The outside of this bar has style in a dive sort of a way, with grey wooden panels at the front decorated with mirrors. The inside is just as cool with a magnificent bar coated with a metal plate that is placed in the middle of the room so that the staff can serve from all angles. Record covers decorate the walls to remind us that this is a place of music with a soundtrack varying from jazz, techno and salsa during the week and rock and heavy metal at weekends. Read more

Mamane is the boss at this bar, he’s Algerian and prepares an excellent couscous every night for his regular local clientele at this and remarkably cheap establishment (beer and martini 2€)). It’s one of those places where everyone seems to know each other and the young and old mix quite happily. There’s one guy who’s a spitting image of the popular French singer/song writer Serge Gainsbourg whom everyone of calls Serge and who cares what his real name is! The place is usually packed... Read more

Literally translated, as ‘The Other Café’ this bar and restaurant is an impressive two floor building in one of the most picturesque areas in Paris. Downstairs is a vast and spacious café and upstairs two mezzanines joined together by a wooden staircase. During the day journalists, writers and artists come and use the café as a social office space and in the evening they meet for a drink and a meal to discuss their day’s work and future projects. With all these creative types to hand... Read more