Must-see nightlife in France

  • Night Beach

    Bordeaux

    There is no finer, more elegant or more romantic rooftop bar in Bordeaux than this achingly hip drinking-and-hobnobbing joint on the 7th floor of the…

  • Keck's Nature Shop

    Auvergne

    This Canadian-run cafe draws inspiration from far and wide in its hot chocolate menu. The 'Frambiosuisse', raspberry-tinged hot chocolate served with…

  • Japadeunon

    Colmar

    This new, bottle-lined wine bar is a drop of sophistication. Here you can sample and quaff wines from Alsace and elsewhere (from €3 per glass), and there…

  • Le 365

    Grenoble

    Good-humoured mixologists preside over a fabulous cocktail list at this chic and ever-so-slightly risqué bar. Sip one of myriad mojito varieties –…

  • Au 36

    Champagne

    This slinky wine boutique has a ‘wall’ of Champagne, innovatively arranged by aroma, and a laid-back upstairs tasting room. A two-/three-glass tasting…

  • Le Bar des Prés

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Sake-based craft cocktails and tantalising shared plates (from €20) by a Japanese chef create buzz at the chic cocktail-bar arm of Cyril Lignac's foodie…

  • Beer District

    Nice

    One of Nice's coolest new nightspots, Beer District pours a regularly rotating line-up of 16 draught microbrews and 50 bottled beers from all over the…

  • L'Epicurieux

    Cannes

    A cosy little spot for a glass or two of a local vintage – the wine list here is great, with hand-picked choices from local domaines including Côtes de…

  • N°5 Wine Bar

    Toulouse

    No address buzzes with Toulouse's hip, buoyant crowd more than this fabulous all-rounder wine bar, which was voted the best wine bar in the world in 2017…

  • Maison de la Ronade

    Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne

    The same family has owned the Maison de la Ronade for more than 500 years. Behind this Renaissance-era mansion's stone walls you'll find a salon de thé…

  • Les Goûters de Justine

    Clermont-Ferrand

    The twinkly-eyed proprietress, presiding over her table of homemade cakes, is largely what makes this teahouse one of the most beloved spots in Clermont's…

  • Le Clandestin

    Montpellier

    This popular wine and piano bar is a gem. With a wide selection of wines, whiskies and rums, you’re sure to find something that will tickle your fancy. It…

  • Willie Carter Sharpe

    Montpellier

    Few hobnobbing spots in Montpellier are as sweet as the vaulted room of this speakeasy-style bar popular with local hipsters. Relax and order a well…

  • Fat Cat

    Toulouse

    This speakeasy-style cocktail lounge is a wonderful place for a drink thanks to its so-far-above-average cocktails and so-better-looking-than-you…

  • Sénéquier

    St-Tropez

    Sartre wrote parts of Les Chemins de la Liberté (Roads to Freedom) at this portside cafe – in business since 1887 – which is popular with boaties, bikers…

  • Les Caves du Roy

    St-Tropez

    The star-studded bar at the infamous Hôtel Byblos remains the perennial champion of nightclubs in St-Tropez, if not the whole Riviera. Dress to impress if…

  • L'Antiquaire

    Lyon

    Old-time jazz, flickering candles and friendly suspenders-wearing barkeeps set the mood in this atmospheric speakeasy-style bar. The painstakingly…

  • exterior (street scene), La Fontaine de Belleville.

    La Fontaine de Belleville

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    This seemingly traditional neighbourhood cafe with gold lettering, woven sky-blue-and-cream bistro chairs and vintage fittings is so much more than that…

  • Frog & Underground, interior

    Frog & Underground

    Paris

    FrogPubs has been brewing in Paris since 1993, and this central rue Montmartre venue is its best yet. Spread over a cavernous ground floor and opening to…

  • Bluebird, exterior (day)

    Bluebird

    Paris

    The ultimate neighbourhood hang-out, Bluebird is styled like a 1950s apartment with retro decor, a giant fish tank along one wall, and a soundtrack of…

  • Le Verre à Pied

    Latin Quarter

    This café-tabac (cafe and tobacconist) is a pearl of a place where little has changed since 1870. Its nicotine-hued mirrored wall, moulded cornices and…

  • Captain Pub

    Annecy

    It's best not to examine too closely this convivial boozer's Irish pub credentials. But after a genuine welcome and finding a seat in the warren of…

  • Paname Brewing Company

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Spectacularly situated in an industrial 1850s former granary on Bassin de la Villette, Paname's taproom has floor-to-ceiling windows and opens on to a…

  • Frappé par Bloom

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    In keeping with Paris' penchant for stylish museum eateries, its 18th-century mint sports a super-stylish cafe–cocktail bar with a designer interior and…

  • Café Piha

    Bordeaux

    The door handle alone – part of a coffee machine – says it all: this new-generation coffee shop is cool. Lounge on cushioned bench seating in a faintly…

  • Café Lomi

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    Lomi's internationally sourced beans are roasted here on-site in multiethnic La Goutte d'Or, adjacent to its cafe. Brews include filter coffee (mug,…

  • Outland

    Paris

    Of the 12 beers on tap at this artisanal beer bar, eight are Outland's own, brewed just east of central Paris in Fontenay-sous-Bois near the Bois de…

  • Harry’s New York Bar

    Paris

    One of the most popular American-style bars in the pre-war years, Harry’s once welcomed writers including F Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, who no…

  • Beans on Fire

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Outstanding coffee is guaranteed at this innovative space. Not only a welcoming local cafe, it's also a collaborative roastery, where movers and shakers…

  • Lockwood

    Paris

    Cocktails incorporating premium spirits such as Hendrick's rose- and cucumber-infused gin and Pierre Ferrand Curaçao are served in Lockwood's stylish…

  • Bistrot des Sports

    Chamonix

    In the 19th century, climbing parties used to assemble in the Bistrot des Sports before setting out to conquer Mont Blanc. A merry medley of mountaineers,…

  • Noglu

    St-Germain & Les Invalides

    Put the kick back in your shopping stride with a coffee break at Noglu, a pretty-in-pink, mirrored cafe and salon de thé (tearoom) with – drumroll –…

  • L'OisiveThé

    Paris

    Relax over a cup of tea – there are 70 types to choose from – or try your hand at knitting at this cheery salon de thé and yarn shop. Colourful and upbeat…

  • Le Zinc

    Grenoble

    Evoking an old-timey train station, complete with looming clock and retro tiled floor, Le Zinc is a favourite among local wine lovers. The owners are…

  • Mancuso

    Bordeaux

    'Delicate music, drinks and food' is the driver of this chic retro-styled cafe, named after New Yorker DJ David Mancuso who made The Loft private parties…

  • MBC

    Chamonix

    This Canadian-run microbrewery is one of Chamonix' most unpretentious and gregarious watering holes, pouring its own locally made blonde, stout, pale ale,…

  • Cinéma Café Merci

    Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville

    Dedicated to the seventh art, this street-level cafe adjoining concept store Merci is graced with retro film posters and projects vintage films on one…

  • Lipstick

    Montmartre & Northern Paris

    If the name isn't a clue, the decor certainly is: its bordello-like leopard-print lounges, red-velour drapes and a pole in the centre of the bar reflect…

  • Le Monologue

    Bordeaux

    Every fashionable city street has to have one – a new-generation coffee shop, that is – and on rue du Palais Gallien it's Le Monologue. Green-floral…

  • Folie Royale

    Annecy

    This handsome salon de thé has a master chocolatier staining his apron out back, as he hand-dips squares of ganache into chocolate, dices nougat and rolls…

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