Parisian Bar Crawl – 4 Cool Bistros That Will Blow Your Mind
Paris is full of charming bistros and cool bars where drinking doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Have a look at some of my favourite bars where you can enjoy an evening of drinking on a budget.
Le Leche-Vin
To say Le Leche-Vin is quirky is an understatement. It is shabby but charming at the same time. It has a long, narrow bar with a spiral staircase at one end. The walls are overloaded with religious figures which seems to contradict with the sounds of hip-hop and jazz tunes playing in the background.
The clientele is almost all French with friendly staff serving them beer which is dead cheap, cold and good.
It is not often you go to a place and are told that the toilet is a place to behold. That is the case at Le Leche-Vin. If you didn’t know beforehand and walk into the toilets you would be in for a shock. They are plastered with hardcore pornographic images. Definitely not the place for the faint-hearted.
If in Paris, Le Leche-Vin is a must visit bar as you will find your visit so much fun. Just remember to drink enough so that you can go to the loo!
Le Leche-Vin is located at 13 Rue Daval, 75011 Paris
L’art Brut Bistrot
L’art Brut Bistrot is a little hole in the wall place that although small in size is large in character with a nice lively atmosphere. It is pretty rustic, with plain tables in a narrow room of wood, stone and iron.
It is normally packed by 6 pm with a crowd that obviously enjoy the fact that prices are extremely cheap compared to other places in Paris. Stella at €3.50, plates of cheese and charcuterie from €3.50 and cocktails from €6.
Beatnik French rock and pop mingle with locals and the odd tourist and paintings by young artists adorn the walls. If you feel inspired, they offer free sketching materials for you to use.
The staff were very cheerful and coped well with my imperfect French.
L’art Brut Bistrot is located at 78 Rue Quincampoix, 75003 Paris
Les Etages
Les Etages is for the romantics in us. While it is not exactly the cheapest place you would go to, it’s a cool little bar in the heart of Le Marais and covers three floors of a townhouse. The downstairs bar is elegantly decorated with candles and coloured lanterns and upstairs there is a small balcony, from where you can observe the street below.
With armchairs set in cosy corners and a Motown soundtrack often playing at a discreet volume in the background, this is a very intimate bar.
Les Etages liquor selection is better than average, and also serves a good selection of cocktails and beers. The happy hour extends from 6 pm to 8 pm when you can get excellent Mohitos and other cocktails for around €5.
Les Etages is located at 35 Rue Vieille du Temple, 75004 Paris
Chez Jeannette
Chez Jeannette is a pleasant, old-style bar with excellent staff, good food and wine and a great atmosphere.
If you come at lunchtime try the recommended dish of the day or you could have plates of cheese and charcuterie at night. Around 8 pm the fluorescent lights are turned off and the evening is continued in candlelight.
If you are the type that spends all your evening on your iPhone, then forget it, as they don’t have wi-fi.
It tends to get very busy, as it has become one of the go-to places for an after work beer, so make a reservation if you can.
Chez Jeannette is located at 47 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris
Where to stay
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Budget
Hotel Darcet
Hotel de Roubaix
Terminus Orleans
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[one_third]
Mid Range
Hotel Joke – Astotel
Hotel Design Secret
Hotel Malte – Astotel
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[one_third_last]
Luxury
Maison Souquet
Le Narcisse Blanc Hotel & Spa
Le 10 Bis Hotel
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Bistros are great! They’re like the French equivalents of pubs:D Cool selection, will keep this in mind if I go back to Paris!
Drinking on a budget sounds good. I like the look and feel of L’art Brut Bistrot. Cheers!!
Personally I love Bistro’s they are just super cool, the disadvantage thing is that sometimes they let their clients smoke inside whiich is why I always check first if someone is doing it inside the place. I would absolutely search this L’art Brut Bistrot and have a drink with my pals there.
Thats such a cool post on bistros- I am checking them out on my next Paris visit for sure-cheers
Oh wow will have to check some of these out on my next trip – L’art Brut Bistrot sounds good to me. I love pub or bar crawls LOL
One of the things I loved about Paris were amazing, cute little hole in the wall type bars and restaurants that you could easily walk past and never notice but are totally awesome!!!