13 late-night dives worth the night across France, editor-ranked. All France guides.
Au Petit Nice ★ 4.2 · Marseille
La Plaine · 28 Place Jean Jaurès, 13001 Marseille
Au Petit Nice on Place Jean Jaurès in Marseille's 1er La Plaine is the institution-of-the-square dive run by former European boxing champion Richard Caramanolis, with a constantly packed terrace, wooden interior and pints under €5.
Tip: Pastis €2.50, pints €4.50; the terrace is the move from 18:00 onwards. Cash preferred for small rounds.
Le Carmen ★ 4.2 · Paris
9e · 34 Rue Duperré, 75009 Paris
Le Carmen in Paris's 9e Pigalle is the salons-and-alcoves cocktail bar in the 19th-century Bizet residence on Rue Duperré, with caryatid columns, DJ nights and acoustic sessions until 06:00.
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon; the first salon to the left is the calmer one. Cocktails €14-18.
Wallace Bar ★ 4.1 · Lyon
5e · 2 Rue Octavio Mey, 69005 Lyon
Wallace Bar in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the Scottish-leaning pub that opened in 2005 as the city's first proper pub-restaurant, with a wall of whisky from Scotland and beyond, 16 draft beers and a weekend brunch.
Tip: Over 30 gins and a long whisky list; the small upstairs is calmer than the front counter after 22:00.
Bar de la Marine ★ 4.1 · Marseille
Vieux Port (7e) · 15 Quai de Rive Neuve, 13007 Marseille
Bar de la Marine on the Quai de Rive Neuve in Marseille's 7e is the 1929 Vieux Port institution that doubled as Marcel Pagnol's Marius bar, with a 1930s interior of Marseille frescoes and model ships, open from breakfast to 02:00.
Tip: Order a mauresque on the terrace at sunset; the back room with the Pagnol fresco is the rainy-night option.
Aux Folies ★ 4.1 · Paris
20e · 8 Rue de Belleville, 75020 Paris
Aux Folies in Paris's 20e Belleville is the Rue de Belleville corner dive on the famed Rue Dénoyez street-art alley, open until 05:00 daily, with €4 pints and a terrace that runs the length of two streets.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00-24:00; the terrace fills first, the back room past midnight. Cash and card accepted.
The Smoking Dog ★ 4.0 · Lyon
5e · 16 Rue Lainerie, 69005 Lyon
The Smoking Dog in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the family-run English pub on Rue Lainerie open since 1995, with 11 draft taps including English, Belgian and French beers, weekly pub quiz and a regular live music slot.
Tip: Tuesday pub quiz at 20:30 is the room at its busiest; Guinness pours are reliably the best in the city.
Look Bar ★ 4.0 · Lyon
5e · 2 Rue du Palais de Justice, 69005 Lyon
Look Bar in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the dim Rue du Palais de Justice room with vinyl racks behind the counter and a roaring-twenties fit-out, with the house Nuage Noir cocktail (a riff on the black russian) at 9 EUR.
Tip: Open until 04:00 every night; cocktails 8-10 EUR, the back booth is the easier seat after the front counter packs.
Aux Trois Mailletz ★ 4.0 · Paris
5e · 56 Rue Galande, 75005 Paris
Aux Trois Mailletz in Paris's 5e Latin Quarter is the 13th-century medieval-cellar dive on Rue Galande, with a piano bar upstairs and a cabaret in the vaulted basement that runs until 05:00.
Tip: Cellar cabaret has a €20-25 cover plus drinks minimum; the upstairs piano bar is free entry from 19:00.
Ayers Rock ★ 3.9 · Lyon
1er · 4 Rue Desiree, 69001 Lyon
Ayers Rock in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the Australian-themed party bar on Rue Desiree open since 1997, with a resident DJ booth, the Terreaux late-night queue and a 06:00 close that anchors the weekend after-Sucre crowd.
Tip: Happy hour 20:00-22:00, cocktails from 5 EUR; the upstairs floor is the easier walk-in after midnight.
Bar des 13 Coins ★ 3.9 · Marseille
Le Panier (2e) · 45 Rue Sainte-Françoise, 13002 Marseille
Bar des 13 Coins in Marseille's 2e Le Panier is the old quarter dive on Rue Sainte-Françoise with a pavement terrace under the pastel facades, cheap pastis and rolling-shutter regulars who carry the room past midnight.
Tip: Pastis €3, plat-du-jour at lunch under €15; the pavement tables are the move on warm nights, cash preferred.
L'Intrépide ★ 3.9 · Paris
9e · 37 Rue Pierre Fontaine, 75009 Paris
L'Intrépide in Paris's 9e Pigalle is the Demory-owned craft beer dive on Rue Pierre Fontaine near the Moulin Rouge, with 12 taps, a Pyrenean charcuterie board and a basement gig room.
Tip: 12 taps with six Demory pours; basement gigs and DJ nights run Thursday-Saturday. Pints from €6.
L'Atmosphere ★ 3.8 · Lyon
1er · 9 Montee des Carmelites, 69001 Lyon
L'Atmosphere in Lyon's 1er Croix-Rousse slopes is the small Montee des Carmelites bar with a cheap-pint list and a regular live acoustic slot, a fixture of the Pentes after-work scene since the 2000s.
Tip: Cheap pints under 5 EUR; the back room is quieter, the front terrace fills first on warm evenings.
Le P'tit Garage ★ 3.8 · Paris
11e · 63 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris
Le P'tit Garage in Paris's 11e Folie-Méricourt is the petrol-station-themed rock dive on Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, with vintage moto memorabilia, €3 happy-hour pints and a regular gig calendar.
Tip: Happy hour 18:00-21:00, pints €3; live bands most Thursday-Saturday nights from 21:00.