Bars in Montmartre

An old school bar-tabac in the heart of Montmartre, which recalls the beatnik and rock bistros of the 1970s with its table football, ancient stickers, Beatles records and walls covered with old vinyl. Serge, the owner, is a neighbourhood character with a reputation for grumpiness, which the regulars love...

The younger sibling of the mythical concert hall, Le Café de la Cigale is a haunt of arty types on the Boulevard Pigalle, an area little used to seeing trendy bars open up between the sex shops. Philippe Starck and Thierry Costes came together to open this chic, modern and surprising rock’n’roll bar and restaurant...

The bar of Le Grand Hôtel de Clermont has become known as ‘Chez Ahmmad’ thanks to its proprietor, who has manned it for more than 50 years. The warm welcome from Ahmmad and his son is lavished on the local clientele of cheery, cheeky, eccentric old regulars form the neighbourhood. Under the low ceiling is an old-style bar and ageless murals and paintings on the walls...

The Café du Commerce has kept the name of the local gambling hall, which is was before its metamorphosis in 2011. A few partitions have come down, huge walls of mock pebbledash, revealing an enormous space dominated by a handsome bar. Comfortable banquettes sit at the back of the room, and on the walls a series of naïve frescoes of Montmartre...

Set back from the great tourist waves battering Montmartre, in a small street hidden at the foot of the Sacré-Coeur, No Problemo is a likeable little bar with a little terrace of just two tables outside. Inside, it's decorated with lamps shaped like portholes, a beautiful big boat propeller on the wall and the coat of arms ‘gastronomic ship’ engraved on the mirrors...

Likely unknown to anyone not living near the Porte de Clignancourt, La Renaissance is a delightful Belle Epoque bistro well worth a detour. Featured in films ‘Le Mouton Enragé’ and Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’, the 1930s décor has been miraculously conserved. A copper bar makes a lovely curve in the right hand corner...

What with Bières Cultes, the Brasserie de La Goutte d’Or and now the very welcoming Supercoin, barley and hops are being celebrated in the 18th arrondissement – a welcome departure for Parisians used to eternal weak demis. Supercoin is all about characterful beers, rock music and having a good time – their motto is ‘artisanal beers and pop culture’. 

With its large terrace and the small army of young, mustachioed men wearing lumberjack shirts that fill it, Mansart wears its hipster credentials proudly – not surprising given its location in the heart of trendy SoPi –South Pigalle. Inside it’s packed, with people elbowing each other to get to the bar, and music so loud it’s hard to make yourself heard...

At Casa Lola, you’ve hardly even sat down before everything is on the table. It starts sweet, with jars of jam, butter, lemon curd, chocolate spread and caramel with salted butter – everything arriving quickly in a barrage of spreadable goodness. Then hot drinks, orange or freshly squeezed grapefruit juice follow, then fresh bread and slice of cake (lemon or carrot)...

Between Château Rouge and Montmartre, Au Clair de Lune is an unpretentious, lively bar where the locals like to meet for an aperitif and a gossip. The long happy hour runs from 6pm to 10pm, with pints of Stella for €3.50, Leffe for €4.70 or cocktails for €5. A few old posters, orange poufs and some '70s-style tables escaped the recent renovations.