My Favorite Clubs in Paris

With 3 weeks left, here’s my list of best clubs in Paris:

• Duplex – I had such a great night there. There are two separate rooms with dancefloors with completely different music playing. The night we went, one dancefloor was 90’s old school music, and the other had techno and dance, but while you’re in one, you can’t hear the other. It’s also a large venue, so there’s enough space to breathe, but the dance floor is crowded enough that you aren’t awkwardly doing a solo. It’s just off of the Champs-Elysées, by the Arc du Triomphe. They have a really solid Halloween party where only the international students dress up, but it was a ton of fun.

00002 Bis Avenue Foch, 16ème, Métro Charles de Gaulle Ètoile

• Le Showcase – It’s probably the coolest venue – right under Pont Alexandre. You can literally see the river and the bottom of the bridge from out the windows, and the interior is also really cool. It’s very spacious with a huge dance floor, and another level for those with tables. It’s not necessarily a very intimate setting, but I would highly recommend a visit. It’s the home of the “Golden Youth” of Paris – a very high class crowd, with some outliers. If you sign up on the guest-list at least a couple of days before hand, you can get in for free before 1AM.

Port des Champs Elysées, 8ème, Métro Invalides or Champs-Elysées Clémenceau, Under Pont Alexandre

• Le Mix – This club caters to international students – tons of Erasmus and study abroad students. They play familiar music, and have different levels. I recall the drinks were good (I love mojitos and they were good), and there are always photographers taking pictures and not being too snobby about it. I’ve only had great nights there. It’s right behind Montparnasse.

24 Rue de l’Arrivée, 15ème, Métro Montparnasse-Bienvenue, Just behind Tour Montparnasse

• VIP Room – This one is much more exclusive than the above. Make sure that when you go, you are dressed nicely, and that when you approach the bouncer, you appear as, I hate to say it, non-American, not drunk, and not obnoxious as possible. When he went, he asked me random questions like how I was doing, all in French, to test out if I was sober enough to answer, WHICH I WAS. It’s right on Rue de Rivoli, right in between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. They have a cool revolving platform and some attractive, attractive people. Drinks are expensive, but it’s worth a visit.

188 Rue de Rivoli, 1ère, Métro Tuileries or Palais Royale Musée du Louvre

• **Note: Rex Club is another one I went to recently, but I didn’t realize how French and authentic it would be. They played trance and heavy techno – a much more grungy, almost hipster feel. I didn’t really like it that much because the bass was literally hammering in my chest and the lights were a bit much. If I had been a little bit more inebriated it would have been fun, but I would say this is for people who go to clubs for a trance experience. On Grands Boulevards.

5 Boulevard Poissonnière, 2ème, Métro Grands Boulevards

• I’ve also heard L’Arc and Queen are really fun, but I haven’t personally been…yet.