Café Charbon

Bastille / Oberkampf - 11eme, Paris –

A former coal merchant’s shop, Café Charbon has been hosting an animated bohemian crowd for over a hundred years, playing host to a chill daytime scene and cozy little late-night dance sessions most nights.

The coal shop’s original black iron skeleton and high ceilings have been fitted with elegant lighting, detailed wood paneling, large mirrors, and elevated murals depicting 19th-century Parisian life, all of which give the café a certain old-city authenticity even as the modern furnishings bring it into the current century.

The intriguing French café manages to meld the old and new not only in its décor, but also in its customers; a mix of young and old who create a lively atmosphere and infuse the place with local flavor throughout the week.

DJs usually start playing lounge music from 10pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, and at midnight the staff turns down the lights, a bouncer shows up at the door, and it becomes more of a dancing bar until 2 or even as late as 4am.

It all comes together into one of the most vibrant spots in the area, making Café Charbon a unique setting in which to eat, people-watch, or just to mingle and bump hips with a colorful crowd.