The best bars for beer in Paris

 Stolly’s is a good bet, a full throttle Irish pub in the middle of the Marais. Here, foreigners and the French mix freely, with plenty of laughter and clinking of glasses in a cheerful, if pretty raucous atmosphere. 

The oldest Irish pub on the left bank, and one of the three oldest in Paris. Unlike many of its blander contemporaries, Connolly’s Corner could almost be mistaken for an authentic Dublin tavern. 

Having fallen in love with Germany during a holiday to Berlin, the owners of this café began to import German products and traditions, creating a nice Franco-German ambiance. The success was immediate, attracting devotees of both classic Croque Monsieurs and traditional German currywurst, a German sausage in a curry sauce with crisps. 

Located at a famous address in the Stock Market quarter, The Lions is a traditional English pub where bankers love to come and de-stress with an after-work drink. 

If you fancy a night out with U2, Aerosmith, AC/CD and The Clash pulsing in your ears, the Guinness Tavern in Châtelet foots the bill. This Irish pub draws a multigenerational crew whose love of rock is only surpassed by their love of Guinness and Kilkenny - a pint of which will cost you a whopping 9.50€. On the up-side, there are free concerts ‘til 5am, cheesy karaoke nights  and the bar’s open ‘til 6am, making this a coveted anglophile nightspot.

Perched the left bank hillock of Montagne Saint-Geneviève, The Bombardier is the place to come to drink stout in peace and to indulge in a bit of nostalgia for the other side of the channel. It's a great find for locals and students in search of quality beer, as long as you're OK with the decor that comes with the adjacent libraries – blackboards around the room announcing the latest sports matches, Monday night student deals and Sunday pub quizzes.

A useful address in the 5th arrondissement, where the majority of bars sport plasma screens and are filled with tourists, the Piano Vache is a relaxed student bar with a great happy hour from 6pm-9pm. Come here for the relaxed atmosphere and the regular programme of themed nights: Monday is live jazz manouche, Tuesday ’80s night, Wednesday is Goth, Thursday ‘after work’, and Friday and Saturday rock, punk and pop.

A genial Marais bar with big windows that look out on to the street. Pushing open the door, you discover a bar full of ex-pats and Marais regulars all bundled together in an incomprehensible brouhaha. For Brits in search of a good beer selection this is a real find, with a long menu of imported bottles complemented by affordable house cocktails during happy hour. 

Among the many bars strewn around here, we particularly like Teddy’s for its choice of beers and cocktails, its interminable happy hours (from 3.30pm til 8pm) and for its welcoming, low-key atmosphere. It’s good to curl up in the sofas and have one’s back tickled by the leopard-skin-covered walls while sipping the beer of the month, be it a cold Bavaroise or a Trappist Belgian variety.

Since 1964, L'Académie de la Bière has been serving good beer with generous mains throughout the day and until late at night. No need for embellished décor or posh crockery here - it’s rough, simple and efficient. But there’s one thing they don’t scrimp on: the way they serve beer. 

Drinking on a budget in Paris is no mean feat. But among the city's plush wine bars and speakeasies, are some miraculously cheap watering holes.