LGBT A GAY AND LESBIAN TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE CITY OF LIGHT

By BOB ADAMS

Represented by: Anne Devlin Max Gartenberg Literary Agency LLC E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 215.295.9230 Address: 912 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Yardley, PA 19067

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THE IDEA

There are certain vacation destinations well known as havens for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) tourists: San Francisco, New York City, Berlin and more. Rarely included on this list is Paris, France.

And yet, the City of Light is home to one of the world’s largest and most diverse LGBT communities, with more gay bars, dance clubs, restaurants, shops, organizations and special events than any other European destination.

The problem is—no one outside of Paris knows about it.

In fact, I gained awareness of Paris as an LGBT hot spot quite by accident. While walking through the city’s trendy Marais district, I was happily surprised when I stumbled across a gay bookstore. A few steps farther revealed an LGBT bar. And then another. Followed by a gay restaurant, a monument to homosexuals murdered during World War II, a gay curio shop, an LGBT clothing boutique, a statue memorializing one of France’s two gay kings (yes, it’s true!), a venue hosting a weekly same-sex ballroom dance party…

I found myself in the midst of a thriving LGBT community larger than any I had ever visited. And I was stunned to realize that despite being a writer for LGBT media for nearly 20 years, a visitor to the City of Light nearly a dozen times and what I consider to be a knowledgeable traveler, I had been completely unaware that Paris is unparalleled as an LGBT destination.

I made up my mind then and there to let other LGBT travelers in on Paris’s gay secret.

“LGBT Paris: A Gay and Lesbian Travel Guide to the City of Light” is a thorough examination of Paris’s hundreds of LGBT-related sights, shops, restaurants, bars, sex clubs, saunas, drag shows, dance parties and much, much more.

If you’re a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender tourist heading to Gay Par-ee, this travel guide is your key to the city—whether you plan to spend only a few hours or your entire stay learning more about the impact made by LGBT people throughout Paris’s incredibly rich history and mingling with the city’s extraordinarily welcoming gay residents.

THE MANUSCRIPT

“LGBT Paris: A Gay and Lesbian Travel Guide to the City of Light” is a completed 109,000-word manuscript (accompanied by up to 200 high-resolution digital photos to select from) divided into 12 chapters that provide in-depth reviews of nine LGBT sightseeing musts; 51 tourist stops in Paris’s way-gay Marais district; LGBT art throughout the city; more than 70 gay bars and dance clubs; 38 LGBT and 28 gay-friendly restaurants; nearly 50 sex venues; more than 100 boutiques; 26 spas and beauty salons; 115 gay organizations and clubs; 27 hotels in the city’s “gayborhood”; and a chapter focusing solely on lesbian-favorite haunts.

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Chapter One: History of Gay Paris LGBT rights have been championed in France since the French Revolution in 1789, including the passage of marriage equality just this year. This short chapter looks at the highlights—and occasional low points—of LGBT equality over the centuries. Sidebars to the chapter include prominent gay and lesbian Parisians, a list of the numerous LGBT publications available in the city and your rights as a gay traveler in France.

Chapter Two: Must-See Gay Sights Paris is awash in amazing sightseeing. The Tower. The . Notre Dame. But one can glean mainstream sightseeing information from any of the Paris guidebooks already on the market. “LGBT Paris” covers sights with specific interest or connections to LGBT people, including prominent gays and lesbians buried in the famed Pere Lachaise cemetery, a memorial to those murdered by the Nazis during World War II, the gay kings memorialized in the elegant and the somber Basilica of Saint Denis and much more.

Chapter Three: Sightseeing in Much of Paris’s LGBT community is located in and around the Marais, a trendy, upscale neighborhood on the city’s Right Bank. To get a true take on what life is like for Paris’s gay men and lesbians who live, work and play there, it’s vital to experience all that the vibrant quarter has to offer. This chapter highlights the most interesting mainstream sights that are nestled among LGBT destinations, including the oldest house in the city, a dozen 17th-century mansions, several fine museums and a handful of serene green spaces.

Chapter Four: Lesbian Paris Many lesbian travelers balk at buying LGBT travel guides because there’s usually a whole lot of G and very little L in them. Not so here—or in Paris itself, which has numerous bars, restaurants and shops that cater to lesbians and bisexual women. This chapter also includes sights of particular interest to women who love women, such as the homes and hangouts of early 20th-century scribes Gertrude Stein, Natalie Clifford Barney, Djuna Barnes and others, plus a museum Parisians jokingly call a “musee lesbienne” because it’s filled with paintings, frescoes and sculptures of the female form.

Chapter Five: Erotic Art Art is everywhere in Paris, from ornate carvings on centuries-old buildings to captivating street murals that seem to lie around every corner. But what about creations of, shall we say, a more homoerotic nature? They, too, can be found in abundance. This chapter explores two of Paris’s iconic museums—the and the Musee des Beaux-Arts— that have impressive collections of nude sketches, paintings and sculptures, broken down into lists of 10 must-see pieces at each museum.

Chapter Six: Bars, Clubs, Dance Parties and Drag Shows While the gay bar scene is withering in most American cities, it’s actually flourishing throughout Gay Par-ee. There are dozens of LGBT watering holes in the City of Light, from tiny, pocket-sized venues to huge dance halls that host wild weekend parties that last until dawn. This chapter—the longest in the book—describes every LGBT and gay-

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friendly bar, club and dance party in the city. Sidebars to the chapter include a description of the various types of drinks offered at Parisian bars and a primer on French wines.

Chapter Seven: Restaurants, Cafes and Bakeries There are an estimated 20,000 eateries in Paris, but this chapter focuses only on gay or lesbian establishments and those gay-friendly venues that are specifically marketed to the LGBT community. The majority of these are in the Marais, but the listings include every gay restaurant and cafe in the city, including a true gem in the Latin Quarter. Sidebars include common French phrases, deciphering the French menu, picking the perfect pastry, cafe courtesy, when and where to eat, primers on French cheese and cooking sauces, and the differences between cafes, bistros, brasseries and restaurants.

Chapter Eight: Sex Shops, Cruising Bars, Bathhouses and Sex Clubs Romance, it seems, lies around every Parisian corner. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that sex is just as prevalent—and equally celebrated—in the City of Light. From small neighborhood bars with backrooms for randy patrons to sprawling bathhouses and sex clubs, Paris is a smorgasbord of sexual gratification, all perfectly legal in laissez-faire France. This chapter visits every cruising bar, sex shop, bathhouse and sex club marketed to lesbian and gay patrons. Sidebars include common French phrases and terms, safer sex organizations in the city and a listing of Parisian fetish organizations.

Chapter Nine: Shopping Among the humorous (and not-so-entirely-untrue) clichés about LGBT folk, and gay men in particular, is that they love to shop. And Paris is one of the world’s premier shopping destinations. This chapter checks out the gay-owned and gay-friendly stores throughout the Marais—and a few notable shops elsewhere—in the following categories: Clothing and Accessories; Vintage Clothing; Leather/Fetish Gear; Grooming; Eyewear; Sex Shops; Books/Photography/Videos; Music; Art; Knick-Knacks and Souvenirs; Pets; Food; Culinary Supplies; and Worth a Special Trip. Sidebars include common French phrases, a guide to converting U.S. sizes to European equivalents and a visit to the designer boutiques on the exclusive Avenue Montaigne.

Chapter Ten: Services For many tourists—particularly repeat visitors—a Parisian getaway is more about relaxation and rejuvenation than a whirlwind sightseeing spree. What could be more quintessentially Parisian than a day of pampering? Or perhaps that perfect souvenir would be a new tattoo or piercing? There are countless grooming businesses throughout Paris, each with a loyal clientele. This chapter narrows that list to establishments that are gay-owned or have a large LGBT clientele.

Chapter Eleven: Events and Organizations Paris is a fantastic city to visit at any time of the year and there are LGBT events held throughout the calendar, from the city’s massive gay pride celebration each June to lesbian and gay film festivals held in the late fall/early winter. This chapter provides details on every LGBT event, and also includes a comprehensive list of Paris’s dozens of gay organizations. These include: Activist and Political Organizations; Assistance and

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Support Groups; Athletic Leagues; Cultural and Social Clubs; Fetish and Sex Groups; Health and HIV/AIDS Organizations; and Religious Groups.

Chapter Twelve: Lodging Believe it or not, there are no LGBT hotels in Paris. In October 2010, the only such guest residence, Hotel Le Central, sadly closed its doors. Thankfully, there are dozens of other fine inns near Paris’s LGBT bars, restaurants, galleries and shops. This chapter provides information for 27 popular hotels in the Marais, ranging from a trio of four-star luxury accommodations to simple two-star facilities that offer just the basic necessities.

THE MARKET

The market for “LGBT Paris: A Gay and Lesbian Travel Guide to the City of Light” is gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adults. Here’s what we know about that demographic group:

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are about 5.6 million lesbians and 5.4 million gay men over the age of 21 in the United States (conservatively assuming that only 5% of the population is gay). The following analysis also doesn’t include Canadian consumers or travelers living in other English-speaking nations, all of whom also are potential buyers of “LGBT Paris.”

According to the 17th Annual LGBT Travel Survey, conducted in 2012, and the LGBT 2020 Report, released in November 2013, both conducted by Community Marketing Inc.  LGBT people worldwide are expected to spend $200 billion on travel in 2014  France is one of the top two global destinations for same-sex weddings and honeymoons  LGBT Americans travel twice as often as the average American  40% of LGBT Americans took a “major vacation” (more than five nights) in the past year  The average gay man took 4.7 leisure trips during the past 12 months; the average lesbian took 4 such trips  60% of LGBT Americans earn more than $50,000 per year  Most LGBT couples are dual-income, no kids (DINKs) and have more discretionary income to spend on travel  France is the no. 3 favorite international travel destination for LGBT Americans  More than 1 million Americans visit Paris annually  69% of LGBT travelers are more likely to visit a destination marketed to their community  A majority of LGBT travelers seek out LGBT-specific publications, websites or travel guides when planning a vacation

As indicated in the following section, “The Publicity and Promotion,” there are dozens of LGBT magazines, websites, blogs, newspapers and satellite radio programs across the country that would be ideal vehicles to publicize the release of “LGBT Paris.” And according to the 7th Annual LGBT Community Survey, released in August 2013 by Community Marketing Inc., LGBT people turn to these sources of information frequently:  67% of gay men regularly visit LGBT websites and blogs; 58% of lesbians do so  50% of gay men regularly read LGBT publications for their specific city or region; 42% of lesbians do so

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 38% of gay men regularly read national LGBT publications; 30% of lesbians do so  23% of gay men regularly listen to LGBT programming on satellite radio; 17% of lesbians do so

THE PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

There are numerous LGBT publications, radio programs, blogs and news/entertainment websites that would be ideal properties for promoting “LGBT Paris” nationally, regionally and locally.

As a former editorial employee of Here Media, the company that owns or co-manages the following seven national media properties, I can assure coverage in each, from reviews of the travel guide to author Q&As to excerpts from the book. These media properties include:  The Advocate magazine (Circulation over 100,000)  Advocate.com  Gay.com  Out magazine (Circulation over 100,000)  Out.com  OutTraveler.com  SheWired.com

Already, OutTraveler.com, a website focusing on LGBT travel and tourism, ran a teaser article in June 2013 (to coincide with Paris Gay Pride) based on information drawn from Chapter 2: Must- See Gay Sights. A similar piece, drawn from information in Chapter 4: Lesbian Paris, is slated for upcoming publication on SheWired.com.

Additionally, opportunities to promote the travel guide abound in other gay and lesbian media across the nation (and in Canada). Most would minimally provide a review of the travel guide upon or just prior to its release. I also would be available for more extensive coverage at LGBT newspapers, websites, podcasts and blogs, which include:

LGBT national magazines  Curve magazine: www.curvemag.com  Instinct magazine: www.instinctmagazine.com (Circulation over 100,000)  Lavender Magazine: www.lavendermagazine.com  Metrosource: www.metrosource.com  Passport (LGBT travel magazine): www.passportmagazine.com

LGBT news and entertainment websites  AfterElton.com  AfterEllen.com

Gay travel websites  Gay Travel: www.gaytravel.com  New Gay Travel Guide: wwwnewgaytravelguide.com

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There also are nearly 50 LGBT regional publications and local newspapers (plus corresponding websites), a dozen award-winning LGBT blogs, four syndicated national LGBT radio programs, five prominent non-music LGBT Internet radio stations, and a daily slate of LGBT programs on Sirius Radio’s OutQ channel that offer additional promotional and advertising opportunities.

THE COMPETITION

There are no Paris-specific LGBT travel guides available. The last such guide, “Gay Paris: The Definitive Guide to Gay and Lesbian Paris,” was published in June 1997, and is now out of print.

Other competition includes the following multicity/multicontinent gay and lesbian travel guides:  “Damron Men’s Travel Guide,” 2013 edition  “Damron Women’s Travel Guide,” 2013 edition  “Spartacus International Gay Guide,” 2013/2014 edition

1) “Damron Men’s Travel Guide,” 2013 edition  512 pages. Only 9 pages (1.76% of the book) are devoted to Paris.  Listings include accommodations, bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, entertainment and recreation, gyms and health clubs, bookstores, retail shops and erotica.

The 2013 Damron guide already contains outdated information, including a handful of venues that have closed during the past 12 months as well as missing entries for several new LGBT businesses that have opened since November 2012. The guide also includes several lesbian venues, but fails to identify them as such. “LGBT Paris” was last updated October 2013.

Business listings are mostly limited to location information, telephone number and hours of operation for each establishment. Most venue listings contain no other information, and those that do are limited to brief statements, such as “heated terrace” or “full bar.” “LGBT Paris” includes full reviews of every establishment, ranging from 50 to 150 words in length, covering the venue’s location, ambience, products, distinctive features or specialties, pricing, clientele and quality, among other criteria.

Additionally:

“Damron Men’s Travel Guide” includes listings for 27 restaurants. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for 66 eateries—38 LGBT and 28 gay-friendly restaurants.

“Damron Men’s Travel Guide” includes listings for 8 shops. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for more than 100 boutiques and stores.

“Damron Men’s Travel Guide” includes no information on the history of gay Paris, gay sightseeing destinations, mainstream sightseeing in the gay district, erotic art

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exhibits, beauty/spa services or LGBT organizations in the city. “LGBT Paris” provides thorough information on all of these topics, each with its own chapter.

2) “Damron Women’s Travel Guide,” 2013 edition  456 pages. Only 6 pages (1.3% of the book) are devoted to Paris.  Listings include accommodations, bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, entertainment and recreation, gyms and health clubs, bookstores, retail shops and erotica.

The most serious flaw with much of the information in this lesbian guidebook is that it is copied (often word-for-word) from the “Damron Men’s Travel Guide,” and this means that some business listings (typically gay bars) are recommended as female- friendly, while in actuality are male-centric or uncomfortable for women.

The Damron guide also already contains outdated information, most problematically listing two lesbian bars/restaurants that have been shuttered for nearly a year. “LGBT Paris” was last updated October 2013.

Listings in the Damron guide are largely limited to location information, telephone number and hours of operation for each establishment, plus a few words to describe the venue’s atmosphere or clientele. Examples include: “neighborhood cafe/bar,” “artsy younger crowd” and (surprising for a lesbian guide) “go-go boys.” “LGBT Paris” includes full reviews of every establishment, ranging from 50 to 150 words in length, covering the venue’s location, ambience, products, distinctive features or specialties, pricing, clientele and quality, among other criteria.

“Damron Women’s Travel Guide” includes no lesbian-specific sightseeing information. “LGBT Paris” reports on more than a dozen destinations, including the homes and hangouts of the literary lesbians of the Left Bank during the early 20th century (among them Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Natalie Clifford Barney and Djuna Barnes); five noteworthy lesbians buried in Paris’s Pere Lachaise cemetery; and the Musee des Beaux-Arts, jokingly called a “musee lesbienne” by Parisians.

Likewise, “Damron Women’s Travel Guide” provides no information on lesbian special events, groups or organizations in the city. “LGBT Paris” provides comprehensive listings.

“LGBT Paris” also groups all lesbian-specific entries on sightseeing, events, organizations, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, dance parties and shops in a separate chapter, appropriately titled “Lesbian Paris,” as well as including this information in the guidebook’s various other chapters.

“Damron Women’s Travel Guide” includes no information on the history of gay Paris, gay sightseeing, mainstream sightseeing in the gay district, erotic art exhibits, beauty/spa services or LGBT organizations in the city. “LGBT Paris” provides thorough information on all of these topics, each with its own chapter.

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3) “Spartacus International Gay Guide,” 2013/2014 edition  1,062 pages. Only 15 pages (1.4% of the book) are devoted to Paris, and of these 6 pages are advertisements and 4 pages are neighborhood maps.  Listings include bars, men’s clubs, cafes and restaurants, dance clubs, saunas/baths, bookshops, fashion shops, leather and fetish shops, PR and photographic services, travel and transport, tattoo/piercing and hotels.

Listings in the Spartacus guide include location information, telephone number, website and hours of operation for each business. About half of the listings also include very short descriptions, such as “small and packed at lunchtime,” “two bars” and “smoking area, specials apply.” “LGBT Paris” includes full reviews of every establishment, ranging from 50 to 150 words in length, covering the venue’s location, ambience, products, distinctive features or specialties, pricing, clientele and quality, among other criteria.

“Spartacus International Gay Guide” falls far short of providing a thorough examination of Paris’s gay venues, and is seriously lacking in the following areas:

 “Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes listings for 32 LGBT bars and dance clubs. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for more than 70.

 “Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes listings for 12 restaurants. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for 66 eateries—38 LGBT and 28 gay- friendly restaurants.

 “Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes 1 listing for leather/fetish shops. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for 7 such businesses, including a boutique for women.

 “Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes listings for 2 lesbian bars, one of which closed in late 2012. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for 8 lesbian bars and clubs, plus 5 regularly held dance parties.

 “Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes listings for 2 men’s fashion shops. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for 17 men’s boutiques, plus another 10 shops offering clothing and accessories for both genders and 3 vintage clothing stores.

 “Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes no listings for women’s clothing shops. “LGBT Paris” includes listings for 9 women’s boutiques, plus another 10 shops offering clothing and accessories for both genders and 3 vintage clothing stores.

“Spartacus International Gay Guide” includes no information on the history of gay Paris, gay sightseeing, mainstream sightseeing in the gay district, erotic art exhibits,

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beauty/spa services or LGBT organizations in the city. “LGBT Paris” provides thorough information on all of these topics, each with its own chapter.

THE AUTHOR

Bob Adams is a journalist and content provider with more than 20 years of experience writing and editing at newspapers, magazines, digital media and corporate communication departments on both U.S. coasts. His work has appeared in The Out Traveler, The Advocate and Out magazines and on their corresponding websites, as well as in numerous mainstream publications.

A former associate editor at Philadelphia Gay News, Bob has a strong knowledge of LGBT publishing throughout the United States. His work has appeared in such gay publications as Bay Windows, Gay People’s Chronicle, Seattle Gay News and Frontiers, among many others.

Bob also has been an avid traveler since childhood, and is a frequent visitor to Paris, having spent a total of nearly six months in the City of Light.

Selected articles:

OutTraveler.com “Paris Pride Guide: Five LGBT Attractions” Feature story on gay-specific sightseeing in Paris www.outtraveler.comdestination-guide/paris/2013/06/28/paris-pride-guide-five-offbeat- attractions?page=0%2C0

The Out Traveler magazine “Travel Matters: Golden Rules for Traveling with HIV” News story on key guidelines and precautions for HIV-positive international travelers PDF available via e-mail

HIV Plus magazine “Finding His Sea Legs” Feature story on a New York man raising AIDS awareness by rowing across the Atlantic www.hivplusmag.com/issue-features/2004/12/30/finding-his-sea-legs

FUTURE PROJECTS

Additional LGBT travel guides—which could be published as part of a multi-title series along with “LGBT Paris”—are currently in the planning and research stages, and include stand-alone titles for Berlin, London and Rome. Potential multi-city titles include Brussels and Amsterdam, and Madrid and Barcelona; potential regional guides include Austria and Bavaria, Germany; Scandinavia; the Czech Republic; and Switzerland.

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INTRODUCTION + TWO SAMPLE CHAPTERS

INTRODUCTION

This isn’t your typical travel guide to the City of Light.

Let’s be honest: There are a million Paris guidebooks out there. All of them cover the standards—the , the Louvre, the Latin Quarter, the “destination” restaurants, the historic cafes and the quintessentially Parisian shops and boutiques. And we fully urge you to check out your favorite resources to help you plan your visit. (Don’t expect us to steer you away from “touristy” sites or businesses—we love them, too!)

But we’re specifically reaching out to gay and lesbian visitors to Gay Par-ee, those same-sex-loving travelers who want to learn a little bit more about the role of LGBT men and women in Paris’s incredibly rich history or spend time mixing and mingling with the city’s large, diverse and incredibly welcoming gay community, be it for just a few hours or for an entire Parisian stay.

And you could, indeed, easily spend a week or more immersed in Paris’s LGBT culture. While gay enclaves in U.S. cities continue to gentrify (read: de-gay) and LGBT bars, restaurants and bookstores in major American cities close up shop with disappointing regularity, gay Paris is actually booming.

With the possible exception of Berlin (and we’d definitely be up for a robust argument on this point), no other city in Europe has as large and active a gay community supported by as many LGBT-owned or LGBT-friendly businesses as does Paris. There are more than two dozen gay bars in the city; nearly 40 gay cafes and restaurants and another two dozen-plus that advertise as being gay-friendly; countless gay shops and boutiques; and more than 100 LGBT organizations, including social and cultural groups, athletic leagues, health and support associations and sexual/fetish organizations.

And did you know that there are numerous gay and lesbian connections to some of the city’s most popular sightseeing destinations, like Place des Vosges, Pere Lachaise Cemetery and the literary Left Bank? Or that there were (at least) two French kings who preferred the company of men? We’re happy to tell you about all this and more!

We’re also extremely pleased to assure women who love women that there is a vibrant lesbian community in Paris, as well as numerous lesbian-owned or -centric businesses, something sadly lacking or limited in most other cities around the world—even major gay destinations like San Francisco and New York City. Specifically, there are eight lesbian bars and dance clubs (try to find even one in most other cities—we dare you!) and several weekly or monthly all-female dances held at non-gay venues. There’s even a lesbian-owned bookstore, Violette and Co., which specializes in lesbian and feminist books, magazines, gifts, CDs and DVDs.

While we took great pains to review every LGBT venue anywhere in the city, much of our focus is on the way-gay neighborhoods of the Marais and Les Halles, which are home to most of Paris’s LGBT bars, restaurants and shops, as well as a sizable portion of the city’s gay residents (though, truth be told, LGBT men and women set up house throughout all of Paris’s 20 districts, called Arrondissements). Located on the Right Bank in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Arrondissements, these charming neighborhoods are filled with elegant and trendy shops and boutiques, cafes, restaurants, museums, parks and more.

The heart of LGBT Paris is sort of a bridge between Les Halles and the Marais— the delightful five-block-long Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, essentially the Parisian equivalent of San Francisco’s Castro Street or Greenwich Village’s Christopher Street. Running from the southern edge of the futuristic Pompidou Center to the Jewish neighborhood centered around Rue des Rosiers, the way-gay Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and the streets intersecting it are home to many of the city’s most popular and enduring LGBT bars (Open Cafe, Cox Bar, Raidd, L’Oiseau Bariole, Quetzal) and scores of inviting gay and gay-friendly restaurants, including the refined JaJa and one of our all-time faves, Le Gai Moulin.

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Just a couple of blocks away are a trio of lesbian bars—all within crawling distance of each other—and some of the best shopping to be found anywhere in the city. And no more than a 10-minute walk away are dozens of other LGBT establishments, including several shops dedicated to, shall we say, more prurient pastimes.

Yes, we’re talking about sex.

Unlike America, which more than 237 years after its founding still clings to its Puritanical, anti-sex roots, France has no qualms about sex, sexuality and sexual expression. No, that doesn’t mean you’re able to host an orgy on the banks of the Seine; France, just like every other nation in the world, prohibits public sexual activity. Besides, most Parisians wouldn’t be so gauche as to get it on in full view of strangers!

What it does mean, however, is that businesses that cater to sexual appetites and activities are not only commonplace throughout the city, but are actually integral components of Paris’s gayborhood. Ranging from small shops selling DVDs to multilevel emporiums of sex products, these businesses carry everything from condoms to custom-made leather body suits to devices and accoutrements designed for serious fetishists and hard-core sex enthusiasts.

Many also maintain private areas where consenting adults can engage in a little anonymous fun, such as video lounges or small screening rooms. Even many of the gay bars in the city operate very busy backrooms or cellar play spaces, some devoted to very specific body types, sexual practices or fetishes. (You can even check your garments and other belongings at the door or with the bartender!) By our count there are nearly 20 very busy bathhouses and sex clubs scattered throughout the city.

We’ve given you a thorough overview of them all, as well as of every other business catering to or popular with LGBT Parisians.

There’s a lot of information in the following pages. To help you make the most efficient use of it we’ve broken it down into 12 chapters:

1. History of Gay Paris 2. Must-See Gay Sights 3. Sightseeing in the Marais 4. Lesbian Paris 5. Erotic Art 6. Bars, Clubs, Dance Parties and Drag Shows 7. Restaurants, Cafes and Bakeries 8. Sex Shops, Cruising Bars, Bathhouses and Sex Clubs 9. Shopping 10. Services 11. Events and Organizations 12. Lodging

And we want to be very clear from the get-go: We definitely do not equate gay with good. Simply because a restaurant, bar or boutique is gay-owned or caters to LGBT people doesn’t mean it automatically earns our affection or receives a glowing review. If the food or drinks suck, we’ll say so. If the products are overpriced, we’ll let you know. If the patrons are attitude queens giving icy stares, we’ll call them out.

We’ve done our best to give you as complete and honest an assessment as possible, good or bad.

We’ve also striven to be as thorough as possible with our coverage of the city. But as any resident of a major metropolis can attest, new businesses crop up all the time and old favorites sometimes shut their doors. This is particularly true of smaller bars, restaurants and shops, which seemingly come and go with the blink of an eye. Today’s trendiest destination can be tomorrow’s empty storefront.

While all of our listings are accurate as of October 2013, it’s possible some will change by the time you visit the city. Since Paris is arguably the best walking city in the world and as most of the LGBT venues listed herein are

PAGE 12 relatively near each other in the Marais or Les Halles districts, the easiest way to ensure that they’re still in operation is to simply wander through the vicinity. However, please feel free to use the phone numbers, e-mail addresses and Web URLs we’ve provided for up-to-the-minute confirmation.

So … are you ready? Let’s go!

Paris, here we come!

CHAPTER 2

MUST-SEE GAY SIGHTS

INTRODUCTION:

Paris is awash in amazing sightseeing.

The Eiffel Tower. The Arc de Triomphe. Notre Dame. The Champs Elysees. . The list goes on and on and on, and we find ourselves returning to our favorites time and time again, no matter how often we’ve visited in the past.

With that being said, we’re not going to tell you more about any of them.

Let’s be honest: You can find everything you need to know about mainstream sightseeing in any of the dozens (maybe even hundreds) of Paris guidebooks already out there. And we strongly advise you to at least thumb through a few before your trip to the City of Light to get a better sense of what to do and when.

But we’re not about the usual and the commonplace. We’re here to tell you about the uniquely LGBT history of Paris, to guide you to sights that are gay-specific or of particular interest to gay and lesbian travelers and to provide you with the queer inside story on well-known landmarks that other travel guides never mention.

For example, you can read up elsewhere on Paris’s famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery, but we’re here to guide you to the 10 must-see graves of famous gay men and lesbians buried there, from Gertrude Stein and her lover Alice B. Toklas (who share a gravestone) to Oscar Wilde with his kiss-covered tomb.

Just about every Paris guidebook includes the elegant Place des Vosges and the somber Basilica of Saint Denis, where most of France’s kings and queens are interred. But we’re here to provide you with the taboo scoop on the same-sex-loving French monarchs linked with both destinations.

And there’s so much more: a monument to those slaughtered by the Nazis during World War II, including gays and lesbians; a picturesque public park dedicated to perhaps the best known of all Nazi concentration camp victims; and an ad hoc memorial to —the People’s Princess—that still draws mourners (and scores of gay men) more than a decade and half after her death.

(Be sure to also check out chapter 4, “Lesbian Paris,” for the 4-1-1 on the lesbian writers and editors who shaped Left Bank literary and cultural life in the first half of the 20th century.)

So—at least for a little while—toss aside those other hetero-centric guidebooks and get ready to view the City of Light through an LGBT prism. We guarantee you’ll find the experience unique, eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable.

PERE LACHAISE CEMETERY

Most pilgrims to this huge, out-of-the-way cemetery in Paris’s 20th Arrondissement make the trip to gaze upon the tomb of The Doors’ front man, Jim Morrison, who died in Paris of an alleged heroin overdose in July 1971. (And

PAGE 13 just for the record—no, you can’t touch Morrison’s grave. And no, you can’t bring your guitar to pay musical homage to the singer—lingering crowds are shooed away by security guards.)

But many of Paris’s glitterati of the past two centuries, including several gay and lesbian pioneers and icons, also are interred in this sprawling graveyard, including playwright Oscar Wilde, actress Sarah Bernhardt and Jean-Jacques- Regis de Cambaceres, who in 1804 wrote the Napoleonic Code that still serves as the foundation of all French civil law.

We’ve highlighted 10 of the most famous LGBT men and women—and in some cases relatively unknown, but leaders and innovators in their own right—who are buried in Pere Lachaise.

The cemetery itself, bought by Napoleon in 1804 and expanded six times since, is park-like in its beauty and tranquility, and draws locals and visitors alike who stroll its broad, tree-lined lanes to admire its hilly, serene landscapes. It’s quite easy to spend an entire afternoon meandering through this peaceful, historic setting.

But be warned: Pere Lachaise is enormous (nearly 119 acres) and is built on the down slope of one of Paris’s tallest hills. Although the main cemetery gates are located on Boulevard de Menilmontant near the Philippe Auguste Metro station, they’re actually set on the bottom of that hill. If you start here, you’re looking at a long, steep climb. Instead, we recommend starting at the back of the cemetery, about two blocks from the Gambetta Metro station, and working your way down.

And we strongly advise purchasing a cemetery map from one of the many area newsstands or to do some serious online mapping of your tour in advance.

Why do you need a map? For starters, there are nearly 100 sections in the cemetery and while the section numbers generally grow higher as you climb the hill from the main gate (or descend in order if you follow our advice and enter from the rear), the numbering system is not entirely uniform. In some cases it’s even head-scratchingly confusing—for example, section 35 butts up against section 96, section 44 is adjacent to section 91 and so on.

The streets through the cemetery also are only sporadically identified and many of the tiny trails aren’t marked at all, so it’s easy to become disoriented and inevitably lost without a good guide. Trust us, buy a map. You’ll thank us later.

TEN FAMOUS GAY MEN AND LESBIANS BURIED AT PERE LACHAISE

SARAH BERNHARDT (1844-1923) Known as “The Divine Sarah,” Sarah Bernhardt was a renowned actress who first found success on the French stage but eventually became as famous for her scandalous, flamboyant personal life. Onstage, particularly in plays she produced herself, Bernhardt often took male roles, sometimes shocking audiences with her masculine performances. Offstage, she often dressed in male clothing, shunning dresses for trousers, and engaged in a series of well- publicized love affairs with both men and women. She was rumored to have engaged in a lengthy relationship with impressionist painter Louise Abbema, as well as with the Prince of Wales, who later ascended the British throne as King Edward VII. Bernhardt was one of the world’s first silent movie actresses. Her debut role was as the male character Hamlet in the 1900 short film Le Duel d’Hamlet. Bernhardt ultimately appeared in eight films and two biographical movies. Her tomb is located in section 44.

ROSA BONHEUR (1822-1899) Artist Marie-Rosalie (Rosa) Bonheur is widely considered to have been the most famous female painter of the 19th century, but her work is often overshadowed by her overt feminism, including her penchant for wearing men’s clothing, keeping her hair cropped short, smoking cigars and living openly with her female lovers. Bonheur, who rose to prominence as an artist while still a teenager, is best known for her paintings Ploughing in the Nivernais, today displayed in Paris’s Musee d’Orsay, and The Horse Fair, exhibited in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 1865 she became the first woman ever to receive the Grand Cross of France’s Legion of Honor. Bonheur maintained a decades-long relationship with Nathalie Micas, with whom she lived for more than 40 years in Thomery, France. During the final year of her life, Bonheur lived with American painter and author Anna Klumpke. Her tomb is located in section 74.

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JEAN JACQUE REGIS DE CAMBACERES (1753-1824) A longtime compatriot and friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, Cambaceres eventually rose to the rank of France’s second consul, essentially what we would call the vice presidency. He was charged by the emperor in 1804 with crafting the Napoleonic Code, France’s first modern set of laws, which still serves as the foundation of all French civil law. Due to Napoleon’s military forays into Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, western Germany and Spain, much of the Code also made its way into the civil laws of those nations and of their American and African colonies. Cambaceres never hid his homosexuality and was often fondly referred to as “her” by Napoleon. His nightly gatherings with groups of young men in the gardens of Paris’s Palais-Royal were so notorious that police officials (and even members of Napoleon’s cabinet) often encouraged Cambaceres to be more discreet. His tomb is located in section 34.

COLETTE (1873-1954) Best known for her novel Gigi (upon which the stage and film musicals were based) and her performances in the music halls of Paris in the early 1900s, Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette has been romantically linked with at least three women, including American writer and salon founder Natalie Barney. Colette also reportedly had a short-term fling with African-American actress and dancer Josephine Baker, as well as a five-year love affair with Mathilde de Morny, the Marquise de Belbeuf, known as Missy. An onstage kiss between Missy and Colette during a 1907 performance at the legendary caused a near riot and resulted in the pair moving to separate residences. Colette published nearly 50 novels and has been hailed as one of France’s greatest writers. Her tomb is located in section 4.

THEODORE GERICAULT (1791-1824) Artist Theodore Gericault is considered one of the pioneers of the Romantic Movement and is best known for his work The Raft of the Medusa, an enormous oil painting depicting the true story of a French ship whose captain abandoned 147 passengers and crew, setting them adrift on a rickety raft. The painting today is exhibited in the Louvre. Though scholars disagree as to the extent of which Gericault was involved with men, he reportedly had sexual relations with at least one of his students and possibly with fellow painters Dedreux-Dorcy and Eugene Delacroix. He also rarely painted images of women, instead preferring to focus on muscular, heroic male figures either at rest or engaging in strenuous physical activity. Gericault died at age 32 from injuries sustained in a horse- riding accident and from chronic tuberculosis. His tomb, upon which a bronze artist reclines, paintbrush in hand, is located in section 12.

MARCEL PROUST (1871-1922) Valentin Louis Georges Eugene Marcel Proust, the author of the epic, seven-volume work of fiction In Search of Lost Time (also translated as Remembrance of Things Past) led a tortured, closeted existence for most of his life, terrified that his beloved mother would discover his true sexual orientation. It was only after she passed away in 1905 that Proust became more openly involved with other men, including composer Ronaldo Hahn and Lucien Daudet, the son of French novelist Alphonse Daudet. After his unrequited love for his heterosexual chauffeur ended with the straight man’s accidental death, Proust limited his contact with other men to only male prostitutes. In 1917 he reportedly helped a friend launch a male bordello, the notorious Hotel Marigny, near the Opera Garnier in the 2nd Arrondissement. Proust died of pneumonia and a pulmonary abscess in 1922. His tomb is located in section 85.

RAYMOND RADIGUET (1903-1923) Novelist Raymond Radiguet is best known for his scandalous and critically acclaimed first work of fiction, The Devil in the Flesh, a semi-autobiographical story of a young married woman who has an affair with a 16-year-old boy while her husband is fighting during World War I. As a teenager in Paris, Radiguet dropped out of school to focus his studies on literature and journalism and quickly formed a bond with other Modernists of the time, including Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and particularly Jean Cocteau, who became the young writer’s mentor and lover. Radiguet was known to his comrades as “Monsieur Bebe” (Mr. Baby), due to his tender age. He contracted typhoid fever while traveling with Cocteau and died of the disease at age 20, just months after the release of his first novel. His second work, Le Bal du Comte d’Orgel, which also dealt with adultery, was published posthumously in 1924. His tomb is located in section 56.

GERTRUDE STEIN (1874-1946) AND ALICE B. TOKLAS (1877-1967)

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Gertrude Stein was a noted American writer who spent most of her life in France. While she is celebrated for her nearly 30 novels and essays (including one of the earliest coming-out stories, Q.E.D., written in 1903) she is perhaps best known for her leading role in the salon society of the Left Bank during the first four decades of the 20th century. Among the friends and colleagues attracted to Stein’s legendary salons were artists Matisse and Picasso and fellow writers Thornton Wilder and Ernest Hemingway, as well as several notable lesbians of the time, including Sylvia Beach, the founder of the English-language bookstore Shakespeare & Company. In 1907 Stein met Alice B. Toklas, with whom she lived from 1910 until Stein’s death in 1946. Toklas generally existed in Stein’s literary shadow, essentially serving as the writer’s maid, cook, secretary and muse throughout their partnership. Stein’s 1933 memoirs were evocatively named after her lover, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, which became her best- selling book. Stein and Toklas are buried together in section 94—Toklas’s name is engraved on the back of the tombstone. (See chapter 4, “Lesbian Paris,” for more information on Stein, Toklas and their legendary salon.)

OSCAR WILDE (1854-1900) One of England’s most popular playwrights in the late 1800s, Oscar Wilde is perhaps as well known for the tragic circumstances of his imprisonment stemming from his homosexuality as he is for his impressive volume of work, including the renowned novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and the classic play The Importance of Being Earnest. Wilde engaged openly in sexual relationships with many men (including male prostitutes), most notably a lengthy affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, the son of the Marquess of Queensberry. In 1895 Wilde launched an ill-conceived libel case against the Marquess after the latter referred to him as a “posing sodomite.” The legal move backfired and ultimately resulted in Wilde’s conviction on charges of gross indecency. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor, after which he lived in impoverished exile in Paris. He died in 1900 of cerebral meningitis, possibly exacerbated by an illness he suffered while in prison. Some have speculated that Wilde also may have had chronic syphilis. In addition to his impressive collection of plays and poems, Wilde is credited with coining the phrase “the love that dare not speak its name” while testifying during his trial. His tomb is located in section 90. For decades, fans of the writer, his wit and his daring lifestyle kissed Wilde’s tomb in tribute, with women (and more than one gay man!) leaving behind hundreds of lipstick prints on the stonework. However, the oils in the lipstick caused permanent damage to the tomb. In 2011—after a thorough cleaning—the cemetery placed glass barriers around the stonework to prevent further damage, and the practice of kissing Wilde’s tomb is now officially forbidden.

PERE LACHAISE CEMETERY 16 Rue du Repos Metro: Philippe Auguste/Gambetta Tel: 01 55 25 82 10 Website: www.pere-lachaise.com Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Admission: Free Notes: English-language tours are offered Saturdays at 3 p.m. from June through September. Newsstands and kiosks on Boulevard de Menilmontant sell a detailed map to the cemetery. The graveyard is situated on one of the steepest hills in Paris. To avoid uphill climbs, enter from the back (Metro: Gambetta) and work your way down.

DEPORTATION MEMORIAL

Straddling the eastern tip of Ile de la Cite just behind Notre Dame is the Memorial de la Deportation, a tribute to the more than 200,000 French men, women and children—including homosexuals—who died in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

The free memorial is located on the actual site where many Parisian “prisoners” were processed and then loaded onto ships for transportation to camps in Eastern Europe. For most, it was their final journey: Only 3% of French citizens sent to the death camps survived.

Created by French architect Georges-Henri Pingusson and inaugurated by French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, the somber Deportation Memorial is designed to evoke a sense of imprisonment and claustrophobia—the same feelings experienced by those jailed by the Nazis—through its very narrow spaces and barred windows.

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Visitors enter single file down a steep, confining staircase to a small courtyard where barred windows look out over the Seine River and the freedom that lies beyond. A tall, narrow doorway leads to a bleak concrete underground chamber holding the Flame of Eternal Hope and the Tomb of the Unknown Deportee bearing the inscription “They descended into the mouth of the earth and they did not return.” A chamber leading away from the flame is illuminated with 200,000 lighted crystals, each symbolizing a murdered French citizen.

The exit to the chamber is engraved with the words found at all European sites memorializing the victims of the Nazis: “Forgive, but never forget.”

According to historians, of the 200,000 French men, women and children sent to concentration camps, 85,000 were French resistance fighters and 76,000 were Jews (including 11,000 Jewish children). It is unknown how many were gay, but historical documents show that 100,000 German citizens were arrested and charged with homosexuality from 1933 to 1945, of whom 15,000 died in concentration camps. It is logical to assume that tens of thousands of other gay men and lesbians from all across Europe also died in Nazi camps during World War II for no reason other than their sexual orientation.

Gay men were reportedly treated even more harshly than Jews in the concentration camps—forced to work to death through “extermination through work” policies, used in monstrous medical experiments to find a “cure” for homosexuality, used for target practice by SS soldiers who aimed at the pink triangles the prisoners were forced to wear and even beaten to death both by their captors and by homophobic fellow prisoners.

Historians believe that of non-Jewish concentration camp prisoners, gay men had the highest rate of death. More than 60% of gay men imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II died, compared to 41% for political prisoners, who had the next highest death rate.

DEPORTATION MEMORIAL Square de l’Ile-de-France (Eastern tip of Ile de la Cite) Metro: Cite Tel: 01 46 33 87 56 Hours: Summer, daily 10 a.m.-noon and 2-7 p.m.; Winter, daily 10 a.m.-noon and 2-5 p.m. Admission: Free Note: Not handicapped accessible

FLAME OF LIBERTY/DIANA MEMORIAL

Although Paris’s Flame of Liberty—a gold-leaf-covered replica of the torch held by New York City’s —officially has nothing to do with the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales, its location atop the tunnel where Diana was killed in a horrific car crash has turned the elegant statue into an ad hoc memorial that endures to this day.

The statue, positioned at the northern end of the Pont de l’Alma on the Place de l’Alma, was given to the city in 1989 by the International Herald Tribune (the global edition of The New York Times, which was renamed in October 2013 as The International New York Times) to mark the 100th anniversary of the American newspaper’s publication in the city.

More broadly, though, the flame symbolizes the continuing friendship between France and the United States, which was forged nearly 250 years ago when the French provided vital funding to the American colonies during the U.S. Revolutionary War. That special relationship was honored by the French with their gift of the Statue of Liberty in the late 1800s.

The Parisian monument was dedicated on May 10, 1989, by French President Jacques Chirac.

After Diana’s death, however, Parisians and visitors alike flocked to the Place de l’Alma to pay respects to the deceased princess and to “see” the site where she lost her life (although, truthfully, one can only see the entrance/exit to the tunnel and not the spot where her chauffeured car slammed into one of the support columns).

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Many left bouquets of flowers and personal notes to the Princess at the base of the Flame of Liberty, while others scrawled messages on the adjacent sidewalk and the marble ledge of the bridge atop the tunnel’s entrance.

Today, more than a decade and a half since Diana’s death, visitors to Paris still leave flowers and notes to the princess. (We admit, we always do when we visit the city!)

The Flame of Liberty is now so closely linked with the Princess of Wales that many visitors and locals incorrectly refer to the site as the “Diana Memorial.” Some even mistakenly believe that the flame-shaped monument represents the “Candle in the Wind” mentioned in the song Elton John sang and dedicated to Diana at her funeral.

“Just like the people turned Diana into a saint, they turned the flame into her memorial. Most people who come here think this was built for her,” Guy Lesoeurs, author of the book Diana of the Alma Bridge-The Pilgrims of the Flame, told The New York Times.

FLAME OF LIBERTY Place de l’Alma Metro: Alma-Marceau Hours: Accessible around the clock Admission: Free Note: Although the marble railings of the bridge are filled with signed notes of remembrance for Diana (and for Michael Jackson as well), defacing Parisian public property is illegal and could result in criminal charges.

SITE OF OSCAR WILDE’S DEATH

A tour of Paris’s must-see gay destinations wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the hotel where famed gay scribe Oscar Wilde spent his final days.

Wilde served two years at hard labor in a British prison after being charged with and convicted of gross indecency stemming from his same-sex relationship with Alfred Douglas, the son of the Marquess of Queensberry. The day after his release from prison in 1897, Wilde, his spirit crushed, exiled himself to Paris.

Living in Room 16 at the Hotel d’Alsace (now known as L’Hotel) in Saint Germain des Pres, an impoverished Wilde began a three-year bender that helped hasten his death at the young age of 46.

On his deathbed, Wilde famously announced, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us has got to go.” Unfortunately, on Nov. 30, 1900, the wallpaper won.

Visitors to L’Hotel can enjoy cocktails in the hunting lodge-themed bar or dine in the hotel’s luxurious (and rather pricey) restaurant, which serves breakfast from 7 to 10:30 a.m. daily, lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and dinner from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

But perhaps the ultimate treat would be to book a stay in the very room in which the playwright lived and died— which remains mostly unchanged since Wilde’s death in 1900. (Yes, that frightful wallpaper is still challenging guests to a battle of wits!) When contacting the hotel for reservations, simply request room 16 or just ask for the Oscar Wilde room.

You will need to make reservations months in advance, as Wilde’s former residence is wildly popular with visitors to Paris. And may we also suggest that you start saving up for your L’Hotel visit as soon as possible—a one-night stay in the “Wilde room” costs nearly €700.

SITE OF OSCAR WILDE’S DEATH L’Hotel (formerly the Hotel d’Alsace) 13 Rue des Beaux Arts Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Pres Tel: 01 44 41 99 00

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Website: www.l-hotel.com Note: A plaque above the door of the hotel identifies the location as the site of Wilde’s death.

PLACE DES VOSGES (STATUE OF LOUIS XIII)

In the center of the bustling, majestic Place des Vosges in the heart of the Marais stands a monument to France’s King Louis XIII, who is believed by many historians to have engaged in romantic relationships with several prominent men in the early 1600s.

The square itself, considered among the most beautiful in the world, is more than 400 years old, having been commissioned by King Henri IV in 1605 and completed in 1612. Perfectly uniform, the square houses 36 identical buildings on each of its four sides that surround a symmetrical manicured garden. Among the famous Parisians to have lived on the square are Cardinal Richelieu, Moliere, Victor Hugo (for whom there is a museum at 6 Place de Vosges) and aristocrat and writer Madame Sevigny.

The square has been the scene of many historical events over the centuries, including a three-day tournament marking the marriage of Louis XIII to Anne of Austria in 1615.

While Louis and Anne eventually produced a male heir to the throne of France, the king was reportedly so ill at ease around women that he didn’t even have sex with his wife until 1619, four years after they were married.

Louis did, however, develop close, intense relationships with several men during his reign, including Charles d’Albert de Luynes, a royal adviser who forged a kinship with the young king despite a 23-year difference in their ages. Because Louis ascended to the throne at age eight in 1610, his mother, Marie de Medicis, guided the nation as Louis’s regent. Luynes engineered the assassination one of Marie’s closest advisers in 1617, effectively putting an end to the queen mother’s authority and allowing Louis to assume sole control of the nation.

Another of the king’s reported lovers was Henri Coiffier de Ruze, the Marquis de Cinq-Mars, with whom Louis reportedly had a romantic relationship from 1639 to 1642 that ended when the Marquis was arrested and executed for conspiring with the Spanish military.

Louis XIII’s reign is marked by two major historical events: The founding of the Academie Francaise, France’s official body on matters pertaining to the French language, and the work of his longtime prime minister Cardinal Richelieu, who helped France unseat Spain as the dominant European power in the 1600s.

Known as Louis the Chaste because of his disinterest in women, Louis XIII is memorialized with a bronze equestrian statue in the center of Place des Vosges. Although the original piece was melted down during the French Revolution, an exact replica—which still stands today—was cast in 1825.

PLACE DES VOSGES (STATUE OF LOUIS XIII) About one block north of Rue Saint-Antoine and two blocks west of Boulevard Beaumarchais Metro: Saint-Paul/Bastille Hours: Accessible 24/7 Admission: Free Note: The statue of Louis XIII is in the center of the square. Also on the square at 6 Place des Vosges is the Musee de Victor Hugo, located in the home where the celebrated French author lived for 16 years, from 1832 to 1848. The museum is free and open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

JARDIN ANNE FRANK

This charming but difficult-to-locate park specifically honors Anne Frank, known worldwide for the diary she kept while she, her family and friends hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. But the quiet green space also more broadly memorializes the millions (including gay men and lesbians) murdered during the Holocaust.

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The trick is finding the place.

Start at the northeast corner of and Rue Beaubourg. Walk north about 20 yards. To the right will be a short street heading east that looks as though it ends at a tiny cafe, but actually will jug handle to the north at the steps of the eatery. Follow this street, called the Impasse Berthaud, to the park.

The park is divided into four serene and carefully landscaped sections: a small, contemporary entryway that includes posted information about Anne Frank and about the park itself; an oval-shaped space with a curved arch of metal latticework and a gorgeous view of the back of the ornate 17th-century mansion housing the Musee d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaism (Jewish art and history museum); a children’s park and large green space suitable for picnics (many local brown-baggers come here daily for lunch); and a small, formal garden with rose bushes and other flowering plants.

Most impressively for fans of Anne’s diary and for history buffs, the park’s entrance includes a sapling taken from the actual chestnut tree Frank gazed upon—and often wrote about—while in hiding in Amsterdam’s Prinsengracht district. The tree is marked by a plaque containing an excerpt from Anne’s diary in which she describes the chestnut tree in full bloom in 1944, just weeks before her family was discovered, arrested and sent to Nazi death camps.

Of the eight members of the Frank family and their friends seized by the Nazis in August 1944, only Anne’s father, Otto, survived. Anne and her sister, Margot, died of typhus in March 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northwestern Germany. Sadly, the death camp was liberated by British soldiers just one month later.

The Parisian park dedicated to Anne’s memory was opened in 2007, christened by openly gay Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. “Paris is a beautiful city. But you can only be a beautiful city if you pay attention to the barbaric acts which took place,” Delanoe said at the park’s official opening ceremony.

JARDIN ANNE FRANK Impasse Berthaud Metro: Rambuteau Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Admission: Free

CENTRE LGBT PARIS-ILE DE FRANCE

Before hitting the streets (or the Metro) for your adventure in Gay Par-ee, you should first visit to the city’s incredible LGBT Center. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information about Paris’s LGBT community, businesses and events, and get a chance to mingle with Center staff and gay locals to glean firsthand recommendations on must-see sights in the Marais and beyond.

The Center is located north of the Pompidou Center on Rue Beaubourg; the closest Metro station is Rambuteau, about two blocks south of the LGBT facility. But be sure to check the Center’s website for its hours of operation before stopping by—its opening time is different every day and it’s never open in the morning.

The Center’s English-speaking staff will be able to guide you to the city’s LGBT shops, restaurants, bars and even bathhouses and sex clubs. There also are hundreds of brochures (most in French) providing information on LGBT groups and businesses throughout the city, as well as flyers and postcards advertising one-off events, like the city’s annual Gay Pride parade, film festivals and more.

Or simply take the opportunity to relax in a welcoming environment and mingle with your peers. There’s a tiny café providing coffee, tea and soft drinks, an exhibit space with regularly changing free art shows, a world-class library of LGBT books and reference materials (all in French) and a cozy lounge where you can read, play board games or just chat with fellow Center guests.

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And don’t be surprised if those dreamy French boys and super-cute girls at the next table join in the conversation! Trust us, just about everyone in Paris today speaks English and young people in particular relish opportunities to practice their English-language skills with native speakers.

If you’re looking for quiet, one-on-one time with Center staff or patrons, stop by on a weekday afternoon when the crowds are smallest. Or if you’re up for a more lively, convivial atmosphere, drop in on a Friday evening or any time on Saturday, when the place is jumping.

Every Friday night the Center holds “Women’s Fridays,” an all-female dance and mixer, while youth-only gatherings and activities like game nights, workshops, film screenings and more also are regularly scheduled (check the Center’s website). Each Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. the Center hosts “Cafe Lunettes Rouges,” a social gathering for HIV-positive people. Visitors are welcome at all of these events.

CENTRE LGBT PARIS-ILE DE FRANCE 63 Rue Beaubourg Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 57 21 47 Website: www.centrelgbtparis.org Email: [email protected] Hours: Monday, 6-8 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 3:30-8 p.m.; Saturday, 2-7 p.m.; Closed Sunday to the general public but open for the Cafe Lunettes Rouges event

WORTH A SPECIAL TRIP

BASILICA OF SAINT DENIS/BURIAL SITE OF KING HENRY III, KING LOUIS XVI AND MARIE ANTOINETTE

Ever wondered what happened to Louis XVI and his let-them-eat-cake wife Marie Antoinette after their fateful trips to the guillotine?

Like virtually every other French king and queen since the 5th century, they’re buried and memorialized at the stunning Basilica of Saint Denis, located just north of Paris in the suburb of—you guessed it—Saint Denis, an easy half-hour Metro trip from Gare Saint-Lazare.

The cathedral itself is historic in its own right, having been the first building in Europe completely constructed in the Gothic style and marking the continent’s first steps away from Romanesque architecture. Constructed between 1137 and 1281 and built upon the tomb of Saint Denis, the patron saint of France, the cruciform-shaped basilica is noted for its magnificent rose window (perhaps even more spectacular than the similar window at Notre Dame) and its memorials to France’s long line of kings, queens, princes and princesses that are scattered throughout the church.

The cathedral’s adjacent abbey is the actual burial site for the deceased royals. The remains of all but three of France’s kings since the year 496 are interred here, resulting in the site being dubbed the “royal necropolis of France.”

While the monuments to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are perhaps the basilica’s biggest tourist attraction, of particular interest to LGBT visitors are the graves of and memorials to French monarchs Henry III and Louis XIII, both of whom reportedly had romantic relationships with men during their reigns.

Henry III, who ruled from 1574 to 1589, was derided as overly effeminate due to his aversion to war, hunting and other masculine activities embraced by the other male members of the royal family and the French aristocracy. Although married and rumored to have had several female mistresses, Henry III reportedly also had several male lovers, French scholar Louis Crompton writes in his book Homosexuality and Civilization.

Henry III did not produce an heir, and because of that he was the last of France’s Valois kings. He was succeeded by Henry IV of Navarre, the first of France’s Bourbon royal lineage.

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Only Henry III’s heart is buried at the basilica, contained in a funerary urn atop his memorial—a soaring red marble, spiral-like column topped with a bronze urn and figures of three children at play. The column is positioned near the church altar.

Louis XIII was dubbed “Louis the Chaste” for his lack of mistresses during his reign from 1610 to 1643. In fact, the king was so uncomfortable around women that he even refused to have sex with his wife, Anne of Austria, until four years after they were married.

He did, however, have a strong attraction to handsome men and was rumored as a teenager to have been lovers with his adviser and friend Charles d’Albert de Luynes. He also is believed to have engaged in a three-year relationship with Henri Coiffier de Ruze, the Marquis de Cinq-Mars, from 1639 to 1642.

Louis XIII is buried with the other Bourbon kings and queens in the abbey. His memorial, a square, bas-relief cenotaph, is located in a side chapel off the abbey’s crypt. There is also a memorial to the king—a large bronze equestrian statue—in the center of Paris’s Place des Vosges.

The graves of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in the abbey are marked with large black marble slabs. Their memorial inside the cathedral (to the right of the main altar as you proceed into the church) is a pair of intricately carved statues showing the couple kneeling in prayer—perhaps pleading to keep their heads!

A quick note on the location of the basilica: The suburb of Saint Denis has gotten a reputation—perhaps unfairly— of being unsafe, particularly at night. While it is true that the area has been the site of civil unrest during the past few years (vandalism and burning of parked cars on the streets, primarily), the region itself is perfectly safe for tourists, even those traveling alone. And the cathedral is a short and very safe stroll from the nearby Basilique de Saint-Denis Metro station.

BASILICA OF SAINT DENIS 1 Place de la Legion d’Honneur in the suburb of Saint Denis Metro: Basilique de Saint-Denis Tel: 01 48 09 83 54 Website: www.saint-denis.monuments-nationaux.fr Hours: April-September, Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6:15 p.m., Sunday noon-6:15 p.m.; October-March, Monday- Saturday 10 a.m.-5:15 p.m., Sunday noon-5:15 p.m. Admission: €7.50 adults, €4.50 students and seniors

MUSEE DE L’EROTISME

There’s an erotic/sex museum in just about every major European city. And most are designed to accomplish little more than part tourists from their Euros by showing a handful of naughty paintings, erotic sculptures and suggestive photography. In some cases, the “historic” art was created specifically for the “museum.”

The location of Paris’s erotic museum in the midst of the racy Pigalle neighborhood would lead many to believe it’s just another of these run-of-the-mill tourist traps.

They’d be very wrong.

Paris’s seven-level Musee de l’Erotisme is unique in that it is a serious museum. The artifacts on display, amassed by cultural anthropologists Alain Plumey and Joseph Khalifa, date back to the 1st century A.D. The curators began assembling their massive collection in the 1960s and opened the museum in 1997 in a former cabaret building when their holdings grew large enough to warrant public and academic scrutiny.

The lowest floors of the museum hold the oldest pieces, including 1st-century Peruvian pottery, Nepalese temple carvings, Japanese garments and shoes, Aztec fertility symbols, Chinese ceramics and much, much more.

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The third and fourth floors of the museum are devoted to temporary exhibitions, including pieces of homoerotic art. For example, an exhibit in late 2012/early 2013 by Diego Tolomelli included numerous paintings of nude (or nearly nude) young men, often fully aroused. Other short-term shows have included contemporary pieces by such renowned artists as Jean-Pierre Maury, Antoine Bernhart, Antonio Pischetti and Carlos Penafiel.

Additional gems at the museum include an entire floor devoted to photos, drawings and historical documents chronicling the infamous Parisian brothels of the early 1900s—and their role in permanently linking the city’s Pigalle area with the sex trade. There are quite a few surprises here, including documents showing that brothel patrons of the day included Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin and a pre-coronation King George VI of England.

To be sure, much of the art displayed at the Musee de l’Erotisme is heterocentric. Even such pieces as ancient dildos and butt plugs were crafted mainly for heterosexual use. But the sheer enormity of the collection and its representation of nearly 2,000 years of human sexuality give it more than enough crossover appeal to attract scads of LGBT visitors.

Musee de l’Erotisme 72 Boulevard de Clichy Metro: Blanche Tel: 01 42 58 28 73 Website: www.musee-erotisme.com Hours: Daily, 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Admission: €10; advance tickets ordered online are €8 per person, €14 for a couple

CHAPTER 6

BARS, CLUBS, DANCE PARTIES AND DRAG SHOWS

INTRODUCTION:

While the gay bar scene in America is seemingly dying a slow and painful death—especially in New York City, where it seems there’s another club shutting its doors every week—it’s actually flourishing throughout Europe, including in Gay Par-ee. There are dozens of LGBT watering holes in the City of Light, from tiny, pocket-sized venues that burst at the seams when more than 20 patrons visit to huge dance halls that host wild weekend parties that literally last until dawn.

And, of course, there’s just about everything in between.

Especially good news for the ladies: Unlike most U.S. cities, Paris is home to several lesbian hangouts, including a trio of bars within crawling distance of each other in the Marais and a Left Bank dance hall that has been a haven for women who love women since the days of Colette and Gertrude Stein. (Check our breakout list of lesbian bars below for more info.)

A couple of other quick notes on Paris bars in general and gay clubs specifically: Don’t expect to find your favorite cocktail on the menu. Sure, many bars offer several of the classics and many of today’s trendiest drinks, like mojitos, cosmopolitans and caipirinhas. But U.S.-style full bars are rare in Paris and unheard of in its smaller venues. Check out the bar’s drink menu (usually posted in a front window or displayed on an outside chalkboard) to determine exactly what’s available.

The second point relates to Europe’s much more liberal attitudes—and laws—toward public sex. In several of the city’s gay bars, particularly destinations that cater to specific “looks” or fetishes (leather bars, bear bars, etc.) you’ll find a backroom or cellar “play” area where open sexual activity is commonplace.

By all means, join in if you’re so interested: It’s perfectly legal, so there’s no worry of being arrested or the club being raided. Or simply check out the space if you’re curious and want a quick look-see. Voyeurs are usually

PAGE 23 welcome and we guarantee you won’t be pressured into engaging in any unwanted exploits. And, of course, if this isn’t your scene, simply hang out on the club’s main floor or front bar area. You’ll never even know there’s hanky- panky going on all around you.

Because there are so many LGBT bars and dance clubs in Paris (nearly 50, by our count), we’ve broken down our listings by district, specifically by Metro station, beginning with venues in the Marais and Les Halles gayborhoods positioned near the Hotel de Ville, Rambuteau, Saint-Paul and Chatelet-Les Halles subway stops. We’ve also provided a quick reference guide to some of our favorite haunts. Enjoy!

Note: Many LGBT businesses in France belong to the Syndicat National des Enterprises Gaies (SNEG), an organization formed initially in the 1980s to help gay venues combat police aggression toward and discrimination against LGBT business owners and patrons. Today, the organization is the only nationwide body for gay businesses in France and boasts more than 600 members. Member businesses are designed in this guide with the acronym SNEG.

BARS

BREAKOUT BOX: BEST LGBT BARS

Best for conversation: Le Duplex, L’Enigme Best convivial atmosphere: Ze Baar, Pur Bar Best for dancing: Club 18 Best for live music: Pop In Best for cruising: Raidd, One Way Best for groups: O’Kubi Caffe Best lesbian bar: La Mutinerie Best for twinks: Spyce, L’Oiseau Bariole Best for bears: Le Bear’s Den Best for silver foxes: Pour Une Fois Qu’On Sort Best for people watching: Open Cafe Sexiest bar staff: Tropic Cafe Best drinks: L’Imprevu Try at your own risk: L’Oiseau Bariole, Les Etages

BREAKOUT BOX: FOR THE LADIES  3W  La Champmesle  Fox Club  Les Jacasses  La Mutinerie  Le  O’Kubi Caffe  Le So What!

METRO: HOTEL DE VILLE

Cox Bar 15 Rue des Archives Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 42 72 08 00 Website: www.cox.fr Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday-Sunday, 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Leather, Levis, tattoos and shaved heads rule the roost at the macho Cox. Though technically not a leather bar or S&M venue, Cox draws a huge crowd of guys some would describe as “rough trade”—no-frills, butch guys in their

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20s to 50s who are on the prowl for the same. The decor in the friendly upstairs bar changes by season (during our most recent visit it was decked out in a kitschy sailing motif), while most of the harder cruising action takes place in the basement. The large, horseshoe-shaped bar upstairs offers seating for about a dozen people, but most of the crowd tends to stand—and even spill out into the street during peak hours. A draft beer costs about €4, while mixed drinks run about double that. Quiet on weeknights from opening until early evening when the place fills to the rafters, Cox then rapidly empties out around 10 p.m. Weekend crowds say ’til closing.

Les Etages 35 Rue Vieille du Temple Metro: Hotel de Ville/Saint-Paul Tel: 01 42 78 72 00 Hours: Monday-Friday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-8 p.m. Located on an incredibly busy street connecting the gay part of the Marais with the Jewish quarter, this bar is often overflowing with tourists on its lower floor, especially on weekends. But don’t let the busy vibe and trendy coffeehouse decor fool you—this is hipster central and if you haven’t conformed to nonconformity you’re likely to draw snickers from the 20-something regulars and the teenage-looking wait staff. Housed on the first three floors of an 18th-century building, Les Etages offers cocktails like cosmopolitans, Singapore slings and Long Island iced teas for €7.50-€12. Five original fruity drinks—dubbed Boreal, Coucou, Josephine, Templier and Slow Dive—will set you back between €8.50 and €12. Draft beers include Cardinal, Leffe and Hoegaarden; bottled offerings include Adelscott, Corona and Desperado. Aside from the tourists, the crowd is about 50/50 men/women, all under age 30 and all desperately working the “too cool for school” look.

Le Feeling 42 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 48 04 70 03 Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, 7-9 p.m. This small venue on the way-gay Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie seats about 20 people and usually fills up early in the evening with gay men in their 30s to 50s (although there is the occasional fag hag or lesbian tagging along). Ten disco balls of varying sizes orbit the bar, which is illuminated with swirling blue lights and purple neon. The drink prices here are among the best in the Marais: a draft beer is just €3, bottled brews €4-€5, wine a cheap €3.50 and cocktails and other mixed drinks €6.50-€10. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming, and the pumping music is at a low enough volume to allow casual conversations without having to shout. Although younger locals sometimes call the bar “Le Bad Feeling” because of its slightly older clientele and a sense that the regulars are too cliquish, we found Le Feeling very welcoming and genial.

Freedj 35 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 48 04 95 14 Website: www.freedj.fr Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 6 p.m.-3 a.m.; Friday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-9 p.m. This pocket-sized bar is similar in size to Le Feeling just down the street, but draws a younger, more energetic crowd. Fans say the pumping trance and techno music spun at the downstairs “club” is the venue’s main draw, and ranges from good to great depending on that night’s DJ. The place is packed shoulder-to-shoulder most nights— especially on weekends—primarily with gay men in their 20s and 30s. Drinks are strong and moderately priced, served by a friendly bar staff bathed in the red neon lights that fill the small upstairs space. For some, the din of the music and the booming conversations struggling to take place over it can be overwhelming, so if you’re looking for a quiet spot you’ll want to try another of the many bars in the neighborhood. If not, however, this is a great, noncruisy place to enjoy an evening of dance music without having to shell out an expensive cover charge. (SNEG)

Les Marronniers 18 Rue des Archives Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 40 27 87 72 Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-2 a.m.

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Les Marronniers, named after the chestnut trees lining the sidewalk outside, is all about its insanely busy patio, which seats about 100 and fills up quickly in the late afternoon—and even earlier on weekends. Although a full food menu is offered, most patrons show up for drinks, not eats. Cocktails available for €8 include mojitos, caipirinhas and margaritas, among others, while a homemade rum punch is a steal at €5. Several beers are available on tap or in bottles, and Le Marronniers is one of Paris’s only bars—gay or straight—to offer U.S.-brewed Budweiser. Staff and clientele are mostly men in their 20s-40s, but the teeming patio draws a mix of all ages and types—including straight locals and tourists. Service can be spotty, but you’re here for the people watching anyway, so simply bide your time checking out the fascinating parade of Parisian life in front of you.

L’Oiseau Bariole (also called O.B. Bar) 16 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 42 72 37 12 Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-4 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-9 p.m. Marais mainstay L’Oiseau Bariole recently got a top-to-bottom renovation, but the attitude-heavy clientele is pretty much unchanged. That’s definitely not a good thing. Truth be told, there’s a version of this twink-centric boy bar in every major city around the world, filled with muscle queens and rail-thin youngsters posing in their €200 designer T-shirts while sipping overpriced drinks. It certainly must be someone’s cup of tea, because the place is often so crowded that the space becomes impassable. One obvious upside to this tiny watering hole is that it offers more than 300 different cocktails, many for under €10, and this certainly helps explain at least some of its popularity with the club kids. And we’re actually rather fond of the ongoing Saturday “Come DJ with me” event that gives new DJs a chance to spin in one-hour shifts. But, in general, if a room full of barely legal trendsters throwing shade doesn’t appeal to you, there are more than a dozen friendlier options within a few blocks. (SNEG)

Okawa 40 Rue Vieille du Temple Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 48 04 30 69 Website: www.okawa.fr Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 a.m. Happy hour, daily 7-9 p.m. This cozy, low-key bar is connected with adjacent restaurant Equinox (35 Rue des Rosiers) and often joins its neighbor in sponsoring nights of live music, magic performances and cabaret events. The relaxed vibe on other nights draws a regular crowd nearly evenly split between men and women and a mix of all ages —a rarity for the city’s gay establishments. And no, despite its Japanese-sounding name, there’s nothing particularly Asian about the place. The main bar area (encased in mauve fabrics on its walls and ceiling) includes several tall tables with wrought-iron stools, while a much larger second seating area is filled with low tables crafted from old wooden barrels. Quiet American and French pop music encourages cordial conversations. Okawa offers 13 cocktails for €8.50, including its signature Okawa, made of gin, campari and mango nectar. Shooters are just €3.50. (SNEG)

Open Cafe 17 Rue des Archives Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 42 72 26 18 Website: www.opencafe.fr Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-10 p.m. Located at the corner of two of the busiest streets in the gayborhood and often so crowded that patrons spill out into both byways, Open Cafe is arguably the hub of gay life in Paris. Its large, wraparound patio seats about 75, while inside tables welcome about 40 more. But as afternoon turns to early evening, both spaces rapidly fill to a somewhat claustrophobic, standing-room-only capacity that persists until closing. The cute but harried waiters are decked out in skin-tight T-shirts to best show off their muscles and tattoos, and happily flirt with customers in both English and French. The clientele tends to be nearly all male and a mix of tourists and locals in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Single- shot drinks cost €6-€7, while classic cocktails are offered at €7.80. Wine, beer, coffee and soft drinks also are available. A substantial and affordable food menu, offered from noon to 5 p.m., makes Open Cafe a hugely popular lunch spot as well. (SNEG)

Quetzal

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10 Rue de la Verrerie Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 48 87 99 07 Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-3:30 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-11 p.m. Although Quetzal experienced its heyday in the late ’80s, it’s still something of an institution and is packed to the rafters most nights. Steel and black leather seats surround a curved wood and faux-marble bar, but most of the crowd—gay men of all types and ages, although skewing slightly toward the 30-something set—mixes and mingles both inside and out on a small patio at this attitude-free but somewhat cruisy venue. Bar staffers are cute, chatty and seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, even singing loudly to a remix of Beyonce’s “Halo” during one of our visits. Two large flat-screen TVs show music videos in the front part of the bar, while the rear offers pinball and video game machines, a rarity in the city. Six beers are available on tap and a fully stocked bar offers a wide range of shots and mixed drinks at prices comparable to other neighborhood venues. (SNEG)

Raidd 23 Rue du Temple Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 42 77 04 88 Website: www.raiddbar.com Hours: Sunday-Tuesday, 5 p.m.-4 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-5 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-9 p.m. Drawing one of the sexiest—and cruisiest—crowds in Paris, Raidd is best known for its live shower performances: Young, muscled guys adorned in jockstraps, tighty whiteys or G-strings gyrate and caress themselves while being drenched by the showerheads above. Sound hot? It definitely is, as are the buff, shirtless bartenders and the guys in their 20s and 30s who pack the place. A roster of renowned DJs spins the pulse-pounding dance tracks, while swirling, patterned lights add to the frenetic atmosphere. (Think club Babylon from Queer as Folk.) The downstairs lounge and small outdoor patio tend to be more mellow and less crowded, while the main level is mobbed and gets quite warm—all the better to encourage a dance floor full of shirtless men, we’re guessing! Draft beers are priced at €3.90-€6.40, while bottled beers are €5.70. Wine, single-shot drinks and classic cocktails also are available for €4- €9.80. But you’re not really here for the beverages, are you? (SNEG)

Les Souffleurs 7 Rue de la Verrerie Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 44 78 04 92 Hours: Daily, 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5:30-9 p.m. Dim lighting and a dark-wood decor give this tiny bar the feel of a British pub. But unlike its male-dominated U.K. peers, Les Souffleurs is a truly a 50/50 mixed-gender venue. Located next to the mammoth BHV department store, the casual club draws an overflow crowd—particularly on weekends—of folks in their 20s to 40s seeking a laid- back setting in which to relax and talk. All that conversation, though, creates quite a din in the cramped space, which is only about 20 feet wide at its maximum. The bar is located in the back of the venue, while the front offers seating for about 20 people. Most patrons, however, tend to stand or mill about. Happy hours offer draft beers for €2.5 and mojitos for €5. Bottled beers include Desperados, Corona, Duvel and Hoegaarden. Other drink options include five kinds of whiskey, two brands of vodka, several types of rum and a handful of cocktails. (SNEG)

Spyce 23 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie Metro: Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 48 87 55 44 Website: www.spycebar.com Hours: Daily, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Spyce, opened in February 2011, takes up residence in the former location of Le Mixer, but you’d never know you were in the same venue. While Mixer was a dark, industrial-looking space, Spyce is a clean, pink- and purple- lighted modern dance club, complete with impressive wall-sized LED video screens on both levels that serve as backdrops to the bar’s DJs and VJs, as well as to its incredibly hot go-go boys. The shirtless bartenders are equally hunky! The crowd, though, has changed little—mostly boozy twinks, but with a larger percentage of women than at other area clubs. There are some hipsters and fashionistas scattered about, but the clientele is primarily casually dressed and mostly attitude-free. Still, you’d be hard pressed to ever find anyone over age 35 here, particularly on

PAGE 27 the frenzied cellar-level dance floor. Don’t miss the elaborately choreographed and costumed go-go boys performances on weekends. (SNEG)

Who’s Bar/Restaurant 14 Rue Saint-Merri Metro: Hotel de Ville/Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 72 75 95 Website: www.whosparis.com Hours: Daily, noon-6 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-10 p.m. Who’s Bar/Restaurant has big shoes to fill given that it opened in the space of the former Curieux Spaghetti bar and restaurant, a wildly popular gathering spot that unexpectedly closed in 2011. Staying open ’til the wee hours is a good place to start, and Who’s welcomes patrons from noon until 6 a.m. every day of the week, serving both drinks and a dozen tapas plates right up until last call. Cocktails run €8-€11 and include such unusual drinks as the Kumquat Mojito, Miami Beach (gin, triple sec, pineapple syrup and sugar cane), Negroni (a dry martini with campari and orange slices) and the Crazy Banana (gin, orange juice and sliced bananas). Yum!

METRO: RAMBUTEAU

CUD (Classic Up and Down) 12 Rue des Haudriettes Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 71 56 60 Website: www.cud-paris.com Hours: Daily, 11 p.m.-7 a.m. Not the cleanest-looking place from the outside—its once-blue awning is nearly black with grime—CUD is nevertheless an institution in the Marais for those looking to dance the night away. Or, should we say, the early morning away, as the place doesn’t hit its nightly peak until well after 2 a.m. Inside, the main level offers a quieter bar space, while downstairs is where all the dance-floor action—and quite a bit of cruising—takes place (so much so that the bar’s name is sometimes jokingly called C U Downstairs). Music includes a mash-up of current hits and ’80s classics and remixes, while the crowd ranges widely in age and “look,” from twinkish guys in their 20s to 40- year-old bears. There’s no cover charge and drinks start at just €4, although the selection is quite limited—beer (draft and bottles), Champagne, aperitifs, juice, soda and mineral water. No one under 18 admitted. (SNEG)

Le Duplex 25 Rue Michel-le-Comte Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 72 80 86 Website: www.duplex-bar.com Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.-4 a.m. Le Duplex, one of our favorite LGBT bars in Paris, is the quintessential “college bar”— funky, unpretentious and a welcoming spot for deep conversations about art, music, politics and literature or for an evening of decompressing after a hard day’s work (or, in your case, sightseeing). With more than 500 CDs on hand, the musical ambiance varies greatly from night to night depending on which discs the good-natured bar staff feels like playing, as does the bar’s decor, which highlights the work of a different artist each month. The clientele at Le Duplex is an attitude-free mix of men and women, trending toward the 20- and 30-something set. Its bartenders are super-friendly, bilingual and very attentive. While the venue is virtually deserted in the early evening, regulars start to trickle in around 9 p.m. and it’s jam-packed by 11 p.m. Beers Adelscott, Leffe, Corona, Heineken, Desperados and Pelforth Brune are sold in bottles; cocktails are offered at €7.60. The only seating on the main floor is at a long, thin rectangular table that dominates the center of the room. A small mezzanine above the bar provides seating for maybe 10-15 more.

L’Enchanteur 15 Rue Michel-le-Comte Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 48 04 02 38 Website: www.lenchanteur-bar.fr Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 a.m.; Closed Monday and Tuesday

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If you’re a karaoke fiend, this friendly bar should be at the top of your must-see list while in the Marais. Not only are you able to sing along to your favorite tunes in the downstairs karaoke/cabaret space, but you also can play DJ with the digital jukebox on the main floor, which offers 6,500-plus songs. And if you’re lucky enough to visit on one of the theme nights hosted by drag queen Mademoiselle Texia, The Eternal Diva, you just might be asked to participate in the naughty game of “Have ’Em or Lick ’Em.” (We’ll skip the details so as to not ruin the surprise!) The crowd is a welcoming mix of men and women, gay and straight (mostly gay), and young and old. Happy hours include draft beers, aperitifs, mulled wine and kir at the rock-bottom price of just €3. Karaoke is held Monday- Saturday beginning at 10 p.m. and Sunday beginning at 8 p.m. The bar underwent extensive renovations in May 2010. (SNEG)

L’Enigme 100 Rue Quincampoix Metro: Rambuteau/Etienne Marcel Tel: 09 67 14 93 97 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Monday. Happy hour, daily, 5-8 p.m. Owned by gay couple Bernard (who does the cooking) and Giles (who serves as bartender and waiter), L’Enigme is a perfect spot for a quick, simple meal or perhaps a cocktail or two for those seeking a quiet, unpretentious LGBT haunt in Paris’s bustling gayborhood. The tiny venue seats about two dozen and fills up shortly after opening, mostly with loyal neighborhood patrons (gays and straights of all ages, with a tad more women than men) drawn to the bar’s relaxed atmosphere and artsy vibe. Come during happy hour and get a glass of the house punch, a delicious—and strong!—concoction priced at just €2.50. L’Enigme’s wine list also is one of the bar’s calling cards, offering a surprisingly large selection of premium vintages. There’s one simple meal plate available each evening, always priced under €10, as well as a variety of appetizers and small plates that change from night to night.

La Mine 20 Rue du Platre Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 71 30 39 Website: www.bar-mine.fr Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-10 p.m. One of Paris’s newest gay bars, La Mine opened in December 2012, is hoping to buck the trend for watering holes at this address—two other gay taverns, D Tour and Jul’s Cafe, have come and gone here over the span of just two years. To bring in an entirely new demographic, the owners created a welcoming space for guys into leather and fetish wear. That new vibe is clearly apparent upon being greeted by the ripped, young bartenders clad in leather harnesses and little else. Woof! The ambiance is minimalist, but quite chic—stone walls, a large horseshoe-shaped wooden bar and large oil barrels that serve as tables, all softly lit by hanging incandescent lighting. Given the bar’s target audience, it’s no surprise that you won’t find any frou-frou cocktails on the drink menu. It’s all beer (three on tap, three in bottles), wine and 11 kinds of alcohol (mixed with soda if you can’t handle it straight up).

La Mutinerie 176 Rue Saint-Martin Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 72 70 59 Website: www.lamutinerie.eu Hours: Daily, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. The name of this shabby-chic hangout means mutiny, and it refers to the progressive politics shared by its idealistic patrons. Occupying the same space as former lesbian bar Unity, La Mutinerie dubs itself “Espace Feministe, Par Pour Les Meugs, Goines, Trans et Queers (Feminist Space for Babes, Dykes, Transgenders and Queers).” And while the venue welcomes gay men and straight allies, the crowd is always 90%-plus women—most in their 20s and 30s and most openly zealous in their activism. (If Les Miserables had been lesbian-centric, this is where the plans for the barricades would have been hatched.) Don’t get us wrong—there’s plenty of fun to be had at La Mutinerie, particularly if you’re up for a spirited game of pool. The venue also maintains a busy schedule of LGBT events, including live music, documentary film screenings, lectures and art exhibits (usually 20-plus events each month). Best of all, the drinks are both strong and dirt cheap. (SNEG)

Pur Bar (also called Titi’s Bar)

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12 Rue du Platre Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 48 87 52 09 Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-9 p.m. Welcome to Paris’s friendliest gay bar! Opened as Pur Bar in April 2010 by Stephane Vergnol, this affable Marais watering hole also is dubbed Titi’s Bar, named after Vergnol’s business partner, Thierry (Titi) Leva. Whatever you call it, this tavern is simply the city’s most welcoming LGBT lounge. Steph and Thierry are first-rate hosts, chatting up regulars and newbies alike and even frequently passing around free snacks. The interior is pure camp, with pink and purple lighting, feather boas, mirrored disco balls and a truly unique “chandelier” constructed of a ring of black desk lamps. (Holiday decorations are even more fun!) Cocktails, priced from €8 to €9, include a few unusual options for Paris, including black and white Russians, as well as Thierry’s namesake Ti Punch. Be sure to come hungry and order from the petite faim (little hunger) menu of small plates that includes foie gras, charcuterie, pate, tuna, salmon, guacamole and more. (SNEG)

Le Reinitas 32 Rue du Temple Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 72 37 54 Website: www.reinitas.fr Hours: Daily, 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Bar-brasserie Le Reinitas is included on virtually every list of Parisian gay bars, but the truth is that this quintessentially French cafe (complete with a corner tabac) is much more a locals’ hangout—including neighborhood families with children—than one that caters to any particular sexual orientation. For diners, there’s an ample selection of simple brasserie fare prepared in what has to be the city’s tiniest kitchen. For those seeking libations, Le Reinitas offers an impressive array of high-end alcohols and wines, including Calvados Baron Gilbert that has been aged 15 years for €17 per glass, Martinique rum for €10, Armagnac brandy for €16 and Brazilian cachaca liquor for €7. Cocktails, priced at €7.5-€11, include such unusual drinks as the R Tonic (rinquinquin—a French peach liquor, tonic and lemon), the Reverse Vesper (vodka, gin, lemon and Lillet white wine) and the Aperol Spiritz (aperol liquor, white wine and mineral water, with a slice of orange). Divine! (SNEG)

Snax Kfe 182 Rue Saint-Martin Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 40 27 89 33 Website: www.snaxkfe.fr Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, 3:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Sunday. Happy hour, daily 5-8 p.m. Located in the shadow of the Pompidou Center, Snax Kfe, though typically not a “destination” bar, is an ideal spot for a quick drink or snack. Renovated in spring 2010, Snax offers seating for about 20 on a small patio and another 50 or so at small tables inside. Try the unusual house specialties—Get Bubbles, Get Green and Get Freeze, all made with French mint-flavored liquor Get; or Fever, a mix of gin, cherry syrup and grapefruit and lemon juices. The vibe is welcoming and casual—T-shirts and jeans are the norm here. The clientele is a mix of ages and genders, skewing a little more toward women (despite the fact that Snax is run by hunky gays Thierry and Marcus) due to the bar’s location next to lesbian club La Mutinerie. Especially popular are Snax’s “polyglot (multilingual)” nights held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 p.m.-midnight, during which patrons can engage in one-on-one conversations with native Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and Chinese speakers. (SNEG)

Ze Baar 41 Rue du Marche des Blancs Manteaux Metro: Rambuteau Tel: 01 42 71 75 08 Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday-Sunday, 5:30 p.m.-4 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-8 p.m. This pocket-sized bar that adjoins restaurant Ze Resto is literally the Cheers of Paris’s gay village—it seems as though all of the men and women who gather here are lifelong friends. The long, narrow space fills to overflowing into the street soon after opening, and you can find a bit of everything and everyone here—men, women, youth, the senior set, bears, twinks, dykes, you name it. There’s seating for maybe 20 tops, but unlike at most bars where the standing patrons work at perfecting their S&M (standing and modeling), folks at Ze Baar are actually mingling,

PAGE 30 laughing in groups and having fun. The bar staffers even seem to be enjoying themselves as much as their customers. That convivial vibe is definitely fueled by strong drinks offered at among the cheapest prices in the Marais and a lighthearted decor that includes scores of movie posters plastering the walls and dozens of Betty Boop figurines adorning the shelves behind the bar. (SNEG)

METRO: SAINT-PAUL

Les Jacasses 5 Rue des Ecouffes Metro: Saint-Paul Tel: 01 42 71 15 51 Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. A trio of bars (Les Jacasses, 3W and Le So What!) positioned within 20 yards of each other makes the Rue des Ecouffes the center of lesbian nightlife in the city. This casual venue is definitely the most laid-back and cozy of the three. Humorous signs in the windows stating “Don’t Tell Mum” and “No Wife Zone” reinforce the casual, fun vibe, while a huge pile of board games like Taboo, Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit beckons to a clientele weary of the more typical bar games of posturing and cruising. Patrons often are treated to live music, usually acoustic guitar. The crowd here tends to be a bit older and quieter than across the street at 3W and there are more men present here as well. In addition to a full bar, Les Jacasses also offers a limited food menu for late-night snacks. (SNEG)

3W Kafe (Women With Women) 8 Rue des Ecouffes Metro: Saint-Paul Tel: 01 48 87 39 26 Website: www.3wkafe.com Hours: Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-4 a.m.; Closed Monday and Tuesday. Happy hour, daily 5-10 p.m. Owner Nadine Benzenan and crush-worthy bartender Marlene welcome a lively crowd to the oldest lesbian bar in the Marais, where the clientele skews much younger (20s and early 30s) than at the other girl bars in the neighborhood. The main draw here is the DJ-fueled action on the downstairs dance floor that fills to overflowing by 10 p.m. most nights—often even earlier on weekends. Aside from its wildly popular Friday and Saturday “I Love DJ” dance parties, theme nights at 3W include karaoke on Wednesday and “artiste” events on Sunday, where patrons are treated to exhibits or performances by musicians, painters, writers and actors. Happy hour drinks include mojitos for €9, draft beers for €3.50 and shooters for €4; bar snacks include a tasty bruschetta. A strict no- unaccompanied-men policy keeps the voyeurism to a minimum. (SNEG)

Le So What! 30 Rue du Roi de Sicile Metro: Saint-Paul Website: www.facebook.com/pages/Le-So-What/171693449288 Tel: 06 98 75 45 46 Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 p.m.-4 a.m.; Closed Monday and Tuesday You’d never know you’ve stumbled across this lesbian hangout unless you peeked inside the corner establishment, because there’s no signage at all and the old facade suggests that it’s a bakery. Located at the site of the now-defunct lesbian clubs Bliss and Nyx Cafe, Le So What! attracts a clientele of women primarily in their 30s and 40s who’ve tired of the dance-club scene but still enjoy socializing in the Marais. “These women are a little bit stateless—they do not have a place just for them,” owners Marie and Karinne told gay magazine Tetu at the club’s opening in fall 2009. Theme nights include literary coffeehouses and international evenings, including music, drinks and food specialties from that night’s highlighted nation. Gay men are welcome, but because Marie and Karinne say there are plenty of male-dominated spaces already in the area they’re aiming for the “80/20 rule”—at least 80% women at all times. Live music is on tap every Thursday after 9:30 p.m., while “Mix” parties are held every Friday and Saturday night.

Morgan Bar (M&B) 25 Rue du Roi de Sicile Metro: Saint-Paul

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Tel: 01 42 77 06 66 Hours: Daily, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-9 p.m. Owner Benoit Hageman and sexy bartenders Philippe and Remi welcome a decidedly mellow crowd to this narrow but deep bar-lounge, one of the newer LGBT watering holes in the Marais. Located a block north of the insanely busy , M&B is one of the rare truly mixed-gender bars in the Marais, although the patrons tend to be youngish—mostly age 30 and under. The friendly, noncruisy establishment offers a wide range of cocktails for €6.50-€9.60, including mojitos, gin fizz, sex on the beach, tequila sunrise and Long Island iced tea. Beers on tap include Leffe and Stella Artois; bottled brews include Heineken, 1664, Desperados, Amstel, Pelforth Brune and Smirnoff Ice. Try the house specialty Happy Champ, offered for just €5. Or sip on a glass of Champagne that’s sold at a discount after 10 p.m. A wide range of nonalcoholic drinks, mineral water and coffee also is available. (SNEG)

Le Yono 37 Rue Vieille du Temple Metro: Saint-Paul/Hotel de Ville Tel: 01 42 74 31 65 Website: www.myspace.com/yonoparis Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday A three-level restaurant and bar, Le Yono is one of the less frenetic watering holes in the Marais, just far enough off the gay thoroughfare that it’s not part of the party-boy pub crawl. The restaurant (which serves very good Spanish tapas) is located on the second floor, while the ground level hosts a lively cocktail bar. Most of the action happens downstairs; the gorgeous medieval cellar includes a dance floor, video screens, DJ/VJ booth and a fully stocked bar. (Note: The dance hall can be completely dead on weeknights.) Live music is a staple on weekends, with an ever- changing roster of performers. Each of Yono’s levels appeals to a very different clientele—urbane couples and small groups for dinner; leisurely men and women in their late 20s to 40s at the ground-floor bar after work and on weekends; and primarily men under age 35 downstairs after 9 p.m., although live performers draw more diverse crowds.

METRO: LES HALLES/CHATELET

Au Mange Disque 15 Rue de la Reynie Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 48 04 78 17 Website: www.aumangedisque.free.fr Hours: Sunday and Monday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Where else can you find a ceiling-mural spoof of Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam in which God hands down a record album instead of life than at the hip and trendy Au Mange Disque? Filled with funky furnishings and humorous original art (Last Supper attendees chowing down at a table overflowing with classic French foods, for example), this casual, pocket-sized salute to vinyl is hugely popular with the city’s young boho crowd—male and female, gay and straight. Try the homemade sangria for just €3.50, the pina colada maison for €8 or one of the dozens of wines available by the glass. The tiny outdoor patio with seating for just 10 or so is filled at all hours, while inside tables (oversized orange record albums!) that seat about 20 more fill up soon after work. (SNEG)

Banana Cafe 13 Rue de la Ferronnerie Metro: Chatelet Tel: 01 42 33 35 51 Website: www.bananacafeparis.com Hours: Daily, 6 p.m.-7 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-11 p.m. A must-visit institution for more than two decades, quirky Banana Cafe is home to some of Paris’s sexiest go-go boys and one of the gayborhood’s best all-night dance parties. Its busy street-level bar is filled with cafe tables featuring the bar’s logo (a topless native woman wearing a skirt of—wait for it—bananas), while the bar’s cellar dance space is saturated with pounding Latin, house and techno mixes (although the action here doesn’t get going until after 10 p.m. and even later on weekends). A blend of ages and genders can be found upstairs, skewing more exclusively male and youngish downstairs. The crowd is definitely on the young side (under 25) at the weekly “Univers Jeunes (World Youth)” party held every Saturday from 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Bartenders are cute and chatty, while

PAGE 32 the dancers, who perform Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, are exactly as you’d expect—young, muscular and hung. Drinks, which are pricier here than at other area bars, include the signature—wait for it— Banana, which can be made in either alcoholic or booze-free versions. (SNEG)

Bar du Kent’z 2 Rue Vauvilliers Metro: Les Halles Tel: 01 42 21 01 16 Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.; Closed Sunday Bar du Kent’z is another of Paris’s “night bars” that doesn’t open until late in the evening. But whereas rival Chez Carmen seems designed to provide heavy drinkers with a place to stay drunk as long as possible, Bar du Kent’z is a classy, Art Deco-themed tavern that welcomes a considerably more refined clientele. You’re not going to experience head-pounding music or drug-fueled gyrating on an overcrowded dance floor here. Instead, you’ll discover plush seating, friendly conversation, impeccably made cocktails and low-key conviviality. As such, it’s no surprise the crowd at Bar du Kent’z skews a bit older than at the watering holes on the nearby Rue des Lombards, even after the other venues’ closing times. But there’s a surprising number of younger guys (and a few women) simply seeking a break from the boisterous dance-club circuit. Classic cocktails are the drink of choice here; try the old fashioned or a tres dry martini. (SNEG)

Le Bear’s Den 6 Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet Tel: 01 42 71 08 20 Website: www.bearsden.fr Hours: Monday-Friday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 4 p.m.-6 a.m. This is the destination for Paris’s bears, chubs and chubby chasers—and anyone else who likes to rub bellies with big, beefy and hairy men. Almost immediately upon opening the small upstairs bar and outside patio fill to standing- room-only capacity with guys in their 20s to 50s, and they stay jam-packed until closing. Downstairs is a much larger space that includes a dance floor, video lounge (showing porn) and a very busy backroom. There’s a lot of sexual activity, but it’s not overly pushy or grabby, so you won’t feel accosted if you’re just heading for a couple of turns on the mobbed dance floor. The vibe here is uber-cruisy, but Bear’s Den also is one of the city’s friendliest bars—strangers commonly strike up conversations with one another and groups casually mix with others. And don’t sweat it if you don’t fit the stereotypical bear image; you’ll still be warmly welcomed, unlike at far too many U.S. bear bars and events. (SNEG)

Blok Paris (Formerly The Eagle) 33 bis Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 43 31 86 61 Website: www.blok-paris.com Hours: Daily, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Gay bar The Eagle abruptly transformed in December 2012 into straight tavern Blok Paris, despite the fact that The Eagle seemed to be doing brisk business, particularly on weekends when the anything-goes atmosphere in its men- only cellar space drew throngs of horny young guys. Today, the crowd—and the vibe—is decidedly non-gay.

Cafe Arena 29 Rue Saint-Denis Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 45 08 15 16 Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-6 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-8:30 p.m. This casual bar-restaurant on the corner of the way-gay Rue des Lombards has one of Paris’s largest and best terraces for people watching (venues Wolf, Tropic Cafe and Au Diable des Lombards are all within sight) and one of the cheapest lunch deals in town—a croque monsieur or club sandwich with green salad for just €7. Happy hour specials include draft beers, mixed drinks and an ever-changing cocktail du jour. The covered, heated patio seats about 75 and fills up long before anyone is seated in the more subdued beige-colored indoor dining area. The crowd tends to be slightly more male than female and skews a bit older on weekdays (40s and 50s) than on weekends.

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About half of the weekday patio throng is there for the cheap, tasty eats—pasta and pizza are among the specialties. Friendly, English-speaking waiters are Arabic, Asian and French, giving the place a fun, international vibe.

Dandy’s Cafe 9 Rue Nicolas Flamel Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 42 71 45 42 Hours: Daily, 2 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, Sunday-Thursday 5-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6-9 p.m. Dandy’s is home to another of the city’s largest patios and draws a sizable happy hour crowd eager to unwind with strong, moderately priced drinks, good music and even better people watching. Located on a corner overlooking the busy pedestrian-only Rue des Lombards, Dandy’s offers mixed drinks and cocktails for €8-€9 and nonalcoholic cocktails for just €4, as well as wine by the glass, coffee and several soft drinks and juices. The large patio (heated on colder evenings) seats about 80 people, while a surprisingly large, contemporarily furnished indoor bar holds about the same number of guests. Music is primarily light indie fare, allowing easy conversation both indoors and out. Dandy’s clientele skews about 75% male but spans all age groups and leans toward small groups of friends and couples more interested in talking and relaxing than cruising. (SNEG)

Gossip Cafe 16 Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet Tel: 01 42 71 36 83 Website: www.gossipcafeparis.fr Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Another changing of the guard on Rue des Lombards recently installed Gossip Cafe in place of Le Palmier, a watering hole whose clientele usually was far more hetero than homo. Gossip, a monochromatic, Art Deco-themed gay brasserie and bar, actually appears to be faring worse than its predecessor, often hosting only a handful of patrons—most straight—particularly on weekday evenings. Shockingly, during one of our visits on a wintry Friday evening Gossip’s enclosed and heated terrace was only half full and its cozy interior completely empty. By comparison, next-door Sly Bar had an overflow crowd. We’re not sure why Gossip isn’t more popular, because the ambiance is comfortable, the drinks fairly priced and the bar food options tasty and plentiful. Only the Sunday brunch, priced at €20-€26, seems to have grabbed the interest of local queers. Perhaps Gossip Cafe simply hasn’t been able to shake the decidedly non-gay vibe linked with Le Palmier for all those years. Pity.

L’Imprevu 9 Rue Quincampoix Metro: Chatelet Tel: 01 42 78 23 50 Website: www.imprevu-cafe.com Hours: Daily, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Americans Martin and Buck run Paris’s version of Central Perk from TV’s Friends—an eclectic, laid-back venue that certainly delivers on its name, which translates to “unpredictable.” There’s a surprise around every corner, from mismatched furniture (including a pair of bejeweled thrones) to a large earth-tone mural to a throng of plants cocooning one of the seating areas. Even the drink menu is offbeat, offering 31 cocktails, fruit smoothies and milkshakes, as well as the city’s only selection of slushees, available in such unusual flavors as melon, violet and bubblegum. Be sure to try the Sex and the City (vodka, raspberry liquor and banana juice), the Why Not? (whiskey, vermouth, grenadine and mango nectar) or the tasty but frighteningly named nonalcoholic Scunky—lemon, lime and passion fruit juices with raspberry syrup). The crowd is 50/50 male/female, most in their 20s and 30s. And despite L’Imprevu’s hipster ambiance, its staff and clientele are friendly, chatty and pleasantly attitude-free. (SNEG)

Les Pietons 8 Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet Tel: 01 48 87 82 87 Website: www.lespietons.com Hours: Daily, noon-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 4-10 p.m.

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Best known as a trendy tapas restaurant, Les Pietons still welcomes large numbers of neighborhood barflies on its small outside patio and at its long, stainless-steel inside bar. The staff is young and sexy, all wearing tight pink and black T-shirts with the bar’s logo and such slogans as “Toro” (Bull) and, naughtily, “Fellacione, Introducione, Masturbacione” (Blowjob, Hello, Masturbate). Rumor has it the waiters can get a bit drunk and surly later in the evening, particularly toward American tourists, but we’ve never experienced any ill will during our visits. Try the homemade sangria for just €2 or the house specialty Mojito Loco for €5 during happy hour. The restaurant’s clientele is a mix of genders, ages and sexual orientations, while the bar tends to draw a crowd about 75% male, nearly 100% gay and mostly under age 40. Be sure to check out the unusual restrooms, among the most unique in the city. (SNEG)

Sly Bar 22 Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet Tel: 06 62 84 64 61 Website: www.sly-bar.com Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-5 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-10 p.m. Owners Sylvain and Messias welcome large crowds of men, most in their 20s and 30s, to one of Paris’s newer nightclubs on the increasingly gay Rue des Lombards. The trendy black-and-white facade welcomes patrons to a mid-sized venue characterized by a sleek, futuristic interior, lots of neon and LED lighting and a state-of-the-art sound system blasting pop and dance tracks. A small terrace, covered and heated in inclement weather, seats about 20 and is full from opening to closing. There’s seating for maybe three dozen more inside. Drinks are a bit on the pricey side, clocking in around €10 for such offerings as mojitos, cosmopolitans and margaritas. Wine is a more affordable €4 per glass, while draft beers range from €3.90 to €4.40 for a small glass to €7.50-€7.90 for a pint (half off during happy hour). The crowd here is more cordial than cruisy, but all bets are off during the bar’s weekly “Single Or Not” after-work parties.

Tropic Cafe 66 Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet Tel: 01 40 13 92 62 Website: www.tropic-cafe.com Hours: Daily, noon-5 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-10 p.m. The patio at Tropic Cafe, located at the crossroads of the trendy Rue Sainte Opportune and the way-gay Rue des Lombards, is a must-stop destination for those seeking to see and be seen. Even the smokin’ hot bar staff works overtime to be checked out, wearing skin-tight shirts to show off bulging pecs, six-pack abs and tribal tattoos. Specialty drinks here include the Chambord Energy, made of Red Bull and Champagne; the Pink Fizz, a blend of vodka, pear and lemon juices, milk, soda and strawberry syrup; and the Planteur, a concoction of light and dark rums with orange, apricot and passion fruit juices. Be sure to try the tasty eats, including chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and tartine sandwiches. Packed on weekends and during happy hour, Tropic Cafe welcomes a clientele that skews toward the younger set, typically a mix of attractive and vivacious men and women in their 20s and early 30s. (SNEG)

Le Velvet 42 Rue Saint-Honore Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 42 21 13 60 Website: www.velvet-bar.fr Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Monday. Happy hour, Tuesday-Thursday 5 p.m.-1 a.m., Friday and Saturday 6-9 p.m. Although just a couple of years ago Le Velvet was known mostly as a hangout for very young (even underage) Parisians, today it has morphed into the go-to bar for the city’s gay Asian community. There’s seating for about 40 people on the red velvet seats throughout the bar (which have seen better—and cleaner—days), while tables in the back of the venue can be pushed together to host larger groups of up to about a dozen. A handful of cocktails are available for €9-€10, while four beers are offered on tap. Happy hour offers two-for-one draft beers and shots. The crowd here is a mix of men and women, most in their 20s and 30s, and both patrons and servers are friendly and

PAGE 35 welcoming. Show up early, particularly on a weekday, and you’re likely to have the place to yourself; it doesn’t get going until the wee hours. (SNEG)

Wolf 37 Rue des Lombards Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 40 28 02 52 Website: www.wolfparis.com Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-9 p.m. Though not as popular as nearby Le Bear’s Den, Wolf is the area’s other main gathering spot for wolves, bears, admirers, chubs, chasers and muscle bears looking for cocktails, conversation and hard cruising. The bear porn playing on video screens and framed photos of fetish sex upstairs set the carnal vibe, while a sign above the back staircase welcomes you to the cellar “Rut Zone,” a large, men-only space that includes a lively dance floor, as well as a dimly lit backroom and maze for sexual fun. Despite offering huge draft beers for just €3.50 and homemade sangria, Wolf is surprisingly quiet during happy hour (unlike at Bear’s Den), but fills up later in the evening with men of all ages. Weekends are especially crowded, particularly downstairs. Theme nights include free Alsatian pizza on Friday, house music on Saturday and Spanish-themed soirees usually held twice each month. (SNEG)

METRO: ETIENNE MARCEL

Le Cosy 9 Rue Grenata Metro: Etienne Marcel Tel: 01 42 77 16 03 Website: http://lecosy.wordpress.com Hours: Monday-Friday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 5-9 p.m. Located in the northern half of the 3rd Arrondissement, Le Cosy is a comfortable (dare we say cozy?) lounge that is as straight as it is gay. But when we’re looking for an upscale establishment with a classy vibe, we’re happy to bring our queer dollars here! Le Cosy maintains a simple ambiance highlighted by lush satin curtains, leather mini-sofas, embroidered seat cushions and floor-to-ceiling windows. Happy hour is a particular bargain, with cocktails priced at just €5. And, in keeping with its chic tone, Le Cosy’s bar food is simply unmatched in quality. Try any of the five delectable bruschettas (including chorizo with emmental cheese, chicken curry or goat cheese with cumin) for just €6, shrimp tempura for €6.80 or foie gras for €7. The crowd at Le Cosy is a convivial mix of men and women in their 30s-60s. And you’re much more likely to find patrons in suits and ties than club wear here.

Lezard Cafe 41 Rue Tiquetonne Metro: Etienne Marcel Tel: 01 42 33 22 73 Website: www.lezardcafe.com Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-2 a.m. Situated at a V-shaped corner just off trendy market street Rue Montorgueil and near the city’s fashionable culinary supply stores, Lezard Cafe welcomes a vibrant, young, stylish crowd to its jam-packed wraparound patio. Several trees at the intersection provide cool shade for the breezy, green space that seats at least 150 people at small tables that can be—and frequently are—pushed together for larger groups. Lezard fills to capacity just prior to noon for its popular lunch, thins out a bit in mid-afternoon, then refills to standing-room-only from 5 p.m. to closing. Fortunately, the easygoing clientele is the polar opposite of the unapproachable bar staff, who have a great time laughing with each other but interact with patrons as little as possible. The crowd also is evenly split between men and women, gays and straights. Draft beers include Heineken, Panache, Affligem, Wieckse Witte and Picon. Mixed drinks and cocktails range from €6.60 to €7.10.

Le Zango 15 Rue du Cygne Metro: Etienne Marcel Tel: 01 40 26 27 27 Website: www.zango.fr

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Hours: Monday-Thursday, noon-1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon-2 a.m.; Sunday, noon-midnight Although serving primarily as an African-themed restaurant, Le Zango still welcomes large after-work and weekend crowds to its spacious, covered patio. Ringed with tropical trees and grasses and decorated with humongous zoological murals, the casual patio space seats about 60 people at tables for two or four. Two dozen cocktails are offered for €7, including house specialties Caravanserail, made of rum, pineapple and lemon juice, and caramel syrup; Ti Violette, a blend of vodka and violet syrup; and the Zando Dai, a concoction of rum, lemon juice, ginger ale and mango liquor. Paulaner, Monaco and Blanche de Bruxelles beers are offered on tap, while bottled brews include Pelforth Brune, Corona, Carlsberg and Desperados. The clientele here is quiet, a mix of ages and genders and consisting almost entirely of locals as it’s a bit off the pub crawl circuit. That’s a pity, because the young waiters and bartenders are among the city’s friendliest and cutest.

OTHER PARIS LOCATIONS

Alexander’s Bar 2 Rue de Marivaux Metro: Quatre-Septembre Tel: 01 42 96 40 79 Website: www.alexandersbar.fr Hours: Daily, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 6-10 p.m. It’s amazing how much things can change over just a couple of years. Whereas Alexander’s Bar (also sometimes called Alex’s Cafe) was the hangout for older gay Parisian gentlemen as recently as 2010, the vast majority these days head to recently opened Pour Une Fois Qu’On Sort. And that new bar is everything Alexander’s isn’t—clean, sleek, modern and friendly. Alexander’s still experiences a temporary rush after work, but by 9 p.m. it’s dead. On two recent visits we were the only patrons in the place. The walls are mirrored to create the illusion of space, but it just makes the bar look that much emptier. Even cheap drink prices don’t bring in customers. If you’re intent on visiting, we recommend arriving as close to opening time as possible to take advantage of happy hour prices and an occasional free snack provided at the bar. Otherwise, skip it. It just feels sad here. (SNEG)

La Champmesle 4 Rue Chabanais Metro: Pyramide Tel: 01 42 96 85 20 Website: www.lachampmesle.com Hours: Daily, 4 p.m.-3 a.m. La Champmesle was Paris’s first lesbian bar when it opened in the late 1970s and remains a popular destination today for women who love women, even if the clientele has expanded to include some gay men. Silver-haired (and very butch) owner Josy and her team have created a cozy and casual—but still semi-cruisy—establishment that hosts “mystic nights” featuring tarot card readers every Tuesday; cabaret shows every Thursday; and all-night dance parties on Friday and Saturday. Occasional country-music nights also are scheduled. The crowd remains mostly lesbian and skews toward women in their late 30s and up. Although located outside the Marais and quite a distance from the trio of lesbian bars near the Saint-Paul Metro stop, La Champmesle remains a must-visit haunt for women who love women and is nestled among a handful of other LGBT watering holes, as well as homoerotic art gallery Au Bonheur du Jour. (SNEG)

Chez Carmen 53 Rue Vivienne Metro: Richelieu-Drouot Tel: 01 42 36 45 41 Hours: Daily, midnight-11 a.m. Chez Carmen, named after the no-nonsense woman of a certain age who runs the place, is one of those Paris oddities known as a “night bar” that doesn’t open until midnight. But despite the odd hours, the place is jam-packed every weekend (much less so on weeknights). One draw is the venue’s jukebox, filled with fun sing-along tunes. Another is the pithy Carmen herself, though regulars warn she’s as likely to swoop in and liberate any change lingering on your table as she is to strike up a conversation. Some even specifically come for the dirt-cheap fried-cheese sandwiches sold as bar snacks, which have given the venue the moniker “Cheese Carmen.” The crowd is a mix of gays and straights, but leans heavily toward those simply seeking to keep drinking long after other bars and clubs

PAGE 37 have closed. As such, the clientele becomes much more intoxicated and considerably more unruly as night turns to dawn. You’ve been warned! (SNEG)

Fox Club 9 Rue Frochot Metro: Pigalle Tel: 01 42 81 09 23 Website: www.foxclubparis.com Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 7 p.m.-2 a.m.; Friday and Saturday (women only), 7 p.m.-dawn; Closed Sunday and Monday One of the newest LGBT bars in Paris, opened in January 2011, Fox Club restricts admission on Friday and Saturday to women only, creating a warm and welcoming space in the city’s Pigalle area for women who love women. The venue is extremely cozy, bordering on lounge-like, complete with large leather booths and red mood lighting. Oddly, many of those booths come with mini-jukeboxes commonly found at American ’50s diners, but we’re happy to look past that design misstep. The music spun by the club’s DJs is first-rate and covers everything from Caribbean reggae to American swing. In fact, the owners aim to provide “a musical ambiance, soft decor, lots of drinks at low prices and a friendly team—all you need to have a good time,” according to the bar’s website. Even on mixed-gender nights, the crowd here tends to be virtually all women, most over age 30.

In Out 241 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine Metro: Faidherbe-Chaligny Tel: 09 52 41 00 37 Website: www.inoutparis.com Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday. Special weekend events occasionally run until 5 a.m. In Out, a two-level, ultra-modern gay bar in the 11th Arrondissement, bills itself as “A Good Place for a Good Spirit,” and the vibe here is appropriately easygoing and genial. Located a considerable distance from the Marais, In Out welcomes a more diverse clientele than the more niche venues in the gayborhood, but does tend to skew toward younger gay men, especially on weekends. The upstairs area, a black-and-white space illuminated by purple and red neon, seats about 20, while the downstairs space is devoted to a medium-sized dance floor and DJ booth. If you’re a fan of Jagermeister, you’re be in heaven here; there’s a huge Jager shot machine (€5 each) and a variety of Jagermeister-based drinks are on the cocktail menu. If you’re with a large group, opt for the Meter of Tequila—a plank more than 3 feet long lined with as many tequila shots as possible, all for just €37. Salud!

O’Kubi Caffe 219 Rue Saint-Maur Metro: Goncourt/Belleville Tel: 01 42 01 35 08 Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday. Happy hour, daily 6-8 p.m. Although its lesbian owners claim to have created O’Kubi as an alternative to the male-centric bars and cafes in the Marais, the truth is that the small bar and foodery is a long haul from Paris’s gayborhood. Still, O’Kubi is a popular destination for lesbians, particularly on weekends when the joint is crowded with both diners and drinkers. DJs provide the music after 10 p.m., focusing heavily on electronica and house, but with a good measure of rock and pop thrown in. Grab a charcuterie or cheese plate for €10 and sample the premium wines that begin at the bargain price of just €2.50 per glass. Another specialty is the freshly squeezed fruit juices, including strawberry, cranberry, pear, mango and raspberry. The crowd at hetero-friendly O’Kubi tends to be young, hip and more than 90% female, although gay men and straight allies are warmly welcomed too.

One Way 28 Rue Charlot Metro: Filles du Calvaire Tel: 01 48 87 46 10 Hours: Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Happy hour, daily 7-9 p.m. The first thing you’ll notice at quirky, kinky One Way is the hundreds of baseball caps hanging from its ceiling. Next to catch your eye—or possibly grope your butt—is the fact that you’ve ventured in to one of Paris’s cruisiest

PAGE 38 venues. (Maybe it was the leather paddles hanging on the walls that tipped you off!) You’ll find a wide range of sexy, friendly guys at One Way, from bears and muscle studs to leather daddies and silver foxes. Upstairs, there’s seating for about 25 people, most of whom chat casually with their neighbors while guzzling the Pelforth Blonde or Affligem on tap or the five beers sold in bottles. The steamy downstairs space, called “Caligula-like” by locals, includes a video lounge, sling, mirrored urinals and maze. Like Le Bear’s Den, we’re including One Way in our chapter with traditional bars rather than listing it with sex venues because regulars often visit for drinks and camaraderie rather than for anonymous sex. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of that going on too! (SNEG)

Pop In 105 Rue Amelot Metro: Saint-Sebastien Froissart Tel: 01 48 05 56 11 Website: http://popin.fr Hours: Daily, 6:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Step back in time to your undergrad days with a visit to Pop In, a music-centric dive in the trendy 11th Arrondissement. There are live performances—including open-mic events—upstairs just about every night, while the Bohemian downstairs tavern, which seats about 20, treats patrons to an ever-changing musical selection based on the daily mood of the bartender. The decor is a hodgepodge of band memorabilia and kitschy signage (our favorite is the one stating, in English, “Please, no singing. No dancing. No swearing. This is a respectable house!”) and the furniture a melange of creaky ancient chairs and tables. Although a few cocktails are available, Pop In is a beer- drinking establishment, with Guinness, Hoegaarden and Kilkenny on tap, priced at €2.80 to €7, while bottled brews include Heineken, Leffe, Duval and Carlsberg. The clientele tends to be young bohos (think the college alternative bar crowd) and an agreeable mix of men and women.

Pour Une Fois Qu’On Sort 7 Rue Chabanais Metro: Quatre-Septembre/Pyramides Tel: 01 71 37 96 92 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Monday Opened in late 2012, Pour Une Fois Qu’On Sort (roughly translated as Finally, We’re Going Out) immediately became the go-to spot for Parisian silver foxes. And truly, it’s also one of friendliest gay bars in the city regardless of one’s age, gender or sexual orientation. Opened in a tiny space (30 feet deep by 15 feet wide), Pour Une Fois Qu’On Sort is sleek and modern, with decor that is perhaps best described as “classy camp.” We’re big fans of the music that draws heavily from 1950s-1960s classics (our recent faves include Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” and Marilyn Monroe’s “I Wanna Be Loved by You”). The bartenders are cute, genial and flirty, making conversation with regulars and newbies alike. Definitely take their advice and try one of the bar’s six original cocktails, all priced at €10. Also available are as many as 20 different tapas plates, priced at €5-€9, from a menu that changes daily. Yum! (SNEG)

Le Quinze 15 Rue Notre Dames des Victoires Metro: Bourse Tel: 01 42 60 00 15 Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 a.m.; Closed Sunday We’re not able to say much about bar and brasserie Le Quinze, because virtually every time we’ve visited the venue it was closed several hours before it was scheduled to be. During one of our few successful forays, we were practically accosted by the very drunk patrons who were screaming along with the music, screaming at each other, screaming at the bartender and screaming at the few patrons who stayed more than a minute or two. No, these weren’t happy, convivial drunks. They were obnoxious, rude and even a little scary. (One threatened to punch a member of our party for not joining the sing-along.) We hastily left after just one drink, even though we had planned to stay to sample the brasserie fare. If getting blitzed, acting like an unruly teenager and perhaps getting into a barroom brawl is your bag, you’ll love Le Quinze. Otherwise, we advise you to steer well clear of this drunkards’ hangout. (SNEG)

Rosa Bonheur 2 Avenue des Cascades (inside the )

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Metro: Botzaris Tel: 01 42 00 00 45 Website: www.rosabonheur.fr Hours: January-February—Thursday-Sunday, noon-midnight; March-April—Wednesday-Sunday, noon-midnight; May-September—Tuesday-Sunday, noon-midnight; October—Wednesday-Sunday, noon-midnight; November- December—Thursday-Sunday, noon-midnight If you’re looking for the ambiance of a German beer garden in the midst of Paris, check out Rosa Bonheur, a sprawling indoor-outdoor guinguette (place to drink, eat and dance) nestled in the 19th Arrondissement’s splendid Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Inside is a charming garden-themed bar-restaurant and dance floor. But the real draw is the outdoor seating on dozens of picnic tables, benches and lawn chairs that provides a sweeping view of the lush park. As one might expect, beer is a big seller here, priced at €3-€5, although a full bar provides a wide range of libations. The food options also are plentiful (if a bit pricey). Although the bar-restaurant is commonly characterized as an LGBT venue—usually highlighted as a lesbian-centric destination—the crowd at Rosa Bonheur doesn’t particularly skew toward any demographic, although there is a distinct hipster vibe on weekends. What you won’t find, however, are many—if any—tourists. Note: The Parc des Buttes Chaumont closes daily at sunset; the only access to and from Rosa Bonheur after park closing is through the gate at 74 Rue Botzaris.

La Venus Noire 23 Rue de l’Hirondelle Metro: Saint-Michel Tel: 01 43 26 09 83 Website: www.lavenusnoire.fr Hours: Monday-Saturday, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 5-11 p.m. The most interesting aspect of this Left Bank bar is it’s setting—an ancient cellar (called the Caveau de la Bolee) that has served as a tavern since the year 1290. The proof is literally carved into the basement walls: Look for the signatures of famous poets Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine and Francois Villon, among other literary giants. Little seems to have changed here over the centuries. While that may sound a bit austere, the medieval dungeon-like ambiance actually is quite fascinating, so much so that La Venus Noire was recently voted one of Paris’s most unusual bars. Expect crowds of mostly queer women in their 20s-40s who are more interested in conversation and conviviality than cruising and partying. Cocktails are available for €8.50, pints of beer for €6-€7 and wine from €3 to €5 per glass. Happy hour, held daily, offers a €2 discount on mixed drinks. (SNEG)

LGBT PARTIES

Rather than opening bars targeting niche groups within Paris’s LGBT community (which probably wouldn’t last long given the city’s exorbitant commercial rental rates), many groups instead opt to host weekly or monthly dance parties at established venues (gay and straight) scattered across the city. There are actually more of these lesbian parties in Paris than there are lesbian bars. And while most of the city’s gay clubs are transgender-friendly, there’s nothing quite like the weekly Escualita all-night trans dance party. Below are some of the most popular regularly held events. But also keep your eyes open for fliers and postcards available in Marais LGBT bars, restaurants and shops—as well as in the Le Mots a la Bouche and Violette and Co. bookstores—promoting special, one-time gatherings and events.

Barbi(e)turix Parties @La Machine de Moulin Rouge 90 Boulevard de Clichy Metro: Blanche Websites: www.barbieturix.com; www.myspace.com/barbieturix Hours: Friday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. Admission: €13 at the door, €8 in advance Free monthly lesbian magazine Barbi(e)turix also regularly sponsors what it calls the “hottest dykecore party” in Paris, usually held on Friday nights at La Machine de Moulin Rouge in the Pigalle neighborhood. Carrying such racy themes as “Clitorise” (yes, that’s French for clitoris), “Wet for Me” and “Sexy Sushi,” the all-night dance parties draw raucous and very cruisy crowds of under-30 lesbians looking to dance, drink and—more often than

PAGE 40 not—hook up. (And let’s just say many attendees get waaaay past first base while still at the club!) Barbi(e)turix also hosts other special events and one-off parties, all of which are promoted in the publication and on its website. However, keep in mind that La Machine is located in the northern section of the city and Metro access is unavailable between roughly 1-6 a.m., so there’s no leaving early!

BBB—Black, Blanc, Beur @Folie’s Pigalle 11 Place Pigalle Metro: Pigalle Tel: 01 53 76 02 11 Hours: Sunday, 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Admission: €10, which includes one drink, or €12, which includes two drinks This weekly tea dance that aims to bring together gay men of all nationalities and races is named after France’s 1998 World Cup championship team that was dubbed by the media “black, blanc, beur” (black, white, Arab) because of its international roots. And the tea dance is mostly successful, drawing large crowds of black and Arabic men (sadly, attendance by white gay men is sparse, but two out of three ain’t bad). The Sunday soiree is sponsored by Kelma, the online community for gay Arabs and black men living in France and North Africa, and is held at the Folie’s Pigalle. The weekly gatherings feature R&B, disco, hip-hop, Turkish, Arabic and North African music and often also include dance performances. The crowd is almost 100% men, ranging in age from 18 to about 35.

Code 69: Music Is the Answer @La Scene Bastille 2 Bis Rue des Taillandiers Metro: Ledru-Rollin/Bastille Tel: 01 48 06 50 70 Website: http://nuitparallele.com Hours: Third Saturday of the month, midnight-7 a.m. Admission: €15 at the door, €10 in advance Known throughout the Marais for its smokin’ hot promotional posters showcasing muscle studs in as little clothing as possible, Code 69 is a monthly music-centric dance party held at La Scene Bastille in the 11th Arrondissement. Expect very loud electro and house mixes spun by resident DJs Raf Fender and Remy Otezuka, with a third set by such well-known guest DJs as Antaum B and Worx. Like most other gay dance parties throughout the city, Code 69 welcomes a young, mostly male clientele, but the crowd here is drawn more by the music—and the prospect of grinding the night away to it. There’s a very circuit party-like vibe, with most patrons ditching their shirts—and a not insignificant number partaking in club drugs—upon admittance.

Doctor Love @Club Haussmann 28 Rue Taitbout Metro: Chausee La Fayette Website: www.loveismylene.com Hours: One Saturday each month, 11:30 p.m.-6 a.m. Admission: €20, €15 before 12:30 a.m. All-night themed dance party Doctor Love, organized by the same team behind the LIM Tea Dance and held monthly (usually the fourth Saturday of the month, but the schedule varies) at Club Haussmann, seems to welcome only Paris’s best-looking LGBT people. The venue holds up to 300 revelers and fills up immediately upon opening. The music is a loud mix of pop remixes and club classics, with the occasional disco hit thrown in. Most patrons adhere to the monthly theme (recent parties include “Jungle Fever” and “Doctor Love Airlines”) and wear a costume of some sort, from a simple hat to elaborate full ensembles. The crowd is very young—you’ll never see anyone over age 35—95% gay men and all drop-dead gorgeous. If you don’t count yourself among the beautiful people, be sure to wear as elaborate a costume as possible in order to convince the doorman to let you in. Otherwise, forget it.

Escualita @Club Madam 128 Rue La Boetie Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Website: www.escualita.com Hours: Sunday, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. Admission: €20, which includes one drink Escualita is the only advertised and openly promoted dance party for transgender men and women in all of France (there are occasional underground events in Paris, but they’re not usually welcoming to tourists). “We’re open to all—transsexuals, transvestites, amateurs, couples, libertines, fetards [a French term for party animals] and clubbers!” proclaims the event’s website. And they do mean everyone, including a large number of gay and straight men interested in sex with pre-op transsexuals (commonly—and rudely—referred to as “chicks with dicks,”). As such, there’s an incredible amount of very hard cruising taking place. But we’re not above turning a blind eye to the sexual shenanigans, especially when the atmosphere also is 100% trans-positive and attracts enormous, friendly and nonjudgmental crowds. The party gets going after 12:30 a.m. Saturday night (Sunday morning, really) and lasts until dawn.

European Beardrop @Le Divan du Monde 75 Rue des Martyrs Metro: Pigalle Tel: 01 40 05 06 99 Website: www.beardrop.fr Hours: First Saturday of the month, midnight-6 a.m. Admission: €12; €20 includes admission plus one drink Billed as France’s “hottest and biggest bear party,” Beardrop welcomes hundreds of hirsute men and guys who love them at its jam-packed monthly soiree. The clientele is among the friendliest in Paris, but once these randy guys get a drink or two in them, look out! Let’s just say that if you’re offended by a groping paw or two you might want to skip Beardrop. And while most Americans consider bears to be husky, hairy guys, Parisians with only a face full of scruff are just as likely as burly, furry men to dub themselves bears. So you’ll find an affable mix of big and small, hairy and smooth, and muscular and beefy guys from their late teens to late 50s at these unconventional all-night parties. Wear a shirt you don’t mind losing on the dance floor—virtually everyone ends up stripped down by dawn.

Fight Club @La Scene Bastille 2 Bis Rue des Taillandiers Metro: Ledru-Rollin/Bastille Tel: 01 48 06 50 70 Website: www.nuitparallele.com Hours: Held sporadically, midnight-7 a.m. Admission: €15 at the door, €10 in advance This dance party, sponsored by Nuit Parallele and held intermittently (check the website for more information on upcoming events), literally is a battle between three DJs, with a winner “crowned” by the crowd at the end of the night. The participants pull out all the stops, spinning their most unique dance, house and eletronica mixes, including personally made compilations. Early participants have included DJs from Spain’s Cafe Ole, U.K.’s Salvation and Paris’s Code 69. If you’re serious about dance music or if you fancy yourself an amateur spinner, this is a must-see. You’re also in luck if you’re drawn to a frenetic dance floor jam-packed with sweaty, shirtless and gyrating twinks and club kids—there’s a ton of ’em!

Flash Cocotte @La Java 105 Rue du Faubourg du Temple Metro: Goncourt/Belleville Websites: www.flashcocotte.com Hours: First Saturday of the month, 11 p.m.-6 a.m. Admission: €5-€10, varies each month Flash Cocotte is a lesbian organization that hosts a monthly “queer party” that includes performance art, live music and lots of dancing. But organizers point out that the event isn’t for trendsters, poseurs or dandies: The group’s website proclaims, “We’re not a bunch of fashionistas dressed to impress. We’re a queer party for queer people.” In keeping with the group’s mission, party attendees tend to be casually dressed, convivial men and women (mostly

PAGE 42 women) in their 20s to 40s looking for a drama-free night out on the town. The event, dubbed hetero-friendly, is usually held the first Saturday of the month at La Java, a dance hall in the 10th Arrondissement. Among the musicians and artists to have performed at Flash Cocotte are transgender icon Amanda Lepore, Hunx & His Punx, Glass Candy, Scream Club, Golden Filter, Lifelike, Fear of Tigers, Le Corps Mince de Francoise and many others.

LIM (Love Is Mylene) Tea Dance @Planches 40 Rue du Colisee Metro: Saint-Philippe-du-Roule Tel: 01 42 25 11 68 Website: www.loveismylene.com Hours: One Sunday each month, 7:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Admission: Free Launched by physician Mylene in 2007 as a monthly gathering in her apartment, LIM Tea Dance proved so popular and grew so rapidly that it is now held in an 8th Arrondissement venue that welcomes up to 300 guests—and recently spawned the spin-off Doctor Love bash. Each LIM event is built around a particular theme (such as “Banana Split” or “Borderline”), but patrons are far less likely to arrive in costume here than at Doctor Love. An interesting twist is that all guests receive a nametag with a nickname for the night; some of our recent favorites include “Her Majesty,” “Scammer” and “Sue Ellen.” The crowd is virtually all gay men under age 35 cavorting to vintage and current pop tunes. But unlike at Doctor Love, if you aren’t drop-dead gorgeous you still likely will be allowed in.

Matinale @Various venues Website: www.nuitparallele.com Hours: Sunday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Admission: €20 For those not ready to head home after a Saturday night of partying—even after the sun has come up—there’s the Matinale after party held every Sunday morning at 7 a.m. (The French word matinale means morning.) The weekly event is commonly held at Crystal Lounge, an upscale dance hall just off the Champs Elysees, but also has been hosted at such LGBT-familiar venues as the Regine Club, Le Privilege and La Scene Bastille. The crowd here is 99% men—virtually all under age 30 and many shirtless to show off their gym bodies—reveling to a mix of house and electro spun by such popular DJs as Manue G and John Dixon. Crystal Lounge can hold as many as 600 early- morning partiers. While the number of patrons varies from week to week the typical crowd is about 200.

La Nuit des Follivores/La Nuit des Crazyvores @Bataclan 50 Boulevard Voltaire Metro: Oberkampf Tel: 01 43 14 00 30 Website: www.follivores.com Hours: First, second and fourth Saturday of each month, 11:30 p.m.-5 a.m. Admission: €18, which includes one drink Fans of pop music will definitely want to attend one of the three monthly Follivores/Crazyvores dance parties held at Le Bataclan. Follivores (held the first Saturday of the month) features all-French pop tunes and proved so popular that it spawned two additional monthly Crazyvores parties (held the second and fourth Saturday of the month) that focus on U.S. and U.K. hits from the 1970s to today’s most recognizable tunes. These are bare-bones soirees to be sure—only a handful of pricey drinks are available, there’s minimal seating and a lack of air conditioning means summer gatherings quickly become sweltering. And yet, the LGBT community flocks to these thrice-monthly events, regularly filling Bataclan with 2,000-plus revelers. The crowd is young, most in their 20s and 30s, and skews heavily toward gay men and lesbians, though there are always more than a few heteros on hand. Be prepared to sing along—and at the top of your lungs; everybody does!

Playgrrrl Parties @Various venues Website: www.myspace.com/playgrrrrl

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Playgrrrl is a DJ and party promoter who has organized countless lesbian nights and dance parties at several Parisian nightclubs and bars over the past eight years, including the sexually ambiguous “Androgyny” parties at La Java, a popular concert and party space in the 10th Arrondissement, and the weekly Ice Cream nights at gay bar Les Souffleurs in the Marais. As a DJ specializing in a mix of rock, electro and pop music, Playgrrrl also is a fixture of the city’s lesbian party scene, spinning at such events as the Barbi(e)turix “Clitorise” and “Wet for Me” parties, as well as at such dance-hall venues as Gambetta Club, Le Social Club and Le Nouveau Casino, among others. Her MySpace page has some info in English as well as advertisements for many of the other lesbian parties in the city.

Scream Club @Le Gibus 18 Rue du Faubourg du Temple Metro: Republique Website: www.scream-paris.com Hours: Saturday, midnight to 7 a.m. Admission: €12 Scream, marketed as Paris’s “biggest dance party,” has existed for the past 15 years, but it’s only since September 2011 that it found a permanent home in the Le Gibus nightclub. Held every Saturday night, Scream welcomes hundreds of sexy young men and women to its frenetic three levels: The main floor features international DJs spinning house and progressive dance tracks, the second is dedicated to pop music, while the third is a men-only sextravanganza, featuring a “macho bar,” porn screenings and a very busy backroom. Scream is jam-packed from the moment it opens and attendees should expect very long lines outside. The crowd is young and, as Salt-N-Pepa sing, it “ain’t for everybody—only the sexy people.” All drinks are priced at €10.

Under T-Party @Le Club 79 22 Rue Quentin Bauchart Metro: George V Tel: 01 47 23 60 17 Website: www.fluidparty.com Hours: Second Sunday of the month, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission: €15, €10 before 11 a.m. The monthly Under tea dance that was a mainstay of Parisian clubbing in the mid- to late 2000s roared back with renewed vigor as Under T-Party in March 2013, opening in the Champs Elysees-area dance hall Le Club 79. The venue is a chic and modern lounge with the city’s most fun dance floor—a three-tiered, lighted-from-beneath marvel that comfortably holds more than 100 partygoers. Renowned DJ John Dixon spins progressive house and psytrance mixes for a clientele that is mostly male, under age 35 and eager to show off their gym-toned bodies. The party’s “brunch-like” hours (starting at 10 a.m.) were set to appeal to as large a crowd as possible by allowing “everyone to enjoy the event without having to get up at dawn or go to bed late for all those who must endure Monday morning,” organizers say.

DANCE CLUBS

While most of Paris’s large dance halls are not LGBT businesses, many of the most popular venues hold weekly “gay nights” or regularly scheduled theme parties that draw in scads of LGBT folk. Below are a few of the city’s best-known gay and gay-friendly dance clubs, including a legendary lesbian discotheque with roots stretching back to the 1930s; Paris’s trendiest—and tiniest—dance club; and a trio of once-popular LGBT hot spots that sadly have lost their luster.

Bataclan 40 Boulevard Voltaire Metro: Oberkampf Tel: 01 43 14 00 30 Website: www.bataclan.fr Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.-2 a.m. (The on-site cafe is open daily; special events have varying starting times) Admission: Varies, according to event

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Chinoiserie-inspired Le Bataclan has been an edgy performance space since opening in the mid-19th century (including hosting shows by a then-unknown Edith Piaf) and continues that tradition today as its welcomes many of Paris’s most outrageous LGBT parties, including the monthly Crazyvores and Follivores spectacles. The ground- floor cafe operates daily, while the interior concert/party space, which accommodates up to 1,500 attendees, typically holds events at least five nights per week. Beer, wine and some mixed drinks are available, priced from €4 to €6. Admission fees vary by event. A word to the wise: There’s no air conditioning at Bataclan and summer events can be unbearably hot and sticky.

Chez Moune 54 Rue Pigalle Metro: Pigalle Tel: 01 45 26 64 64 Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 11 p.m-6 a.m.; Closed Monday and Tuesday Having served as a lesbian cabaret for nearly 75 years, Chez Moune recently rebranded itself an all-gender dance club, now holding only the occasional Saturday night women’s-only party. And even those are becoming more and more infrequent, the city’s lesbians tell us. The switch seems to have been a savvy business move—long lines of young trendsters and fashionistas are now routine on weekend nights, but many locals and visitors still mourn for the old Moune that was known as a must-stop destination for women who love women. Pity.

Club 18 18 Rue du Beaujolais Metro: Palais Royal-Musee du Louvre/Bourse Tel: 01 42 97 52 13 Website: www.club18.fr Hours: Friday and Saturday, midnight to 6 a.m. Admission: €10 This unique club’s maximum capacity of just 100 people has made it one of the most exclusive gay venues in the city, attracting A-list clubbers from all over Paris. As one might expect, the crowd at Club 18 is typically young and beautiful—the guys buff and shirtless and the women sporting skin-tight, racy club wear as they grind away to a mash-up of pop remixes by such gay icons as Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga and Beyonce. The nearly microscopic indoor space, just 100 square meters, is especially frenetic on nights when the owners hold foam or balloon parties. The cover charge here is among the steepest in Paris—€20 per person—and the drinks don’t come cheap either, but the high price tag doesn’t seem to faze the throngs that line up early hoping to be among the lucky few to get past those intimidating velvet ropes. (SNEG)

La Java 105 Rue du Faubourg du Temple Metro: Goncourt/Belleville Tel: 01 42 02 20 52 Website: www.la-java.fr Hours: Varies, depending on event La Java, located in the heart of Paris’s voguish Belleville neighborhood, is more dance hall than traditional bar, hosting a wide variety of special events and dance parties (lesbian blowouts Flash Cocotte and Playgrrrl Parties are held here each month). Despite being hugely popular with hipsters, La Java is surprisingly devoid of character— unless you count military bunker as a stylistic choice. The drinks, while affordable, also aren’t worth writing home about—there are eight cocktails offered for €8, a handful of bottled beers for €5.50, draft beers for €4-€7 and shots for €4-€4.50, all served in plastic cups. But that doesn’t keep the crowds away, particularly for thronged lesbian- themed parties that stay jam-packed until the wee hours. La Java also hosts a number of concerts and other DJ dance parties each month, some LGBT-specific, some not. Check the venue’s website for a full list of upcoming events. Note: La Java is located at the end of a dark corridor flanked by sporting goods shops and shoe stores.

Le Klub 14 Rue Saint-Denis Metro: Chatelet-Les Halles Tel: 01 42 71 49 30 Website: www.korporation.net/le-klub

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Hours: Varies nightly, see website for schedule While many in Paris’s LGBT community remember this venue as a gay discotheque, Le Klub actually changed focus about five years ago to target fans—gay and straight—of hard rock and electronic music. But its location in the heart of the gayborhood means there’s still a sizable number of LGBT patrons here on any given night, especially on Saturday when it hosts the weekly gay-themed “Butch” dance party and for the sporadically scheduled “Afrodisiak” lesbian gathering. For the most part, however, Le Klub is where Paris’s teens and early-20-somethings turn out in droves to hear live performances or DJs spinning very loud death metal, garage, techno, hardcore, pop synth and post-punk music. If you’re over age 25, you’ll feel like a fish out of water. If you’re over 30, forget it. Typical theme nights include “Soiree Metal vs. Electro-Goth,” “The Screaming Show” and “Hellektrocution.” Bands that frequent Le Club include Zodiac Killers, InnerChaos, Asylum Queen and The Arkitekts.

Palais Maillot 2 Place de la Porte Maillot Metro: Porte Maillot Tel: 01 45 61 18 86 Website: www.palaismaillot.fr Hours: Occasional Sunday, 7 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Uber-chic Palais Maillot is an extremely popular heterosexual dance club that is the site of occasional LGBT events, including sporadically scheduled Sunday tea dances (among these the short-lived C Cli Che tea parties in late 2012). While hetero clubbing remains a huge draw here (recent performers include Rihanna, Usher, the Pussycat Dolls and Timbaland), promoters have struggled to establish ongoing LGBT events. One reason may be the club’s location far from the Marais—the venue is a half-hour or more away by the Metro, which stops running for the night by the time late-night Sunday events wrap up. It may also be that by Sunday night too many LGBT folks are simply partied out. Regardless, the occasional tea dance is scheduled and usually heavily promoted online at www.nuitparallele.com and through flyers posted in the gayborhood.

Le Privilege 8 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre Metro: Grands Boulevards Tel: 01 45 23 05 50 Website: www.privilege-paris.com Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday Admission: Free Le Privilege, known as Paris’s Studio 54 in the 1970s and 1980s, re-launched in April 2010 as a gay-friendly lounge and restaurant. Perhaps best described as a chic social club, Le Privilege has the feel of a 1940s-era nightclub, with sweeping staircases, impeccably dressed waiters, gleaming silver champagne buckets and the popping of vintage bottles of bubbly throughout the evening. (We find the trendy monochromatic color scheme a bit bland, however.) There’s occasionally live music, but the atmosphere is generally established by DJs spinning adult contemporary tunes. As one might expect, the crowd is decidedly chichi. Expect to spend a pretty penny to bask in all that fabulousness. (SNEG)

Le Queen 102 Avenue des Champs Elysees Metro: George V Tel: 01 53 89 08 90 Website: www.queen.fr Hours: Daily, midnight to dawn Admission: €20 Home to one of the world’s best-known gay dance parties in the 1990s, Le Queen today is essentially a heterosexual hipsters’ hangout and one that draws a very, very young crowd at that. (During our visits, we were shocked to see kids who couldn’t have been older than 16 packing the place!) The €20 admission price is outrageous, the cost of drinks is astronomical (seriously, €15 for a beer?) and if you’re lucky enough to get any of the snobby staff to actually wait on you, they treat you like dirt. Le Queen is dead. Don’t waste your time or money.

Le Redlight 34 Rue du Depart

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Metro: -Bienvenue Phone: 01 42 79 85 49 Website: www.leredlight.com Hours: Wednesday and Thursday, midnight to 6 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, midnight-noon; Closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday This underground club—and we mean that quite literally, as it’s located below the skyscraper— hosts many of the city’s most popular all-night dance parties, including occasional gay and/or lesbian events. Located in the space of the former nightclub L’Enfer (translation: Hell), Le Redlight draws a very young clientele that ranges in age from as low as late teens to certainly no older than 30. Frankly, some of the city’s older clubbers may find the ear-splitting music and swirling laser lights to be a bit too much. Younger queers, however, love it! The crowd doesn’t get going until the very wee hours, usually after 3 a.m. And the weekend “French Kiss” after-parties don’t pick up steam until after 6 a.m.

Le Rive Gauche 1 Rue du Sabot Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Pres Tel: 01 40 20 43 23 Website: www.lerivegauche.com Hours: Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m.-5 a.m.; Closed all other days Admission: Ranges from €12 to €18, including one drink Owner Robert Prewier and scorching-hot bartenders Laura and Michelle welcome scores of women every weekend to this venerable nightclub that’s been the heart of Paris’s lesbian social scene since the 1930s. Open just two nights each week, Le Rive Gauche has relaxed its women-only requirement a bit over the years to now also welcome gay men on Friday evenings. But Saturday’s all-night dance parties (with the themes “Luscious Decadence,” “Exotica Lesbica,” “Bliss Club,” “Zone Rouge” and “PinkyBoat”) are still female-only and draw overflow crowds of lesbians and bisexual women in their 20s to 50s who dance the night away to an eclectic mix of dance tracks and cruise for potential mates and dates. In an effort to help those dykes on the prowl, the club even occasionally distributes colored wristbands to identify patrons who are taken, those who aren’t and those who are “single tonight.” Yowza! Drinks start at about €8.

La Scene Bastille 2 Bis Rue des Taillandiers Metro: Bastille Tel: 01 48 06 50 70 Website: www.la-scene.com Hours: Varies according to event Operating under the affable motto “All kinds of people, all kinds of music,” La Scene, located just two blocks from , originally served as a mid-sized concert hall—many still compare it to the House of Blues performances spaces throughout the United States. However, an upgraded sound system installed in the mid-2000s allowed the venue to also begin hosting some of Paris’s most frenetic all-night dance parties, including the wildly popular monthly Beardrop, SensationS and Crocodile events. But gays and lesbians are welcome every night at this usually jam-packed dance hall that is truly a melting pot of ages, races, creeds, colors, genders and sexual orientations. As at most dance clubs in the city, the action here doesn’t begin until the wee hours; in fact, the doors usually don’t open until midnight. Check La Scene’s website for upcoming musical performances or club nights.

Le Tango 13 Rue au Maire Metro: Arts et Metiers Tel: 01 42 72 17 78 Website: www.boite-a-frissons.fr Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10:30 p.m.-5 a.m.; Closed all other days This “boite a frissons” (thrill box) is a longtime Marais institution that receives high praise from Parisians and tourists alike for its ambiance as an authentic, old-fashioned ballroom. Indeed, you’ll find a wide range of dancing, from tangos and waltzes to the cha-cha-cha and swing, as well as an extremely diverse clientele. Friday and Saturday evenings are devoted to LGBT dance parties that the venue’s owners say allow “gays, lesbians and non- homophobic heterosexuals to mix together and dance to all kinds of music.” And they’re not kidding about the

PAGE 47 music: You’ll hear a little bit of everything, from accordion music to big-band tunes and disco to current pop. While not as wild as clubs like La Scene Bastille or Club 18, Le Tango still should be on your must-see list if you’re looking for a fun night of dancing that won’t break the bank or shatter your eardrums. (SNEG)

DRAG SHOWS

Drag is serious business in the City of Light. Sure, you’ll find drag queens here and there at the various LGBT bars throughout the city on any given night and some clubs (and even restaurants) hold occasional amateur drag shows. But there are three popular cabarets in the city that treat patrons to the highest-quality female impersonators night after night—and pack their houses with both locals and visitors. And unlike at most U.S. drag events where the bedazzled queens lip-synch to a song or two and then work the crowd hard for tips, these shows are legitimate dinner theater, complete with live singing, stunning costumes, elaborate choreography and dazzling special effects. We love them. You will too.

L’Artishow 3 Cite Souzy Metro: Rue des Boulets Tel: 01 43 48 56 04 Website: www.artishowlive.com Hours: Daily, 12:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. We adore drag cabaret L’Artishow for many reasons, but one truly stands out—it’s the only drag company in Paris that hosts a lunchtime performance. Yes, you can enjoy fine French cuisine (veal, foie gras and fresh seasonal cheeses are among the selections) and a rip-roaring, hilarious stage show that includes celebrity impersonators, dancers, singers and comedians during the light of day or, if you choose, at typical night-time hours. While all the performers at L’Artishow are top-notch, the show is stolen by plus-sized drag queen Framboise, whose hilarious onstage characters include a “little” blonde girl, a vulgar prostitute and chanteuse Nana Mouskouri. And while these beloved impersonations are a mainstay at L’Artishow, the full show was completely revamped in late 2012. The lunch meal/performance is a steal at €65; nightly dinner-and-performance packages range from €99 to €179. The show regularly sells out, so reservations, which can be made online, are essential.

Cabaret Michou 80 Rue des Martyrs Metro: Pigalle Tel: 01 46 06 16 04 Website: www.michou.com Hours: Nightly, 8:30 p.m. Michel Catty, known throughout France as the always-blue-bespectacled Michou, has been a champion of Paris cabaret shows since the 1950s and his self-named supper club in Montmartre remains the most popular drag show in the city. But this isn’t an evening of lip-synching drag queens; it’s high-quality dinner theater, complete with transgender performers who do spot-on versions of Madonna, Tina Turner, Celine Dion and more. The food is quite good, as well. If you’re planning to attend just one drag show while in Paris, this should be your choice. The show is held nightly at 8:30 —look for the bright pink awning. Reservations are a must—the theater seats only about 90 patrons—and requires a 50% deposit at the time of booking. Dinner packages range from €110 to €140; admission to just the cabaret ranges from €40 to €65. It’s worth every cent!

Chez Madame Arthur 75 Rue des Martyrs Metro: Pigalle Tel: 01 42 55 63 88 Hours: Nightly, 8:30 p.m. Legendary transvestite and cabaret performer Coccinelle put Chez Madame Arthur on the map more than 50 years ago and it seems like the drag venue has been riding on her fading reputation ever since. Located just a few yards from the more popular Cabaret Michou, Madame Arthur is another dinner-and-a-show venue that is decidedly a step or two behind its across-the-street competition in terms of quality and conviviality. That’s not to say that customers aren’t treated to a thoroughly entertaining selection of music, comedy and dance or enticed by some of the most

PAGE 48 beautiful drag queens and trans women in the city. But we’ve heard complaints of rude (even by Parisian standards!) waiters, dingy furnishings and only mediocre eats. If drag shows are your thing, then definitely pay a visit. But if we had to pick just one drag cabaret event to attend, it wouldn’t be Madame Arthur’s.

SIDEBAR 1 HEADLINE: Au Revoir, Le Central

We are incredibly sad to note that a fixture of the Parisian bar scene recently closed its doors—Le Central, which had been the longest-running gay watering hole in the Marais. We loved Le Central’s casual, mellow vibe and the friendly, chatty bar staff. But, we suppose, even LGBT institutions sometimes fall prey to a lousy global economy, and in October 2010, after 30 years in business, Le Central served its last drink. Au revoir, Le Central. You’ll be sorely missed!

SIDEBAR 2 HEADLINE: What Should I Order?

If you’re intimidated—or thoroughly confused—when handed a French-language bar menu, you’re certainly not alone. OK, you get that “cocktails” are, well, cocktails. And that “softs” are nonalcoholic drinks. But what about those other mysterious categories of potables that leave you scratching your head? Here’s a quick breakdown of the common types of drinks offered at France’s watering holes so you’ll know exactly what to order—and when.

Alcool: Literally translated as “alcohol,” this refers to such liquors as vodka, rum, gin and tequila. They’re usually served straight-up without ice. If you’d like a mixer, such as orange juice or cola, you’ll need to ask for it—and pay extra

Aperitif: An aperitif is an alcoholic drink served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. Examples include fortified wines, dry Champagne, sherry and vermouth. Perhaps the most popular French aperitif is pastis, an anise-flavored liquor sold under the brand names Pernod or Ricard

Biere pression: Draft beer on tap

Biere bouteille: Bottled beers

Cocktail: These are mixed drinks, like mojitos, cosmopolitans, Long Island ice teas, margaritas and more. However, they typically don’t include alcohol-plus-mixer drinks like rum and Coke, gin and tonic, or vodka and orange juice

Digestif: These are the opposites of aperitifs—alcoholic drinks served after a meal, ostensibly to aid digestion. Popular digestifs include brandy, herbal liquors, ouzo and whiskey, along with sherry, port and madeira wines

Kir: A cocktail made with creme de cassis (blackcurrant liquor) and topped with white wine. Popular variations of the drink include Kir Royale, made with Champagne instead of white wine; Kir Communard/Cardinal, made with red wine; Kir Normande, made with cider and topped with a splash of Calvados; and the Kir Imperial, a mix of raspberry liquor and Champagne

Softs: All non-alcoholic drinks fall into this category (although sometimes bar menus will include a separate list of non-alcoholic “cocktails”). Here you’ll find soda, juice, mineral water and hot drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate

SIDEBAR 3 HEADLINE: Which Wine?

Everyone knows that French wines are among the world’s best. And you can easily tell by their color (and bubbles) which is a red, white, rose or Champagne. But what exactly is the difference between a Bordeaux red and a

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Languedoc red? Or between an Alsatian white and a Loire Valley white? Unless you’re an oenophile, you’re probably only minimally familiar with France’s multitude of wines. Here’s a quick look at the products from each of France’s major wine-producing regions, including those defined by their body and flavor.

Alsace Among the wines produced in this region located along the nation’s northeastern border with Germany are Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Sylvaner. More than 90% of Alsatian wines are whites, both dry and sweet varieties

Bordeaux This region in southwestern France, arguably the country’s best-known wine-producing area, turns out Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Semillon and Sauvignon. Full- and medium-bodied reds are typical Bordeaux wines

Burgundy Typical wines produced in this region in east-central France include full- and medium-bodied reds, such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Champagne This is a no-brainer: Champagne is the bubbly wine produced in France’s Champagne department. And did you know that only wines produced here can be called Champagne? All other products are properly (and legally) referred to only as sparkling wine

Languedoc This region along the Mediterranean Sea produces full- and medium-bodied reds, dry roses, dry whites, sweet reds and whites, and sparkling whites. Common Languedoc wines are Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

Loire Running from the Atlantic coast to central France, the Loire Valley produces several white wines, including dry, sweet, semi-dry and sparkling varieties. Fruity reds and roses also are produced here. Typical Loire wines include Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon

Provence Three-quarters of all the wine produced in this region in southeastern France near the Mediterranean Sea are dry and fruity roses. Specific wines include Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Ugni Blanc and Rolle

Rhone This region just south of Lyon in southeastern France produces full-bodied and light-fruity reds and dry, full-bodied white wines. Specific wines include Grenache and Clairette

Southwestern France Among the wines produced here are Cabernet, Merlot, Tannat, Semillon, Sauvignon and Ugni Blanc. Specific products include Madiran, a full-bodied red; Jurancon, a dry white; and Monbazillac, a sweet white

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