Foreign Parts

Foreign Exchange: Q&A/Q&R

I’d love to hear about your favorite places to hear music in Paris. Does Champagne flow like water in France? — Cynthia

(J’aimerais entendre vos endroits préférés à Paris pour écouter de la musique. Est-ce que le champagne coule comme l’eau en France?)

Oh, how I wish champagne poured from the taps! But the only place I’ve ever seen it flow so freely (in both senses of the word) is at the Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendents (that’s a mouthful) in Paris, a biannual expo where small producers sell their wines and champagnes to the public. It’s a fantastic event, totally unpretentious, and cheap to boot. Entry is 3€ and it includes a wine glass and all of the bubbly you can sample without falling over.

Now, about those music clubs. The good news is, most Parisian clubs are very atmospheric, especially if you’re a foreigner. The bad news is, many of them are pay-to-play, meaning musicians must rent out the spaces themselves and charge hefty admission prices to cover their costs. This makes it difficult to catch performances on the fly, as each act charges separate admission.

That said, there are some terrific clubs that are not pay-to-play:

La Flèche d'Or is located in an old railway station in the 20th arrondissement. It hosts three or four rock, pop and electro bands a night. Admission is usually free (but you must pay for coat check), the drinks are cheap and the crowd is always in the mood for fun.

Point Éphémère sits on the banks of the über-trendy Canal Saint-Martin. It’s a cool, low-key space for all genres of live music, art expositions and theater performances.

Batofar is a legend on the Seine. The club is located on an old fireboat that is moored on the river in the 13th arrondissement, and its program varies from jazz trios to Djs.

Next to Batofar is La Cabaret Pirate, an old wooden ship that looks like it was swiped from the set of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” The last time I was there, the entire ship was rocking to both the waves on the river and the old-time Manouche (gypsy music, as in the style of Django Reinhardt) band.

Showcase is the latest club to pop up on the Seine. It’s located in the 8th arrondissement, under Pont Alexandre III and is owned by the city government. It is not open every night, just when there’s an event.

For big-name acts, no place beats the Olympia, the city’s longest-running concert hall, where everyone from Edith Piaf to Babyshambles have performed. The place is gorgeous, historic and sized perfectly for live performance.

Finally, a great French site for nightlife listings is Parissi.com.

À AIMER: une noisette au comptoir

If I had just one hour in Paris this winter I’d spend it at the bar of a corner café with picture windows overlooking two intersecting streets. From there I could take it all in: the bar man frothing milk for my café noisette with his left hand while pouring a glass of white wine for himself with his right; the patrons huddled at tables over chocolat chaud or pots of tea; the endless stream of Parisians passing by en route to a film, a dinner, or home. My noisette would arrive piping hot and perfectly correct, meaning it would be served in a porcelain espresso cup, with a matching saucer, a silver spoon, a square of sugar, and a little treat: a chocolate-covered almond or tiny cookie. If I were French it would take me twenty minutes to finish my drink; being an American who only lives here it will perhaps take five.

When I first visited France, I downed a noisette in ten seconds and was out the door a minute later. Perhaps this is what a few years in Paris earns you: patience. And a taste for strong coffee, with a splash of frothed cream.