial burden. Even so, that might be out of the budget of some fans but you should be grand drinking cans, which you'll be able to find in most corner shops or supermarkets and which are a good deal cheaper than in Ireland (the supermarkets are a better bet because they won't jack the prices up). Street-drinking is generally tolerated in France though the cops might move you to a more manageable area if the size of a crowd gets potentially disruptive. One thing to remember is that some arrondissements, such as the 11th and the 18th (where Montmartre is), ban the sale of take-out alcohol after 10pm. This is strictly enforced so you'll have to get your orders in early if you want to be able to drink into the night. Some neighbourhoods are more expensive than others too. The Champs Elysees and St-Germain-des-Pres ought to be avoided while Grands Boulevards is more expensive than Chatelet. Montmartre is one place where the prices vary from bar to bar. Irish pubs fall around the middle of the price range. Cheaper are small, neighbourhood bars while brasseries, cafes and more loungey places are expensive (this is where you will pay that 9-10 euros a pint but nobody in Paris goes to those places to booze the whole night). I don't think the Irish pubs will push prices up for the Euros but they might suspend happy hour, though many don't have one anyway or do only on weekdays. Rest assured though that happy hour will continue as usual in most places in town. The apero is too much of a Parisian institution to be messed with for a mere football tournament. If you don't fancy beer, spirits are a little more expensive than in Ireland (around the 7-8 euro mark for a short+mixer with 4cl measures). Wine has been getting more expensive in recent years with a 14cl glass now generally 4 euros in most places though in some it's still 3.50. It's rare to see either on a happy hour deal, which usually involve just beer or cocktails. Elsewhere in France, Bordeaux isn't a huge amount cheaper than Paris while Lille, Arcachon and La Rochelle are more affordable. Still, it's not Poland (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) so it's going to be a more expensive few weeks than in 2012. On the upside, eating out is cheaper and far better value than in Ireland, so use the opportunity to eat well while you're over there.

ABFC wrote: Seanachie wrote: I've been noticing, more so on other forums but also occasionally here, that a lot of people heading over reckon they'll be be paying upwards of 9 euros for a pint everywhere in Paris and there's no way of getting round it other than stocking up on cans. I have a feeling people get this impression of the city from being there on weekend trips with their other half and walking into the first nice-looking place near their hotel and then being gobsmacked when the bill is landed them for two drinks. The thing about Paris is, unlike many other cities, there's generally a huge variance in price between places, depending on the neighbourhood but also often the clientele they're trying to pull. Check the prices before you order. You might find a bar is way cheaper than the one next to it. It's also worth knowing that every bar, even Irish pubs, has at least one beer that is considerably more affordable than all the rest. It's usually a bog-standard lager such as Kronenbourg (in France, 1664 is a separate, slightly more expensive beer), Stella, Pelforth, or one of a number of cheap Belgian lagers and usually works out at somewhere between 5 euros and 6.50. It's not dirt cheap of course but if you confine yourself to the lower end of the menu you won't find a huge difference in price between Paris and Dublin. In general if you want to drink cheaply in Paris, I'd advise sticking to neighbourhood French bars, which are often very well-priced, especially at happy hour. Of course, most of us want to soak up the atmosphere with big crowds of Ireland fans so that means sticking around the main hubs, one of which will be Place de Clichy. Salzburglilly has secured a great deal from The Harp for Sunday and Monday so that'll ease the financial burden. Even so, that might be out of the budget of some fans but you should be grand drinking cans, which you'll be able to find in most corner shops or supermarkets and which are a good deal cheaper than in Ireland (the supermarkets are a better bet because they won't jack the prices up). Street-drinking is generally tolerated in France though the cops might move you to a more manageable area if the size of a crowd gets potentially disruptive. One thing to remember is that some arrondissements, such as the 11th and the 18th (where Montmartre is), ban the sale of take-out alcohol after 10pm. This is strictly enforced so you'll have to get your orders in early if you want to be able to drink into the night. Some neighbourhoods are more expensive than others too. The Champs Elysees and St-Germain-des-Pres ought to be avoided while Grands Boulevards is more expensive than Chatelet. Montmartre is one place where the prices vary from bar to bar. Irish pubs fall around the middle of the price range. Cheaper are small, neighbourhood bars while brasseries, cafes and more loungey places are expensive (this is where you will pay that 9-10 euros a pint but nobody in Paris goes to those places to booze the whole night). I don't think the Irish pubs will push prices up for the Euros but they might suspend happy hour, though many don't have one anyway or do only on weekdays. Rest assured though that happy hour will continue as usual in most places in town. The apero is too much of a Parisian institution to be messed with for a mere football tournament. If you don't fancy beer, spirits are a little more expensive than in Ireland (around the 7-8 euro mark for a short+mixer with 4cl measures). Wine has been getting more expensive in recent years with a 14cl glass now generally 4 euros in most places though in some it's still 3.50. It's rare to see either on a happy hour deal, which usually involve just beer or cocktails. Elsewhere in France, Bordeaux isn't a huge amount cheaper than Paris while Lille, Arcachon and La Rochelle are more affordable. Still, it's not Poland (or Spain or Portugal for that matter) so it's going to be a more expensive few weeks than in 2012. On the upside, eating out is cheaper and far better value than in Ireland, so use the opportunity to eat well while you're over there. Great post brother. Have you the name of an specific bars that you'd suggest?

I'll confine myself to the Montmartre area but Le Kremlin, Rock n'Roll Circus, La Fourmis and Dirty Dick are good spots in the front of the hill. The other side Le Super Coin and La Cave Cafe are well worth a look.

gufct wrote: Any decent pubs around Gare du Nord as our Train from Amiens arrives and departs from there.

My hotel is near the Cork & Cavan - will probably be heading there before the match anyway. Sounds like a few heads should be congregating there