Au P'tit Garage

Bastille / Oberkampf - 11eme, Paris –

Crafted in the same spirit as New York’s classic punk bars CBGB and Mars Bar, Au P’tit Garage – or Garage Bar, as it is locally known – is all about two things: really loud music and cheap beer, and lots of both.

Housed in a converted garage complete with rolling-door entrance, Garage Bar’s reputation as the punk headquarters of Oberkampf saves it from being just another dive bar, despite appearances.

Except for the graffiti, concert posters, and hand-written signs, the cramped, bare-bones space is dusty and undecorated, though the living-room feel of the back room does offer a touch more comfort.

The best feature of the front bar area is the staff of tough and sometimes rude bartenders who must contend with the demanding crowd of leather-and-torn-jeans types.

Garage Bar and the surrounding area are known for attracting an occasional late-night brawl, so some discretion is advised for the uninitiated who may be visiting for the first time.

Despite being rough around the edges, however, Garage Bar and its clientele combine to create a liberal and even friendly vibe, perhaps due to the shared enjoyment of reasonable prices and rare punk rock music.