Rock up after 5pm at Les Fontaines restaurant and café on hip Rue St Maur in Paris’ 11th arrondissement and you’ll find it brimming with chatty twentysomething locals making the most of the daily happy hour when cocktails are a steel. Try a Mojito Royal skilfully souped up with Champagne by the loveable Luis, Les Fontaines’ star barman.
From DJ sets, salsa nights and latin grooves, an eclectic mix of live music keeps the good times rolling. The kitchen plays to a traditional tune, serving unfussy classics artfully presented on smooth slabs of slate. The well-priced menu changes often, so there’s always something new to try. Plus, it’s served until 11pm, so you’re safe to turn up relatively late at Les Fontaines and know you’ll be fed well.