Paris Nightlife Runs From Canal Saint-Martin to Pigalle

Canal Saint-Martin (10th) and Le Marais (4th) run the bar-lined corridors where Parisians actually spend evenings. Candelaria (speakeasy in the back of a taqueria), Le Syndicat (serious cocktails), Gravity Bar — the cocktail scene is among Europe's best.

For dance clubs: Rex Club is the electronic-music institution that anchored Parisian house music; Concrete (now moved) was the daytime boat club; Silencio (David Lynch-designed) is the members-only cocktail room. Pigalle carries the cabaret tradition (Moulin Rouge, Crazy Horse — legitimate theatrical cabaret).

Paris bars close when they're done — often 2 AM, clubs to 6 AM. Metro reopens at 5:30 AM; Noctilien buses fill the overnight gap.