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BAR

The eight wackiest bars you can find in Paris

Paris has its fair share of outlandish bars. From Mexican wrestling to Siberian temperatures, there's something for all tastes.

Published: 26 August 2015 17:55 CEST
The eight wackiest bars you can find in Paris
Paris has its fair share of crazy cocktail bars. Photo: Dana Albers/Flickr

Urgence Bar

Dying for a drink? Why not add a sense of urgency to your evening and head to this wacky bar, which translates as Emergency Bar.

As you may have guessed from the name, the bar has a medical theme. Cocktails have names like “laxative” and “Viagra” and are served in feeding bottles or fake syringes while shots are served in phials. Discounts are offered for doctors and healthcare professionals.

Address: 45 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 6th arrondissement

Metro: Cluny-La Sorbonne

(Photo: Urgence Bar/Facebook)

Le Lèche-vin

A pilgrimage to this outlandish bar is an absolute must (just as long as you’re not a devout Catholic.)

Every inch of wall is covered with images of Jesus and other various religious paraphernalia. But the religion stops there. Go to the bathroom and you’ll find the walls plastered with porn.

Address: Rue Daval, 11th arrondissement

Metro: Bastille

(Photo: ash_crow/Flickr)

Orange Mécanique

Taking its name from Kubrick’s The Clockwork Orange, this bar is a shrine to quality cinema and 60s/70s rock.

If that doesn’t turn you on then its cheap happy hour prices (6-8pm) and eclectic range of cocktails certainly will.

Address: 72 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 11th arrondissement

Metro: Parmentier

(Photo: Orange Mécanique/Facebook)

Zéro de conduite

Feeling nostalgic for your childhood? Head to this cartoon-themed bar where you can spend your time watching your favourite animations and playing board games. 

The cocktails are served in baby bottles and are all named after cartoon characters. Oh, and if you want to order something you need to draw a character of your own.

Address: 14 Rue Jacob, 6th arrondissement

Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés

(Photo: Zéro de Conduite/Facebook)

Ice Kube bar

So it might not be the cheapest bar in Paris but it’s most definitely the coolest. After all, it is made entirely from ice.

With an entry fee of €38 you’ll have access to the bar for half an hour where you’ll be given a warm coat and gloves to help you withstand the below freezing temperatures and cocktails.

Address: 5 Passage Ruelle, 18th arrondissement

Metro: La Chappelle

(Photo: Ice Kube Bar/Facebook)

Eva Pritsky

An antique shop and bistro by day and bar by night, this bar attracts an artistic crowd.

Where else can you enjoy an apéritif with friends before walking away with the chair you sat on?

Address: 5 Rue d'Eupatoria, 20th arrondissement

Metro: Ménilmontant 

(Photo: Mitch Altman/Flickr)

La Lucha Libre

You don't get more unique than a Mexican bar in Paris with a wrestling ring in the basement. 

Either watch the professionals battle it out at a safe distance or don a sumo suit and have a go yourself after downing one (or two) of the bar's famous mojitos.

Address: 10 Rue de la Montagne Sainte Geneviève, 5th arrondissement

Metro: Maubert-Mutualité

Candelaria

At first glance this is just a taco bar. But behind an unmarked door at the back of the restaurant hides a candle-lit cocktail lounge.

Come here some of the best cocktails in the city including the guêpe verte or green wasp, with tequila, lime, pepper, cucumber, spices and agave syrup.

Address: 52 Rue de Saintonge, 3rd arrondissement

Metro: Filles du Calvaire

(Photo: Candelaria/Facebook)

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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