French Love Bar

Champs-Élysées - 8eme, Paris –

Modern-day Valmonts (à la Dangerous Liaisons) searching for a hideaway for discreet tête-a-têtes need look no further than French Love, a semi-private late-night bar designed just for this purpose.

Those stealing away for a bit of intimate conversation may ring the bell of the unmarked door along the Champs-Élysées, and then step freely into the hush-hush and somewhat pretentious atmosphere where other couples have sequestered themselves into dark corners.

French Love has chosen a surprisingly playful décor that is oddly juxtaposed against the otherwise quiet and seductive environment. The sober black bar offers brightly colored candies instead of olives, for example, while a traditional English phone booth serves as a cold-weather fumoir.

These details are joined by a wall painted with palm fronds, a small altar and crucifix, and a collection of 1980s video games that amuse patrons as they wait in line at the restroom. Perhaps the only nods to the bar’s romantic purposes are the ceiling illuminated to resemble a starry night sky and a large mural of Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss.”

Although some late-night partiers may stroll in for a nightcap after 2am, French Love generally maintains a calm and understated vibe that’s less about mingling and more about the murmur of private, one-on-one chats. Ah, l’amour!