Autumn has arrived and with it, shitty weather and a packed diary. We had too much Spritz, we’re fed up with crowded peniches and Fashion Week is over, so we need new things to cope with our seasonal depression. For the first time in a long time, we plan on staying on dry land and confining ourselves to dark places that go bump in the night. Lucky for us, there’s a whole new crop of clubs in Paris to make us forget why we ever came back to work.
Follow our lead to the newest Parisian hotspots…
By Aurore Henion
1) The rebirth of a left bank myth
WHAT: CLUB CASTEL
EXPECT: With Andre Saraiva as artistic director, Thierry Costes, Charles Beigbeder and Gilles Lellouche as new owners, the ambition of the new and improved Castel is to bring back the golden era of the club. You just need to be a member and have the magic card or the right friends to get in. Saint-Germain spirit, chic debauchery, models, designers, socialites… let’s say snobby chic.
WHERE: 15, Rue Princesse, 75006 Paris
WHEN: From Tuesday to Saturday, 23:30 – 06:00
RIVAL: Le MontanaThe staff is way younger at Le Montana. Even if the music is almost the same, the reactions aren’t. But Castel has just started its run. Perhaps too much too fast.
2) Terrasse, Vintage brasserie and club under the Pont Alexandre III
WHAT: Faust
EXPECT: Artistic directors Charaf Tajer and John Whelan, the cheery team from Le Pompon and Jackets, finally opened the long overdue Le Faust. Young creatives, hip-hop, a mainly-but-not-only hipster destination that boasts an impressive “Bright Young Thing” per square metre ratio. Still non-pretentious.
WHERE: Pont Alexandre III, Invalides, 75007 Paris
WHEN: From Friday (sometimes Thursday) to Saturday, 00:00 – 06:00
RIVAL: The Showcase is double the size, but it ain’t got those little lights on the ceiling that make all the difference. The programming is mostly hip-hop at Le Faust and mostly electro at Le Showcase, but the client base is just way more stylish at the Faust. What can we say…
3) Tacky by Lenny
WHAT: ARC PARIS
EXPECT: After 18 months, the legendary Arc reopened. Lenny Kravitz took care of the interior design and Cyril Peret Paglinghi, from Titty Twister, is the artistic director. The place is the new destination for jet-setters, as we say, with tall girls in Louboutins who love to scream and sublime champagne buckets.
WHERE: 12 Rue de Presbourg, 75016 Paris
WHEN: From Thursday to Saturday, 23:00 – 05:00
RIVAL: Le Titty TwisterThe Titty has a much wider range of clients. But hey, you can count more Porsches in front of the Arc.
4) Hipster island in the Place Clichy area
WHAT: Monseigneur
EXPECT: The idea was to launch a club where you can go with your friends without any trouble and where anyone can get in. There are still are more bearded graphic designers than random guys but the place has good vibes.
The team: Karim Methamem from Le Baron, SNTWN crew and Tarik Magra from Vice.
WHERE: 94, Rue Amsterdam, 75009 Paris
WHEN: From Friday to Saturday, 23:30 – 06:00
RIVAL: Le Carmen,It’s hard to compete with the chic, but warm atmosphere of Le Carmen, even if Le Monseigneur tried to with its medieval looking dungeon. But Le Monseigneur has one particularly good thing going for itself: it’s breathing new life into the neighborhood, while the Carmen is in a bit of a rut.
5) Hip Hop Karaoke Club
WHAT: L’Isolé
EXPECT: This one’s not a club but a bar, but the major difference is that you can sing your old favorite r&b hits at the back in the karaoke room. You’ve been whining that there are no more hipsters bar in Pigalle with its trendy hobos and fashion honeys but this one is pretty cool and intimate. Designed by The Creative Sweatshop, Ines Longevia and Julien Drapier.
WHERE: 14 Rue Frochot, 75009 Paris
WHEN: From Tuesday to Saturday, 21:00 – 02:00
RIVAL: Dirty Dick is more welcoming, original and has an unusually wide choice of crazy cocktails, but L’Isolé has the better argument: the bad-ass karaokeeeee!
