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The French capital is cloaked in myth and cliché, but one thing's for sure: few
places on earth can be gayer than the roads of the intimate Marais and the neon-lit
Les Halles districts just north of Notre Dames, reports Adrian Gillan.
Paris will always be one of the most romantic cities in the world and it's just perfect for any intimate getaway with the man of your dreams. You can easily get there by train or plane and there's no better a place for gay men to explore. | |
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The most popular gay bars in Paris are located in the famous quarter called Le Marais. So
where better to settle in than Le Jaja. It's a restaurant located in Le Marais near to the Centre Pompidou.
This is very much a foodie's restaurant with modern twists and fresh ingredients.
Cafe Beaubourg has a large terrace with mixed public in opposite of the Centre Pompidou. Just watch all the shopping French boys and tourists go by. Alternatively, L'Amazonial is a huge, sprawling gay restaurant with great food but variable service stretched to the limits at weekends. | 
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BARSHaving eaten well it's time to head off for Raidd Bar. This is a trendy gay bar in the very heart of Le Marais famous for its shower. It can be very busy with all kinds of men and is very popular with tourists because on at least one night a week (normally Thursdays) every hour or so a hot stripper comes out to perform and takes a shower!The Banana Café is worth avoiding since it's extremely overrated and now a bit passé and frankly somewhat straight-laced - it should relax and forget itself a bit. You couldn't say that about a bar a few streets away - it's the overfull Le Cox stuffed with butch manly men after a stuffing. It has good vibes and music. Happy hour is crowded (around 18h00) open every day, which makes it worth a visit both before or after dinner. | |
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freedj has a good vibe and cool football table. Nice music and crowd to go spend the night or have a
drink or two before you make it a bar-hop night. It's near loads of other bars and restaurants.
Also of note are the Gossip Cafe and Upper Cafe Les Halles are both informally chic drinking holes a few doors down from each other. | 
The Paris gay district and freedj - Photo: Bumblee_Dee
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The regular gay bars include Duplex Bar which is laid-back gay bar with art displays, plus happy hour specials, a mezzanine & a smoking room.
Also, La Boite a gay night bar in the heart of the city playing lots of different music each night.
Also worth a visit, Krash Bar which has turned into a cruise bar with cubicles, glory holes and a sling and Full Metal which is a famous cruising and leather bar with two darkrooms. It can be very crowded in weekends. Far more mean and moody is the cruisy Quetzal just along the road, pulling in an older no-nonsense crowd. But for some really serious man-on-man action, Paris has a wide range of men-only bars with titles like Le Keller and Le Mensch. | |
| Le Mensch is billed as a British pub with a Berlin atmosphere, but it's much more than that. Very much a dungeon style bar with a labyrinth of rooms full of guys having sex. They have special night for Master & Slaves, Dog training, Bondage, Latex, Uniforms, Fists, Fetishes, Golden Showers and Punishment. | 
Paris est fiere.e (Paris is Proud), Paris Pride
John Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
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Le Keller meanwhile is a historical and legendary club of the French hard and fetish gay scene for more than 45 years.
It differs from other sex clubs in Paris by the importance given to dresscode and its programming which is almost exclusively composed
of theme parties including Bondage, Fisting, SM, and several Fuck themes. It's a sex club for guys who enjoy unbridled sex without shame or complex.
Entre Deux Eaux used to be a bar to where you could bring your mother. However, their Naked Nights became so successful, they've turned the bar into a nude gay play and cruise club. They claim it's the only club where the bartenders are naked and you are welcome to have a quiet drink or play with some other guys. | |
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El Hombre is a small bar which turns out to be an Aladdin's Cave with an exciting bar and dance floor downstairs. Lots of great music
and everyone happy dancing the night away.
Also worth a mention is Le Bunker which is now more than ever focussed on hard gay cruising: showers, glory holes,
slings, darkroom and cubicals.
Le Secteur X is just a 3 min walk from The Centre Pompidou and and their friendly bar team are happy to welcome you every day. Conviviality, good humor and good hot moments are on the program - they hold Fetish Nights, Skinheads and Bastards Night, Brutal Nights and even a Piss-In Night. | 
Parisian in a jock - Photo: Neil Sidhoum |
| L'Impact Paris is a naked cruising bar and one of the most popular gay sex clubs in Paris - it's even known abroad. On the ground floor of L'Impact Bar, you will find a bar area, where you will undress before putting your clothes in a plastic bag at the cloakroom. Downstairs there are typical Parisian cellars, where the action is: cabins without doors, slings, glory holes. They host theme nights including horse men, two for one, and hot dog party just to name a few. If you're shy when you come in, you won't stay shy for long. Lots of lube around and some condoms. Not a lot of guys wanting to use the condoms though. Just one bathroom to cleanup but lots of fun facilities in the basement. | |
Bears Den has a small bar in the upstairs area so expect to be crowded. Downstairs is the
second bar but that's only open during karaoke nights. Great ambiance, super helpful and friendly bartenders. Highly recommended for the bear
crowd or those looking for a friendly change of scene.
One Way is also a Bear's bar with video room and sling in the cellar.
CLUBBINGFor those more innocent clubbing pleasures? Le Gibus is stylish yet uninhibited, for your true clubbing crowd, though perhaps now also a bit 'mixed' for some gay tastes. A warning: take out a bank loan to buy your drinks in any Paris club. |  A Paris queen at the Paris Queen |
SAUNAS & CRUISINGKey West is one of the busiest gay saunas in the world, with queues around the block on a Sunday afternoon! It boasts a vast steam room and an endless warren of cabins and wipe-down mattress spaces. And lots of young'ns. IDM is also worth a visit for steaming away any remaining spare Parisian moments. Their website gives you a really graphic indication of exactly what to expect when you visit.If you like cruising in the open air, try the Seine's Louvre Quay between the Pont Neuf and the Tuileries Gardens. Watch out though: it's very exposed - no bushes here - and so somewhat sordid, with occasional police patrols. | |
WHERE TO STAYOur hotel partners Booking can advise you on both gay hotels in Paris or gay friendly accommodation in the Gay Marais. You can book easily online from the wide range of suggestions. | |
| www.parismarais.com was created in 2005 by long term residents of Le Marais and is a comprehensive tourist website dedicated to the district. They also offer a choice of privately owned apartments from a single guestroom to a beautiful penthouse with jacuzzi. Studios start at around £360 a week, but you can get big discounts in July and August and there are special offers if you book well in advance. |
 Rent your own apartment in the Marais district |
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There are also many other bars, clubs, eateries, saunas, sex shops, boutiques and
ladies' venues - enough to fill a novella. But if you try out those suggested here
you'll have more than scratched the surface. Oh - I almost forgot to mention it -
Paris isn't half bad for romance either, if you're that way inclined, especially
walks along the Seine.
And of course, once you've explored Paris there's the rest of France to discover. Le Vieux Donjon is a recently opened gay guest house in a converted historic residence. Beautifully renovated rooms, sauna and pool just 90 minutes from Paris in Pressigny les Pins. And don't miss out on the gay-friendly Hotel Saintonge just to the north of the city, and every bit as convenient. It's another place to stay that's worth considering. Adrian Gillan travelled with Eurostar who'll take you effortlessly from London Waterloo to the heart of Paris in just three hours. For information and bookings call from the UK: 03432 186 186 or from outside the UK: +44 (0)1233 617 575. You can also visit www.eurostar.com | |
Book the best hotels at the best prices in all OutGoing Destinations including Paris. Visit our online booking partners - Booking.com for details of all their great deals.
Revised January 2024. |