Lots of men would like to have fun in Paris

October 7, 2009 5:21 PM

Paris help: I am organising a weekend for a group of men in Paris in mid October. We're arriving Friday night, staying at a hostel on rue Mouffetard, doing some activities on the Saturday and heading home Sunday night. I need some advice on locations... and activities... and everything...

This is long, because I'm worried, apologies. Any help is much appreciated, a few previous threads have come up with some great suggestions but none cover this. Chiefly because there's 17 men. I'm concerned about the amount of men. But they are all knowing, stylish and easy, aged 22 - 34, typically 30. Good men.

Primarily we want to keep costs down, especially the price of alcohol, which we will consume in the enthusiastic manner that a group of 17 men are inclined to on a weekend jaunt.

First of all, I hope I've got the hostel location right: rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter. If any people think this is an absolute disaster, do say, as it can be changed. The plan is to leave the hostel to sample the delights of the Parisian night at around 11pm on Friday night. We want a number of bars to go to first, then a nightclub, or even better, a lively rambunctious late license thrill parlour with plenty of life, character and women. Does such a group of places exist within sensible distance (preferably wandering distance) of the rue Mouffetard? Is there a noted (cheap) bar where the said group of men could 'settle in'? Would getting late night/early morning food on the Rue de la Huchette work?

Saturday we're doing stuff in the day (does anyone have any experience of the petanque courts in the Jardin du Luxembourg? Do you just turn up?). In the evening we're going to a burlesque at the Bobino in Montparnasse. That starts at 9.30, so we need somewhere to eat beforehand, somewhere that's nearby, fun and can accommodate 17 men (I realise I should have booked this already)! Then after that we'd like to go out again in Montparnasse, and would love some recommendations, or better yet, a street or route to visit. Again, we need to watch the price of beer and wine and would like to watch that price with pretty women (I know that's close to impossible).

Finally, with such a large group of men, any advice on getting in places? Does it make sense to contact bars in advance. I would love to have a cocktail in the Curio Parlour for example, but would we get in? Maybe before 9pm on the Saturday?

Sunday we were planning on grabbing some food and having a picnic in a park: any advice on which park?

Also any kind relaxing words of 'it will all go fine' gladly taken. I know it sounds like a terrible, hungry descent, but really we're all rather nice, promise. If I'm asking the impossible by being too specific, then please advise alternatives, thank you!

posted by einekleine to travel & transportation (4 comments total)

I love Rue Mouffetard because of the food market in the street, which is a great place to pick up a few things for a picnic. You'll save money that way. For breakfast, designate a couple of guys to head out early and pick up some baguettes at a nearby bakery. Add your own butter and jam, make your own coffee, and voila! you have a cheap breakfast. Then you can splurge on your evenings.

I can't advise you about clubs, etc, but I used to hang out with friends in the Rue Oberkamph, near their flat. (It's in the 11th, crossing between Blvd. Voltaire and Ave. de la Republic) There were plenty of great spots for food and drink at non-tourist prices, and mostly young locals.

Bon vacance!
posted by shifafa at 5:50 PM on October 7

Rue Mouffetard is quite far out (depends which end though) and you're looking at a 20-30 minute wander to the river at least. Nearest to you bar-wise are the Latin Quarter and St Germain. I'd recommend heading to the area between St Michel and Odeon Metro (Rue St Andre des Arts etc,) where there are a lot of bars in close proximity on small, criss-crossing streets. It's a buzzing, fun area with a lot of places to drink, both themed (Irish, Oz etc) and traditional, but it is not going to be cheap. Cheapest around there is probably Le Gentleman, 3 Rue Hautefeuille. Tiny place, but usually busy and there is a DJ at weekends. You will get food around Rue de la Huchette. Beyond St Germain you could head to Montmartre, Bastille or Les Halles/Marais but all are Right Bank and further off. Montparnasse is fantastic but don't plan a big night out there, there are a couple of good cafe/bars, spread out but you can't jig from pub to pub and it's not a place to bar crawl or consider for much more than a few drinks or a particular club if you know it. Plenty of places to eat but you may be best off heading for one of the numerous Chinese restaurants considering the size of your party.

I won't comment on clubs/thrill parlours but be prepared to pay serious money.

Try this site for hunting cheap prices. Paris doesn't have a centralised drinking and partying zone as big as other cities so you need to plan. Look for UK/Australian/Canadian bars, and pick up one of the Funkymaps (available everywhere) which detail the closest you get to pub crawls in Paris, and certainly the bars that will welcome a crowd of 17.

In summary, bring your wallet and don't expect to be able to wander the streets and find bar after bar, as in some other European cities. Prepare for 14-18 Euros for a pint of beer before you even hit the real upmarket establishments.
posted by fire&wings at 6:18 PM on October 7

Re-reading your question, if one of you has an iphone search "alimentation" on the map and head for the nearest red pin to stock up on some cheap wine before heading out from the hostel. If you have any questions feel free to mail me.
posted by fire&wings at 6:34 PM on October 7

@Fire&wings: Mouffetard is far out? Any of the single-digit arrondissements is pretty central. It's not as if the OP is suggesting Balard or Porte de la Villette.

@Einekleine: Much of what you describe is so much not my scene in Paris that I don't have many recommendations, other than that there are a number of permanently-moored boat/clubs along the left bank of the Seine that you should check them out. I used to go by the Batofar regularly on my way to work and it looked like it would be fun. Another dense area with restaurants and bars--not cheap, but not too pricy either--is the Cour St.-Émilion, in the 12th arrondissement. On your way there, you could stop at one of the cafés at the Place de la Contrescarpe for a drink. It will set you back 4-8 Euros, depending on what you order.

For a picnic, on the other hand, starting from Mouffetard, I'd suggest heading south to the Parc Monsouris, in the 13th arrondissement, or if that's too far, the Square Rene Le Gall near the Gobelins metro station. If you have time for a short suburban train ride, head over to the RER B train line and pick it up at Port Royal, then go south to the Parc de Sceaux (about 15 minutes and a few Euros each way per person), an elegant park with lots of open space. If your group needs a good hike to work off hangovers, a stroll around the canals at Sceaux will do them a world of good.

Keep in mind that the last metro runs around 1 a.m. except Friday and Saturday nights, when the line 1 runs every hour from 1 to 5. There is a nighttime bus service, the Réseau Noctilien, but it's not very frequent. You should figure out when you plan to leave nightclubs, and either arrange for taxis or figure in time for public transit or walking. It's only a couple miles from Montparnasse to the rue Mouffetard, so you should be able to walk. On the other hand, if you're staying in an honest to goodness hostel (not hotel), there may well be a curfew, so check in advance.

There are a couple of weekly publications, Pariscope and L'officiel des spectacles, that list events and have advertisements for nightclubs, dinner theater, and the like, as well as more risqué entries. My impression, just from reading the ads, is that you'd empty your wallets quickly at most of them. If Time Out is still publishing a Paris guide, you should definitely check that out too.

And Fire&wings is right that you can get good, inexpensive booze at a grocery store or wine shop and have a bit before you head out for the evening if that's your thing. Le Repaire de Bacchus is a wine and spirit chain in Paris that has an outlet in the rue Mouffetard, but you can get cheaper stuff at one of the grocery store chains such as Shopi, Ed l'épicier, G20, or Monoprix. There are several grocery stores on the rue Monge, which runs parallel to Mouffetard a little further east for most of its length. There's also a weekly market at the place Monge, a little south of the rue Lacépède.
posted by brianogilvie at 7:24 PM on October 7