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The CiTy of LighTs

When evening settles over the Seine, Paris ushers in a myriad of chic possibilities. The city’s wide 19th-century boulevards and crooked medieval lanes unfold an array of surprises, backlit by the moon and streetlamps.

Paris’s devotion to nocturnal all-night adventuring isn’t just possible in Paris – it’s de rigueur. At night, the City of Lights unfurls a more prodigious, varied bounty of after-dark possibilities than just about any other place on earth. Fancy an aperitif in a gilded Old World hotel followed by a night of alternative jazz? Facile. Dinner with ‘les beautiful people’ before dancing at a new VIP nightclub? Bien sûr. A late-night avant-garde art show and rock ’n’ roll à la Française? Pas de problème.

The only difficulty is choosing your path in a nocturnal landscape that offers so many choices. 2magazine rounded up a few hotshots in the know to share their insider tips so you can plan the night of your life.

Throw ouT your guidebooks because This is The know-all of Parisian sTyle and culTure – esPecially once The sun seTs. TouT arrive en Paris! indeed, Paris is where iT all haPPens…

Maxime Lenik AKA Xeum

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“Every district has its own distinct character. It’s great to wander and discover new hidden spots. I live at the junction of the 2nd and 10th district, where cultures blend into a very colorful melting pot. Between the afro hair salons on the Strasbourg Boulevard there’s a full street of Indian restaurants (Passage Brady) and nearby that one of my favourite live music venues, New Morning, where international jazzartists perform.”

“My apartment is in the Bastille area. Nightlife here is a mix of traditional cafes, classy nightclubs, dive bars, and music venues. Bar hopping down hectic Rue de Lappe or Rue de la Roquette is a good place to start. My favourite all time French designer is Gaultier. Newest fave designer, Alexis Mabille at Colette.”

Jason CoatesJason Lee Coates is a highly sought after fashion director, editor and art director who has been in the fashion industry for over 15 years. Based in Tokyo and Paris. He has styled celebrities including Mischa Barton, Jade Jagger, Denise Keller and Michelle Yeoh. His latest venture is H30 Fashion Bureau, an exclusive public relations and sales agency for avant-garde fashion brands.

The insidersAntonio BarrosPhotographer extraodinaire, Antonio's work has been published all over the world in magazines including Vogue and Elle and Glamour. He has photographed Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Rachel Zoe, Kate Moss, Dita Von Teese, Kanye West and countless top fashion models.

Stefan SiegelStefan is the co-founder and talent scout of NOT JUST A LABEL.com. NJAL is the online platform for emerging graduates and design talent. It provides an outlet for talent to blossom; a place where visionaries meet collaborators dedicated to the creative spirit of fashion. NJAL recently collaborated with the ultimate in fashion royalty, Lady Gaga.

“The architecture of the city inspires and amazes me everyday. I live very close to the famous Avenue Montaigne and Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Right now my favourite club is L'Etoile at Rue de Presbourg. In terms of Parisian shopping, Dior's last menswear collection has in my opinion the best jackets this season.”

“Paris is all about beauty and hedonism, you are surrounded by it all the time. I love to have lunch at Le Progrès, a café in Les Marais, an area known for being home to emerging designers and the edgy showrooms. My favorite Club is Le Montana, a private red curtained door next to Café Fleur in St. Germain. The city’s favorite after party? Well it seems like everyone ends up at Le Baron!”

Music producer, DJ, musician, creative director/co-founder of LOgO Shanghai and Lune, Xeum just released a compilation for the club he co-founded with an upcoming release on Def Jam records. He lives between Paris and Asia and performs around the world.

Kristina Foster

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La SociétéThe newest hot spot from the Costes family to tickle the taste buds, La Société, nestled in the ample artistic bosom of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, is an expansive restaurant-cum-jazz bar that combines a dense British oakiness with a distinctly je ne sais quoi French flavour.

With interior refinement from Parisian design stalwart Christian Liaigre, owners Jean-Louis Costes and Alex Denis opted for classic over contemporary. The simplicity of the design and the abundance of decadent materials sets La Société high above archetypal design boundaries.

Recently spotted dining at La Société: the Fendi family, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, and sexy French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy. This hip hang-out has both intellect and beauty.

castle of the moors Pena national Palace

Bon AppeTiT!

Pershing HallPershing Hall (www.pershinghall.com) is no doubt the work of artists. And first and foremost it is the work of artist and architect Andrée Putman, who behind an elegant 19th-century façade has created a gem of design and modernity. Fascinating for the eyes, the entrance hall is bathed in changing rays of light. A serene vertical garden complements the chilled out tunes and minimalist style of furniture.

It’s impossible to not be charmed by the creative cuisine of Erwan Lonaisil, a former pupil of Ducasse. Classic French cooking with Asian influences, it’s a wonderful work of colors and flavors, to satisfy even the most demanding taste buds.

Paris is one of the world's great gastronomic capitals and no matter what your budget, no visit is complete without sampling some of the wonderful culinary pleasures on offer.

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Da Rosa Delicatessan and Café Proprietor and chef José Da Rosa travelled the world for over 15 years investigating the quality and simplicity of flavors. His scholarly establishment

Murano Urban ResortThis 52-room hotel (www.muranoresort.com) at the edge of the Marais is named after the Murano crystal sculptures, mirrors and chandeliers that decorate the bedrooms and public spaces. The bedrooms can be lit in different colors to suit your mood. The beds are huge, the white, shag-pile carpets are gloriously 1970s, and there are floor-to-ceiling mirrors and large Pop Art-style canvases above the beds. An Anne Sémonin spa features a swimming pool and hammam.

With a main dining room reaching five meters in height, two cosier lounges and a sun-facing terrace, Murano Urban Resort's mediterranean restaurant is a spacious location to discuss business matters over lunch, dine with friends or simply relax over a jazzy Sunday brunch. Its décor is an astute display of baroque and contemporary design. Lined walls, variable lighting, Inox tables and soft cushioned armchairs all lie beneath a forest of suspended stalactites.

Le ProgresThis bar-tabac at the corner of rue de Bretagne can go unnoticed but the terrace is in fact one of the hotspots of the trendy Haut Marais. There are organised philosophy nights and art exhibitions, but it‘s mostly the perfect place to see French actors, fashion designers and pretty Parisian girls.

(www.restaurant-da-rosa.com) boasts supply of Iranian caviar, French, transmontanus, Iberian ham, Bellota, foie gras and truffles Luberon fit for a king. So fine is the quality of his edibles Da Rosa supplies some of the city’s most prestigious establishments including Le Meurice, Hotel de Crillon, Guy Savoy’s Le Chiberta, Hotel Costes, St James, Sofitel Sevres, Hyatt Vendome, Georges Restaurant, Cafe RUC, Le Esplanade, Helene Darroze, Relais Louis XIII, Chiberta, Atelier Joel Robuchon, Colette and Marly Café Beaubourg.

Dine at the café and order some slices of the Jamon Iberique de Bellota from the village of Jabugo which have been aged for three years. Foie gras aficionados, don’t miss out, this fattened goose liver is rumored to be the best in town.

Café CharlotDrop-dead gorgeous café/bar just across from the Marche des Enfants Rouge. Salvaged 1950s zinc + white tiled walls + dark wood + soft yellow lighting = sophisticated nostalgia. Grab a circular sofa, plug into the free Wi-Fi, order the all-day eggs benedict, and make your way through the wine list as you chat up the cute expat in her loafers, tweed blazer and collared shirt reading Madame Bovary as she sips her pinot noir.

Derrière (www.derriere-resto.com), a clandestine restaurant in the heart of the Marais, may be the only spot in Paris where non-smokers will want to go to the smoking room. Its second-floor fumoir – made necessary by a two-year-old smoking ban – is also hidden, like a tobacconist’s speakeasy, behind a false door. A favorite of the impeccably styled, the restaurant only recently began publishing its phone number. If not for the crowds on the sidewalk, there’s not much to indicate that it even exists. But through the unmarked doorway squeezed between 404 and Andy Wahloo – the chic Moroccan restaurant and adjoining bar that share the same owners – you’ll find a bamboo-framed courtyard leading to what must be the city’s most eccentric restaurant.

Mourad Mazouz, who, with his brother Hakim owns Derrière, worked with the designer Bambi Sloan to transform two floors of a former sweatshop into the fashion world’s canteen du jour. Downstairs, a trust-fund crowd

Derrière in cowboy boots, Chanel dresses and bespoke Vespa helmets flirt around a Ping-Pong table. A cramped flight of stairs leads to a warren of apartment-like chambers, including a shabby-chic bedroom with a mirror mosaic on the ceiling where diners sit along the edge of a mattress.

Food is not really the point here, but Lionel Delage – a young chef with a few Michelin-starred gigs on his résumé – does a commendable job of translating the high-low décor to the plate. Simple salads like white beans stewed with balsamic vinegar and preserved tomatoes appeal to the clientele in skinny sequined leggings. Those with bigger appetites dig into the creamy foie gras terrine and the slow-simmered beef cheek bourguignon.

Aspiring Carine Roitfelds, however, are just as happy skipping dinner altogether and vanishing upstairs for their Gauloises fix. Like the passage to Narnia, the only way to get to the smoking room is to walk through a closet – in this case an antique armoire with a trapdoor.

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Social ClubFor the eclectic and curious, The Social Club (www.parissocialclub.com) hosts DJs, concerts, after-shows and exclusive live band recordings. The committed artistic programming team take the club’s line-up very seriously and always provide diversity every night. They aim to “shape the minds and lives of their clubbers every night with a forward-thinking music policy.” Just what a trip to Montmartre needs.

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CLuBsIn Paris, the best clubs don’t start filling up until after midnight, and they stay open until the sun is rising. So go out late and stay out until the Metro starts running again at 5:30am then stumble back to your hotel. Wear your most comfortable pair of dancing shoes and get ready to party into the wee hours of the morning.

Le Régine

Club SandwichClub Sandwich (www.myspace.com/clubsandwichparty) is a hidden gem if you crave going to a good old-fashioned gay underground club with a glamorous drag performance art piece. Marc Zaffuto, nightlife impresario and fashion executive by day, and partner Emmanuel d’Orazio organize Club Sandwich once a month, usually on a Sunday night. It’s a small, invitation-only crowd of about 150 people, mostly gay but with a smattering of chic, fashion it-girls.

Get your groove on with the bare chested young 20-something slim hotties in loose homeboy jeans. Mingle with the muscles in black leather shorts and sexy seventies-style colored running shorts. But don’t mess with the Disco Queens. They don’t take kindly to sharing the limelight with mere mortals like you and me.

Le BaronThis small but supremely exclusive hangout for the international jet set used to be an upmarket brothel, and has the decor to prove it (www.clublebaron.com). It only holds 150, most of whom are regulars you'll need to befriend in order to get past the password-restricted door. But if you manage to get in, you'll be rubbing shoulders with celebrities and super-glossy people. Yet another venture from artist and entrepreneur André, Le Baron, star-sightings occur in the wee hours as the city converges for Paris’ hottest after party.

Le MontanaWith a secret phone number only given out to regulars, it doesn’t get more ‘in’ than Le Montana. Re-opened during Paris Fashion Week 09/10 by it-kid-cum-entrepreneur André and Purple Fashion Magazine’s Olivier Zahm, Le Montana is Paris’ 21st-century answer to Studio 54.

Redesigned by fashion and interior designer Vincent Darré, the bone-legged tables and custom wallpaper are mere fodder when it comes to the club’s interior—the real eye candy here is the legions of models, actresses, artists and other beautiful people filling the sexed-out dance-floor.

New MorningThe most reputed jazz club in France is where jazz maniacs come to drink, talk, and dance. It's sometimes a scene, attracting such guests as Spike Lee and Prince. Jazz luminaries Chick Corea , Jerry Gonzalez, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Ella Fitzgerald have performed at this out-of-the-way club.

This club (www.leregine.com) used to be super fancy; men in suits, woman in cocktail dresses and all drinks at 15 euros. The formalities have long gone, replaced with a different style of fanciness. Herds of hipsters, models and art-school Parisians in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia from the eighties queue up to get their well- heeled feet into the door.

Behind the hype, the club has an excellent program with a consistently high standard of DJs playing in a broad range of electronic music styles, some nights might start of with a live band before the DJs take over. The weeks program for Régine is only

publicized on Sunday evening on the website. Download the artistic director Jean Nipon's amusing video where he tells you what's going on in his club the coming week.

Although Nipon might tell you all to come to party in his club during his video, they might not be welcoming you with open arms at the door. To maximize your chances to get into this club, wear your hippest outfit and come accompanied with a good-looking girl or get yourself on the list (there will be an email address published with some parties on the website). If you’re a smoker try to find the unofficial smoking ‘kitchen’ and hang out with the locals.

Le EtoileOne of Paris' chicest and most luxurious bars frequented by the stars of fashion, film and finance (www.larc-paris.com). Take champagne cocktails in the plush carpet and leather space of the lounge bar, where the dominant mode of dress is Chloé, Versace and Armani. The white-gloved service by the uniformed staff is fit for princes and presidents. The vast length of the attached club is exaggerated further when it opens up onto the terrace-garden. The perfect spot for gazing at the celestial (and movie) stars on clear nights.

Chez MouneThe club ambiance at Chez Moune is reminiscent of Polanski’s ‘Blue Parrot’ in the movie Frantic. Founded in 1936 by the infamous Madame Moune as a ‘Cabaret Lesbienne’ with a strict girls-only door policy, it’s now a very popular spot for fashion week soirées and other hip parties.

The slightly faded glitz and glamour of the cabaret is also a trademark of its neighborhood, Pigalle, the red-light district in between the 9th and the 18th arrondissement. Other local hangouts in the area sport adventurous names such as ‘Lorelei’ or ‘Schätzle’ – each with their own mysterious-looking mademoiselles perched in the dimly lit window displays. An adventurous night out all round.

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shoppingFor reasons that elude most of us, Parisians seem to make impeccable fashion sense look like a walk in the park. It’s no surprise that Paris remains the reigning center of all things cool and couture. Take back home a little je ne sais quoi. (Most stores are open from 10am to 7pm, Monday through Saturday.)

Dior HommeKris Van Assche’s latest work for Dior Homme (www.diorhommeparis.com) is a clean affair showcasing the designer’s handiwork in draping. A progression of last season’s relaxed affair, spring/summer 2011 offers a monochrome selection of sleek light numbers that really stand out in terms of movement. Graceful yet strong, billowing jackets and sleeveless shirting alike provide an alluring wardrobe for the warmer weather.

“Less is more. Simplicity is the true luxury,” Van Assche said of his collection, energized with samurai references. Sleeveless trench coats, lightweight linen parkas and paper-light jackets – predominately in black, with touches of oatmeal – worn over low-slung trousers tucked into sandals. This is the Dior collection to buy now, unique classics for the future and perfect all year around for the Asian tropics.

Emanual UngaroAfter the ‘Lohan incident’ – an ill-fated ploy to rejuvenate the floundering House of Ungaro (www.ungaro.com) by teaming up with the tabloids’ favorite starlet, Lindsay Lohan – many in the fashion world wrote the label off as dead. But British designer Giles Deacon pulled off the apparently impossible, breathing new life into the moribund brand with a ravishing spring/summer 2011 ready-to-wear collection of airy chiffon concoctions, tweed and ostrich feathers. The clothes, sheath dresses and frothy cocktail numbers hit the sweet spot, living up to the House’s sensual heritage.

“It’s not intellectual, it’s about beautiful clothes,” Deacon says. “It’s very sexy, full of gorgeous fabrics and that instant star quality.” Now that’s something worth the wardrobe investment.

GaultierSpring/summer 2011 sees Gaultier (www.johnpaulgaultier.com) drifting away from full-fledged masculinity and dipping into the pool of androgyny that has aided him in producing some of his most renowned works. Mainly in a darker color palette, brightened up with camel colors and otherworldly prints that spark an urge for one to reach for a pair of 3D glasses. In a myriad of lighter fabrics seen crafted into voluminous shapes, the designer places you in an area of high humidity, dressing you in semi-transparent lace-front tops, presented linens and leather, as you pair them with easy-going trousers and less than serious gladiator-style footwear. Gaultier may have designed this collection with Asia’s temperate climate in mind. The collection finds a happy balance by loosening up the appeal of suit-like dressing with sheer panels, and by also using rich silks that feature stars, stripes, and galaxies. Casual Fridays have never looked so stylish.

St Ouen-Porte de Clignacourt Flea MarketThe most famous flea market in Paris is this one at Porte de Clignancourt, officially called Les Puces de Saint-Ouen (www.marchesauxpuces.fr), but known to everyone as Les Puces (The Fleas). The history of the flea market dates back over two centuries, when rag and bone men scoured through the garbage of Paris at night to find valuable junk to sell on. They were called 'crocheteurs' or pickers. The romantic term was 'pêcheurs de lune' or fishermen for the moon. Nowadays this market is popular for Parisians from all walks of life to shop for unique bargains from antique Louis XV wardrobes to vintage Hermès brogues.

L’EclaireurThis is not just a store, it’s an experience where shoppers find a story for themselves. This branch of the L’Eclaireur chain (www.leclaireur.com) is totally dedicated to men. It continues owner Armand Hadida’s ethos of promoting young designers alongside high-end, edgy names including Maison Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester and Commes des Garçons. The avant-garde aesthetic is reflected in the eclectic surrounds, where you’ll find glass cabinets housing Dyptique candles and a bit of taxidermy next to exposed pipework, stand-alone rails of clothes on hardwood floors, and lacquered shelves above distressed leather armchairs.

Caroline SeikalySeikaly (www.carolineseikaly.com) made a splash in the US after Madonna donned one of her backless lace creations. For spring/summer 2011 show in Paris she fielded a lovely collection of refined dresses and gowns in featherlight chiffon and lush lace. Seikaly interned with Isaac Mizrahi, then moved to Paris to work with Christian Lacroix. In 1999, she began a seven-year-long career with Karl Lagerfeld. "I like things to be really light, very feminine and really flattering," says the 36-year-old willowy ex-model. “My mission is to make women look and, more importantly, feel great.” A perfect gift for the girlfriend. This designer is definitely on the rise.

Colette

A trip to Paris is never complete without a stop off at the ‘oldie but goodie’ Colette (www.colette.fr) fashion mecca to pick up some limited-edition sneakers, an uber-cool ‘mixtape’ CD or maybe splurge on a truly unique piece. Colette stocks edgy menswear labels such as Alexis Mabille, Adam Kimmel, Balmain by Christopher Decarnin, Commes des Garçons, Dior by Kris Van Assche, Dunhill by Kim Jones, Eastpak x Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Hussein Chalayan, Italia Independent by Lapo Elkan, Lanvin by Lucas Ossendrijver & Alber Elbaz, Martin Margiela, Moncler, Opening Ceremony by Chloé Sevigny, and Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati.

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Where To sTAyWhen choosing your hotel, no matter what your visit entails, romance, shopping or partying, Paris has something to offer everyone. Each Paris neighborhood has its own ambiance and charac-teristics.

Paris is divided into twenty neighborhoods (arrondissement) split by the Seine. Hotels are mainly in the Louvre area (1st, 2nd arrondisse-ment), Marais area (3rd and 4th arrondissement), Latin Quarter (5th, 6th,7th arrondissement), Champs Élysées area (8th, 9th,16th arrondisse-ment) and Montmartre (9th, 18th arrondissement). Each area can define your stay.

If you find a hotel around Trocadero, you will follow in the footsteps of Catherine de Medici who used to stop off here on her way from St. Germain en Laye to Paris.

For Art Nouveau buffs, the 16th arrondissement is a treasure trove of Art Nouveau architecture. You can wander Rue de la Fontaine and marvel at architect Hector Guimard’s Castel Beranger along with other buildings of the same era.

Located on the Left Bank, St. Germain des Prés is the fashion epicenter of ‘Left Bank chic’. Here is where you’re likely to see fashion models strutting in front of the Deux Magots and Café Flore along Boulevard St. Germain des Prés. This is where the publishers meet with their bestselling writers and you might even catch a glimpse of Catherine Deneuve who is said to live in the neighborhood.

Ritz ParisTradition, prestige, and a legendary past set the Ritz Paris (www.ritzparis.com) apart from all others. In 1898, Cesar Ritz created an exclusive luxury hotel where comfort, gastronomy, and service were accorded the highest priority. Proust took his inspiration from it, Chanel made it her home. Royalty, business magnates and celebrities from film, fashion and music have stepped through the Ritz’s magical revolving door.

“When I dream of heaven and the afterlife the action always takes place at the Ritz Paris” (ernest Hemingway)

Le Petit ParisThis boutique design hotel (www.hotelpetitparis.com), a stone’s throw from St. Germain des Prés, offers a luxurious journey back in time with

Hotel Scribe

Le MeuriceGone are the days when surrealist artist Salvador Dalí, a frequent guest, would open his window and dangle a lobster from the end of a fishing pole into the stream of passersby on the Rue de Rivoli, but Le Meurice (www.lemeurice.com) still has a vaguely decadent and artistic tone that sets it apart from other top-shelf Parisian gilt trips. Every floor from this sumptuous building across the street from the Tuileries Gardens has a different decor, ranging from the traditional French parquet and silk damask of the Tuileries suites to the Marco Polo suite, an edgy, sexy space built under the eaves. There's also a great bar with big leather tub chairs and stunning Belle Époque murals, and the culinary genius of young chef Yannick Alléno makes a meal at Le Meurice, the hotel's lavish restaurant, a bona fide Gallic thrill.

Paris AttitudeParis Attitude (www.parisattitude.com) is an agency that specializes in high-quality furnished apartment rentals. For stays in Paris of more than five days a furnished apartment turns a tourist into a visitor. How does a classic 18th century loft near George Pompidou Museum with a terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower sound? Or a luxury left bank pad on Rue de Babylone beside Yves Saint Laurent’s renowned residence? Get a taste for being a real Parisian and a feeling that you belong, even if it’s just for a few days.

The iconic Hotel Scribe (www.sofitel.com), managed by the original French hoteliers Sofitel, is a legendary hotel in the heart of the capital. Built in 1860, the hotel was formerly home to the aristocratic Jockey Club, saw the birth of cinema in 1895 and has hosted numerous celebrities since. Today, Jacques Grange's decor embodies contemporary Parisian luxury. Prestige, style and elegance make the Hôtel Scribe perfect for an exceptional stay.

its quintessentially Parisian past. During the reign of Louis XV it was first a coaching inn tucked inside the ancient city walls of Paris; under Napoleon III it was a family home and then, during the Belle Époque, a hotel and the haunt of the artists of Montparnasse. During the summer of 1970 the singer Jim Morrison made it his home.

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