The 10 Coolest Bars In The 10th Arrondissement, Paris

The scene at Tony‘s is exuberant. It is anti-age, pro enthusiasm, drink what you want, see you on the dance floor, bring my mule to the foosball table kind of atmosphere. The drinks are cheap, with a full bar that’s a cherry on your gin fizz. From here you can spill onto the sidewalk, stroll the passage, or hit Strasbourg Saint-Denis for more trouble, though it’s not likely you will need to go looking for any. The crowd is cacophonous, even the thirty somethings in their suits and ties can be found here, living for the weekend.

Point Ephémère is a colorful creative corral used for exhibitions and concerts. Off the main drag of the canal, set by the water, cast your eyes that way and let the polarities compliment one another. In winter you can sunbathe under the skylights inside or crimp your weave under a heater on the terrace. The burgers are bang-on, and the staff is cool. It is the incarnation of what every high schooler dreams college life is, part liberal arts party, part dormitory, lots of music, plenty of alcohol.

Step in to Le Syndicat to drink something decadently prepared and wholly French from the stemware to the brandy. This speakeasy is sexy and playful and politically unaffiliated so you can be anyone you like here. For most of the clientele, that means smoldering and blowing smoke rings around a table, twisting mustaches back into place, or slurping Le Sudiste like they are sifting sands on the Côté d’Azur. The mixology is run-of-the-mill gin in cost, the drinks are upstanding.

Black Mad Crawler is an Irish pub, with everything you expect on drought: Guinness. A salty staff and even saltier patrons, young and old. A lot of rock and roll. And a lot of whiskey. There are a few sidewalk tables with a view of traffic and the towering trees bordering the avenue, and if you’re lucky, three rockabillies commandeering a VW van pouring shots of Jameson free fall from its rooftop.

Lady Prune wants you to partake in her buffet of young, thrifty, cool, good-looking, well-dressed canal millennial crowd. So, there’s eye candy, there are also peanuts and seasonal fare to compliment your rosé. That said, the cheese, charcuterie, and cappuccinos and classic French ambiance are fail-safe, as are the prices. It may really be for these reasons that Chez Prune is always bustling. The stacked outdoor seating is serious summer real estate, so serious it does not thin even with the cold. But if you are lucky enough to have a front row seat between June and August, you can enjoy the canal pageantry.

This hot spot is for the late night lingerers or last stop snack table stalkers. The banquette, the vinyl seats, and the brattitude are what one comes to expect when coming home for a holiday of family dysfunction. That said this place is easy to relax in. The music is cool and so is the crowd. Chez Jeanette is classic French, classic hipster, no fuss, know what you want, and pay for what you get. Come to chill out with Cafe Richard in the afternoon or after hours for a goat cheese crostini. Situated close to the Porte arch, it can be the beginning of your date with Strasbourg Saint-Denis or a quintessential ending.

Nestled in between the ghetto eclectic and bobo-hood, this little toaster beats a drum of its own. La Petite Chaufferie‘s m.o. is ‘mangez electro, ecoutez bio’ (eat electro, listen organic). The DJ is always jammin’, the beers and wines are mindfully chosen, and they’re organic, naturally. The food is generously served, with or without gluten. The glassware is as animated as the graff art. La Petite has personality, the people are friendly, the groove is on and so is the menu. This affable, ambient cave of wine wonders, tongue-in-cheek paintings is a great way to explore alternative rhythms without traveling far from home.

You won’t be the first to confuse your location, between Jean Seberg sitting next to you and your perfectly bittered Manhattan, it is a bit disembodying. The half black bulbs, the Escher wall art, and the exposed space feel like New York. The cocktail list is exciting, the bartenders are handsome, and typically everyone is smiling, a nighttime novelty. Le Coq is fun and you can feel it, taste it and see it. Even on a school night the vibe is good fellow, grab a buttered champagne and a seat, and make it a regularity.