Beefy, hairy, shaven-headed men congregate on the pavement in front of Café Cox for post-work drinks, before moving on to more intimate surroundings.

The m'as-tu vu crowd head up to Georges - the famously avant-garde bar-restaurant on the top of the Centre Pompidou. The spectacular views alone make it worth the trip up the...

The hippest of Xavier Denamur's merry Marais bars. Cocktails are punchy, traditional tipples just as good, and the salads and snacks are reasonably priced and tasty - but it's...

With an old locomotive over the bar and sleek rows of grey chairs, the Pearl achieves a rare balance between all-day and late-night venue, and also has a good hetero/homo mix....

A friendly local for bears, muscle bears, chubbies and their admirers. Visit the website for details on comically named theme nights such as 'Charcuterie'.

This small bar just round the corner from the Centre Pompidou caters to a thirtysomething crowd. It's a popular meeting place for various gay associations, with friendly staff...

The Nyx is mostly a girl bar, but welcomes everyone. Recent theme nights have included live rock and drag queens.

This bar is considered one of the 'musts' of the Marais, as it's often filled with hot men and a few drag queens who help to keep things lively. You might be able to find some...

Elaborate tartines, delicious desserts and strong drinks are the fare at this lesbian-run bar and restaurant. Despite its militant subtitle ('Cantine des Ginettes Armées'), the...

Opened by Les Ginettes Armées, organisers of renowned Sunday lesbian and mixed events, the Troisième Lieu tends towards electro and house. The ground floor hosts DJs mixing...

This new, relaxed bar for women, just around the corner from the girlie bars on rue du Roi de Sicile, makes a welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

An anglophone favourite deep in the Marais, this loud and lively (hetero) pick-up joint provides lager in pints (€6), plus cocktails (€7) and a viewing platform for...

This three-level, trendy Marais hangout has a boozer upstairs serving beer in pint glasses, a mezzanine for crowd voyeurs, and a more full-on DJ bar in the booth-filled...

The Raidd is standing room only at street level, with another bar down below. The hot, herculean bartenders take turns in the wall-mounted shower for nightly shows and the...