Top 10 gay bars in Paris

This bar is considered to be 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 action in the small dark space upstairs.

For those looking to drink and mingle without any flashy lights or erotic undertones, the Duplex is the place for you. Tucked away on a side street in the Marais, its shabby appearance doesn’t instill confidence, but that’s part of the charm. Upstairs you’ll find a smoking room and a small balcony for surveying the rest of the ground floor crowd, a mix of 20-40 somethings looking to hang out in a stress-free environment. Hipsters and bikers join preps and expats around the central counter for affordable beer...

A gay bar for blokes with one thing on their mind, and a certain taste. You can’t miss the red sign at the end of the little Rue Simon le Franc, just behind the Centre Pompidou. Inside, a large room with a long bar, a cage on the floor and a cramped smoking room at the back. You enter, buy a drink, and leave your bags in the obligatory cloakroom (€2). Apart from that, it’s pretty good value: expect to pay €3.90 for a half pint and around €8 for a vodka Red Bull... 

As the name implies, the Bear’s Den is Paris’s premier address for the cross section of the gay community known as bears. A bit older, hairier, and stockier, you won’t find these guys hanging out in the trendier, more refined bars. This lot carved out their niche on the fringe of the Marais on the lively Rue des Lombards where they fill the terrace and spill onto the street every night of the week, beers in hand.  Welcoming and friendly, if just a bit imposing... 

Looking for glitz, glam, and sparkles? Queen is as close as you’re going to get in old gay Paris. This institution was home to artistic director David Guetta in the early '90s when it was the place for the gay club scene. These days, it hosts parties every night catering to all tastes and sexualities, leaving Sunday night the dedicated evening for gay parties. Though some of the shine has worn off, it’s still loads of fun for guys to bring their girlfriends who want to see gay nightlife à la Carrie Bradshaw... 

The former Enfer ('Hell') remains a trance, techno and house dynamo with local and global DJs spinning to a young, up- for-it, often gay, well-groomed crowd. Expect a mixture of local and international DJs.