Freedj in Paris's 4e Marais is the two-floor Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie gay bar with a ground-floor bar, foosball table and a basement dance floor that runs an electro programme until 04:00.
Tip: Happy hour 18:00-22:00; basement opens 22:00 and gets going by midnight. Glassed smoking room upstairs.
Address: 35 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris
Bears' Den in Paris's 4e Marais is the three-level Rue des Lombards bear bar, with a street-level seating room, a basement karaoke level and a stone-walled cave dance floor below that.
Tip: Karaoke is on the first basement most nights from 21:00; the back cave gets going after midnight on Saturday.
Le Quetzal in Paris's 4e Marais is the corner-of-Verrerie cruise-friendly gay bar with a long daily happy hour and weekend DJs that pulls the after-work crowd before they move to the clubs.
Tip: Happy hour 17:00-22:00; weekend DJs start 23:00. The back room is busier after midnight.
Bears' Den in Paris's 4e Marais is the three-level Rue des Lombards bear bar, with a street-level seating room, a basement karaoke level and a stone-walled cave dance floor below that.
Tip: Karaoke is on the first basement most nights from 21:00; the back cave gets going after midnight on Saturday.
Le Quetzal in Paris's 4e Marais is the corner-of-Verrerie cruise-friendly gay bar with a long daily happy hour and weekend DJs that pulls the after-work crowd before they move to the clubs.
Tip: Happy hour 17:00-22:00; weekend DJs start 23:00. The back room is busier after midnight.
Le Duplex in Paris's 3e Marais is one of the oldest gay bars on Rue Michel le Comte, now into its 38th year, with a mixed crowd that comes for new wave, disco and conversation rather than a dance floor.
Tip: Quieter than the Rue des Archives strip; arrive before 22:00 for a stool. The smoking terrace is the meeting spot.
Le Lipstick in Paris's 9e Pigalle is the former hostess bar on Rue Frochot reborn as a cocktail venue with a lesbian-and-queer crowd, vintage furniture and themed weekend DJ nights.
Tip: Thursday is the easier walk-in; Friday-Saturday tables are tight from 22:00. Cocktails €13-15.
Listener in Paris's 2e is the Thomas de Coninck and Jérôme Thomas listening room on Rue Vivienne, with a high-fidelity main room, individual music-nap booths and a wine bar that takes over by evening.
Tip: Book a listening booth 24 hours ahead; the main room is walk-in. Coffee by day shifts to natural-wine pours after 18:00.
Bambino in Paris's 11e is the Fabien Lombardi jazz-kissa listening bar and charcoal-grill tapas room on Rue Saint-Sébastien, with an audiophile system and a neon-lit late-night dance floor after 23:00.
Tip: Dinner seating 19:30-22:30 books out; after 23:00 the tables fold and the room becomes a 60-cap club.