Café Charbon

This is one of Time Out's 100 best bars in Paris. Click here to see the full list.

On the ever-bustling Rue Oberkampf, the Café Charbon is an institution that has been attracting nocturnal Parisians for more than a century. Created in 1900 in what was then an artisan’s quarter, this café dates from the Second Empire of Napoleon III and has all the style of the brasseries of another era, with its shiny bar, red banquettes, tarnished mirrors and high ceilings. Underneath the bar, you’ll find magnificent wrought iron lamps liberated from a night fishing boat. DJs keep the place animated on weekends, playing gentle world, pop and electro that keeps the local bohos happy. Avoid coming on weekend evenings, as the bar is always rammed and the waiters overwhelmed. The terrace is a particularly good bet in summer.