EXCLUSIVE | Paris: Where to Play/Meet Part Five

PRIMARILY WOMEN -- BARS
Le Rive Gauche (1 rue du Sabot, 6e; +33-1-42-22-51-70), has probably the cutest girls in Paris, as it's also one of the only lesbian dance clubs here. Once inside, it's a fun place to dance for all types. Thanks to the small dance floor some close dancing will be neccessary. Things really get going Friday and Saturday nights from 11 p.m. Entry and drink prices are steep.

L'Unity Bar (176, rue St. Martin, 3e; +33-1-42-72-70-59) is owned by a Franco-American lesbian couple. The crowd is cool, almost all female and fairly butch. The centerpiece is a well-loved pool table. Caf?-bar Le Day Off (10 rue d'Isly, 8e; +33-1-45-22-87-90) offers a relaxed place to chill out before heading out to the French countryside with the girlfriend at the nearby Gare St Lazare. It's a mixed restaurant by day and women's haunt by night.

Le 3w Kaf? (8, rue des Ecouffes, 3e; +33-1-48-97-39-26), is a popular lesbian bar open seven nights a week that attracts a young, friendly, well-dressed crowd. Men are more than welcome, although they seem to prefer it if they have a female escort. Special DJ nights liven up weekends. The corner of the 3w Kaf? has set the soil for other lesbian bars to take root, and so now the southern Marais is the center of a new lesbian scene: Les Jacasses (5 rue des Ecouffes, 4e; +33-1-42-71-75-51) is right across the street and also serves tasty snacks. There is a lesbian dance club also on this corner (see below)

La Champmesle (4, rue Chabanais, 2e; +33-1-42-96-85-20), open nightly from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., is one of the oldest lesbian bars of Paris, and so more popular with older, established women. Cabaret is on the menu Thursdays and Saturdays and fortunes are told Fridays. The atmosphere can feel chilly, stuffy and not particularly friendly, especially to newcomers. The grande dame of cabaret bars and the lesbian symbol of Paris is the 72-years-young Chez Moune (54 rue Pigalle, 18e; +33-1-45-26-64-64). There are cabaret shows here some nights, other nights are dance nights. While the place is welcome to all, Saturday nights are described as "reserved for women."

PRIMARILY WOMEN -- DANCE CLUBS
Le Rive Gauche (see above) is going strong. It can be pricey, but beautiful women have no price. For the newest venue check out Le Nyx (30 rue du Roi de Sicile, 4e), which promises four nights of all-night dancing a week. Nestled in the new lesbian epicenter of Paris, the southern part of the Marais, Nyx proves that there's room for at least two dance clubs for dykes in Paris.

While it may seem that lesbian hangouts are few and far between, don't forget that Le Rex Club, Le Tango, Follivores and Le Mix all have mixed gay and lesbian parties.

Be sure to check out Lesbia magazine (it's in French, but the ads are universally comprehended.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five

Related Articles:
Paris: Introduction
Paris: Where to Stay
Paris: Where to Eat
Paris: What to See and Do
Paris: Resources