Lounge Royal Restaurant

17eme, Paris –

To the unsuspecting observer, Lounge Royal Restaurant looks like just another chic eatery – not exactly a scarcity on the blocks that surround the Arc de Triomphe – but this haughty hangout is also home to a cave-like subterranean lounge that attracts a trendy weekend party crowd.

The chill daytime scene finds groups of ladies on a break from a Champs-Élysées shopping spree settled in on the cream-colored chairs in the restaurant, where they snack on roasted cheeses and smoked salmon salads, and maybe tip a few glasses of chilled white wine before venturing out to max the Amex at a nearby boutique.

A sparse décor creates an airy space, with bright purple walls and drapes offset by a few large flat-screens and little else, but patrons experience a stark change in the vibe once they descend into the sultry playground below.

More vampire dungeon than girly lunch locale, the basement lounge features white stone walls and long lines of red velvet chairs around dark black tables, where late on Friday and Saturday nights, cliques of classy friends congregate to pop bottles and swill fruity cocktails from the tiny bar.

As DJs spin Top 40 and house, green strobes and hidden backlights transitioning from blue to red to purple cast shadows over the sexy revelers, who dance well into the next morning. A mellow lunch, a moody lounge, and a high-octane party await at Lounge Royal Restaurant, making it a great club alternative without sacrificing style.