N'Importe Quoi

Les Halles / Rivoli - 1er / 2eme, Paris –

Tucked on a side street of Les Halles and marked by the small crowd of smokers that’s usually huddled outside, N’Importe Quoi (No Matter What) is a tiny dive bar that translates the sense of restless desire of its name into never-ending drink specials.

Not much to look at inside or out, the bar’s main decorating theme is concert posters, promotional signs, sparse furnishings, a no-frills bar, and an equally unremarkable downstairs bar and dance floor.

The rest of the décor consists of remnants of years of partying and includes a number of sombreros, personal photos, and a collection of bras hanging above the bar – the result of the bar’s Operation Flash Boobs policy that awards free shots to girls who show their assets.

From the bottle-spinning bartenders to the rowdy crowd of students, there’s no doubt that N’Importe Quoi is a bar made for drinking and for ending up under the table – which might possibly explain why the prices and drink specials are written on the ceiling.

Lively and energetic, N’Importe Quoi is a simple dive that offers French character, cheap drinks, and raucous good times.