Le 138

Time Out says

Mon Jul 9 2012

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

Le 138 on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine is a discreet bar a few paces from the Bastille, and a good place to have a last drink after 2am without having to scream into your neighbour’s ear in some pounding club. Rather, Le 138 is a vast, comfortable bar with subdued lighting, deliberately well-worn shabby chic décor and a background of well-chosen rock music. Combined with vaguely baroque furniture and mismatched overstuffed leather sofas, it all adds up to an invitation to flop down and have a drink at any hour of the day or night. There’s a huge bar overlooking a long room, whose bay windows are filled with light during the day. Two other little rooms connect to this one, leading to a staircase and then an underground space where you can take a turn around the dance floor.

The staff are affable, and the kitchens open at every hour, turning out various simple salads and sandwiches. The menu covers cocktails, reasonably-priced wines and bottled beers, and the prices stay affordable even if they go up in the small hours. Happy hour until 9pm.

By CG/EH