Paris on Business – The City’s Best Late-Night Culture and Cuisine

28 February 2020

Exploring Paris Whilst on a Business Trip

Paris is buzzing long after the sun goes down, so you can delve into its culture, cuisine and nightlife even on a business trip. Whether you want to swim in a traditional Art Deco Paris pool or dance the night away in a stylish bar, these are the best of the city’s twilight activities and late-night haunts.

Explore a Paris Museum After Dark

See Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa without jostling through the usual crowds of tourists. You can explore the Louvre’s collection of almost 40,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures until 9:45 pm on Wednesdays and Fridays.   

Wander the halls of the Musee d’Orsay, full of impressionist masterpieces, until 9:45 pm on Thursdays. This treasure trove was built around 1898 as a railway station and is worth visiting just for the gorgeous, ornate architecture.

Take your time poring over abstract, cubist and new realist works and follow the development of modern art through the 20^th century. The Musee d’Art Moderne de Paris keeps its doors open until 10 pm on Thursdays (final entry at 9:15 pm) – don’t miss Matisse’s brilliant murals! 

Grab a Parisian Midnight Snack

Tuck into juicy steaks and piles of golden frites laid out on old-fashioned red and white table cloths at Chez Denise a La Tour de Monthery (open until 5 am). The staff don’t speak much English in this authentic French bistro, but the convivial atmosphere and simple, delicious menu guarantee a great night. “I take guests here for the classic Parisian bistro experience.” - David Lebovitz (2010)

Grand Café Capucines specializes in French seafood and notably ten different types of oyster. Open 24 hours a day, Grand Café Capucines is a perfect place to sit back on red velvet seats and tuck into a plate of buttery lobster or pan-fried scallops. Running since 1875, the café was renovated last year and since re-opening, its striking Art Nouveau interiors are more beautiful than ever.

Less than ten minutes’ walk from Hotel Amarante Champs-Élysées is a popular brasserie serving superb steak entrecôte, tangy walnut salads, and crispy fries. L'Entrecôte’s set dinner menu is served until 11:30 pm. Afterwards, choose from an impressive selection of desserts including fluffy profiteroles, creamy meringue towers and crunchy crème brûlée.

Dip Your Toes in a Parisian Art Deco Swimming Pool

Float along clear blue lanes and enjoy the bold art deco architecture of one of Paris’ traditional swimming pools. Lofty ceilings, polished white enamel, and chic changing cubicles will transport you into the Paris of the thirties...

Piscines des Amiraux is a masterpiece designed by Henry Sauvage, inaugurated in 1930 and recently refurbished. The famous pool was featured in one of the scenes from Amelie and is now classed as a historic monument.

This swimming pool keeps its lanes open until 7:30 pm on Wednesdays and 10:30 pm on Mondays so you can relax in the bright open space after a day’s work. 

Piscine Pailleron is another gorgeous pool also classified as a historic monument. Its glass roof sends beams of sunshine down onto its bathers, lighting up the yellows and blues of its intricate tiles.

Piscine Pailleron is open until 10:30 pm every day except Sunday. Avoid the crowds and take an evening dip, unwinding in its warm blue waters.

Visit Paris’ Secret Bars

Tucked away on a rooftop in the Ménilmontant district you can find Le Perchoir. This friendly, cosy little bar is open until 2 am Tuesday - Friday. Sip one of the house’s creative cocktails while you watch the sun fall behind Paris’ rooftops. Scatter cushions and greenery give the space an ‘urban jungle’ vibe, a little different from some of Paris’ flashier rooftop bars.     

Just five minutes from Amarante Champs-Elysées is Le Speakeasy. Follow the piano music and you will discover this plush bar, welcoming international jazz, blues and soul artists from Tuesday - Saturday until 4 am. Le Speakeasy starts the night as a laid-back restaurant serving innovative and delicate dishes, but the atmosphere soon begins to crackle as DJs take over and the dance floor fills up.

Sumptuously decorated with palm trees, gold trimmings, and black and white marble floors, La Trés Particuliers is one of the most elegant watering holes in Paris. You can try their original, sophisticated cocktails until 2 am Tuesday - Saturday. Don’t be deterred by the private-access street you must take to reach this jewel, it is absolutely worth finding.