New Year's Eve in Paris: Where to Go, What to Avoid

[Vincent Bontoux]

In general, die-hard Parisians are not crazy about réveillons (or Saint-Sylvestre, as we call New Year’s Eve in France) in over-priced, over-crowded, over-touristy Paris restaurants and clubs. This is why my friends and I always gather at some apartment and have our own little New Year’s Eve party.  But I understand that about 6.99999 billion people on this earth are unfortunate enough not to live in Paris, even though they of course love to go there for New Year’s, so I decided to put up a little guide for last-minute would-be Saint-Sylvestre party-goers.  A good surprise: prices have actually come down compared to, say, ten years ago. The crisis has got its perks, after all. This year’s réveillons usually offer a combo including dinner (not an ordinary dinner, a réveillon feast, with champagne, foie gras, and other delights of French cuisine) plus club night, all this for somewhere between 70 and 100 € a person. So, here is my selection, based on the reputation of these places throughout the year in terms of quality of their gigs/DJs and the professionalism of the organizing company. I have given preference to smaller scale bars, since, you know, getting 2,000 people in a club during réveillon, mmmhh… it could get a bit out of hand, and it might attract too much of a, shall we say, suburban crowd, which we snooty Parisians simply cannot abide (just kidding!). Sorry, all the sites below are in French, but, hell, you’ll have to get used to the fact that it’s the language in Paris.

 

Best Left Bank scene: The WAGG is the former Whisky à Gogo, a mythical club in the Saint Germain des Prés of the 50s, that then went into “ringard” (uncool) mode, and has now been revived, redone and re-hyped.

http://www.wagg.fr/

 

Best of the Bastille: Le Sanz Sans is one of the big names of the Bastille scene. Very professional, good DJ line up, a tad mainstream maybe.

http://www.sanzsans.com/

http://www.sanzsans.com/SanzSans-Reveillon2010.pdf

 

Jazziest: Le New Morning is one of the best jazz clubs in Paris on a street lined with them (les Halles). The web site is a bit austere, but it’s good, serious jazz for grownups. And they throw a special party for Réveillon, of course.

http://www.newmorning.com/fr/

 

Best of Paris-Ouest: There are a series of clubs around the Champs-Elysées that cater to a very Western Suburbs / Jean Sarkozy crowd. Not really my cup of tea, but the 1515 has a tendency to take itself less seriously. No rowdiness here, that’s for sure (even though outside, on the pedestrianised Champs Elysées with a million drunken revelers, beware! )

http://1515.soiree31decembre.fr

Best soul music: This attractive and warm little club by the Canal Saint-Martin specializes in soul and funk music, with a Latin touch. Good opportunity to visit this atmospheric neighborhood

www.bizzartclub.com

http://www.bizzartclub.com/index.php?view=details&id=687%3Al-di...

 

Classiest: Le Palace was Paris’s answer to New York City's Studio 54 in the late 70s and 80s. It’s a mythical, beautiful club that has been shut down, now re-opened in its “Privilège” version, the luxury 1920s downstairs restaurant where the likes of Maurice Chevalier and Mistinguett used to party like crazy and take plenty of then legal substances. The Privilège réveillon is pricier than others, but, at 100€ a pop, it should be worth it.

http://www.parisbouge.com/event/60073/

And, finally, to contradict what I have just said about big venues, two réveillons gathering several hundreds, if not thousands of people, but with experienced teams and nice venues: La Machine du Moulin Rouge (ex Loco) is, as the name suggests, the former machinery hall for the Moulin Rouge. Quite impressive. The web site says they expect 4,000 clubbers for NYE. A bit scary, but if you feel up to it:

http://www.lamachinedumoulinrouge.com/index.php/cabaret-new-year#mo...

 

Le Bataclan is located in party central bd Voltaire, a classic venue for concerts and electro nights. Their réveillon is hosted by a very professional company, and the catering is supposed to be superior, so it could be interesting: http://ultra.soiree31decembre.fr

 

Otherwise, should I remind happy réveillonneurs that taxis are impossible to get on NYE in Paris? Thank God, granny RATP is thinking of party goers and, apart from the usual 2 am week-end extension, keeps its main lines open during Réveillon night (there are leaflets and maps in all metro stations explaining it all). But anyway, you’ll still be partying when its 5h30am normal service resumes, won’t you?