La Fourmi

Pigalle - 9eme, Paris –

The name La Fourmi (The Ant) suits this bar and café well, an unassuming, hipster hotspot that passersby could easily miss amid sex shop-riddled Pigalle’s larger distractions.

Very much a local’s scene where artists and music lovers gather for drinks, the venue draws its eclectic crowd from the surrounding area, which – on top of the porn – is home to a good number of concert venues.

Just off the busy Rue Rochechouart, the space is a modernized French café with authentic wood furnishings updated with suspended wrought-iron lighting and a glass bottle chandelier.

There is nothing commercial about this joint, and its original industrial style sets a mellow mood for its genial, low-key clientele. Although it’s a popular hangout, the roomy interior and outdoor seating allows everyone enough breathing room to be comfortable, at least before 11pm – after that, the bar is usually packed to capacity.

Located directly across the street from Le Divan du Monde, La Fourmi serves as a fantastic pre- or post-show watering hole, but it’s also a great place to people-watch anytime.