Café Charbon

The bar that kick-started Oberkampf's nightlife transformation — an original Belle Époque interior of high ceilings and mirrors, preserved and still drawing the neighbourhood's mix. Keep the drinks simple, beer or wine; the room is the star. Come in the evening when it fills, with DJ nights later and the bigger Nouveau Casino next door for larger events. It is a piece of Paris nightlife history still doing its job — the spark that turned a quiet street into a destination, its gorgeous period room intact and its crowd as eclectic as ever. Come for the architecture as much as the evening it anchors.