Paris "Black Tie"???

[hectorm]

Hectorm: Did some web browsing about the L´Elysée Montmartre night club, and it looks fantastic. Right up our (Pig)-Alley. (I hear your groans). Keep those great ideas coming!!!

Le Bal de L`Elysée is in a category by itself and -given the few clues about yourself that you passed along- I strongly believe you will enjoy it. I hope you´ll be in Paris on the 15th of the month.
I also thought that you would really enjoy sipping a Calvados cocktail at the Hemingway bar at The Ritz.
I´m not a Paris expert. Pierre seems to be much more knowledgeable. I´m just a frequent visitor with a knack for things old fashioned.
A few other ideas (more or less out of the ordinary) -for your "black tie" Paris- might be Club Silencio in Montmartre; one of the jazz clubs by Rue de Lombards; or the O Chateau wine tasting feast at Madame de Pompadour´s old town house.

[Pierre Spies]

L'Arc is not what I am looking for (and am sure you're not either): extremely show off and crappy music.

Haven't been to Les Bains Douches for years. Baron is a little bit washed up but still nice to go if you like to party in a 5sqm room. other clubs in that range include le Madam for instance.

Lately, I've been most enjoying going to bars in my dear city, so I guess that's all I can tell about nightclubs. oh, the Bus Palladium is a good one too.

Regarding places to act all lazy in summer afternoons I'd recommend:

- Jardin du Luxembourg. Don't forget to pay a visit to:
a) Patisserie Mulot (http://www.gerard-mulot.com/ 76 rue de Seine): their orange/Cinnamon macaron is to die for. Forget LaDurée. Other delicacies I'd recommend would be the Amarylis (cake made of two macaron shell, filled with creme patissiere, raspberries and almonds mmmh)
b) Chocolate maker Patrick Roger (http://www.patrickroger.com/en/index.php 108 boulevard Saint Germain): forget about Pierre Hermé. Best quality in town (IMO). His feuilleté noir will take you to heaven. (If you need confirmation on this, just ask Costi )
c) all the art galeries down the rue de Seine and rue des Beaux arts
d) go have a drink at the bar of "L'Hotel", rue des beaux arts: really nice atmosphere and good cocktails.


- Canal Saint Martin: much more "parisian bobo" but the atmosphere is really nice. lots and lots of bars and restaurants, could not recommend one in particular. Hotel du Nord (after the famous movie) is nice. But just sitting by the canal to drink your beer is enough.
One great place next to the Canal Saint Martin is Café A (http://www.parisbouge.com/articles/le-c ... parle-665/ 148 rue du faubourg Saint-Martin,), a former convent with the nicest terrace. You can also watch a show / party at the Point Ephemere (http://www.pointephemere.org/ 200 quai de valmy) which has a really good music schedule - and a nice terrace.

- Go have a picnic in the parc de la Villette

- Go picnic in the Parc de Sceaux (outside of Paris)


Regarding bars, I mostly go out around where I live (9th, 18th arrondissement, Montmartre). You can find some really great bars in the Abbesses neighborhood (Pigalle), or in the 9th arrondissement in the rue des Martyrs. Nice restaurants there too. Go have a brunch at La Maison Mere (http://lamaisonmere.fr/) and at the Hotel Amour (http://www.hotelamourparis.fr/).
One place is either a total win or forgettable: Le Blue Note (http://www.lebluenoteparis.com/ (14 rue Muller)). Last time I went there there was a band playing typical Ivory Coast music, with 99% of the attendance being guys from back home, dancing like crazy and with such happiness you couldn't do anything but go on the dancefloor and be the silly white man looking dumb trying to dance like the Black ones... they also serve the strongest Cuba Libre I've ever tasted. Other fun times can include chatting with the Burundi Ambassador's son about Black Flag and other punk bands...
Other places I'd go to are bars around the Cour des petites ecuries/rue du faubourg poissoniere. Will post names when they come back to my mind.
Oh, go have a brunch at the Mama shelter (http://www.mamashelter.com/en/paris/food-drink/) really, really good one. Need to book early! On the other side of the street you have La Fleche d'Or, a former train station transformed into a concert place/ nightclub. Most of the time shows are free. Really worth a loo (http://www.flechedor.fr/Accueil/ 102 rue de bagnolet).


All of this may not be "old fashioned" alas...

[Pierre Spies]

Forgot one thing. About private clubs, one I used to go to have fun with my rugby team mates is "Le 41" rue Quincampoix. It's a "libertarian" nightclub, so not exactly like Les Chandelles.

Great stuff can happen there, but maybe it wouldn't be as exciting for an American, but I do remember a night involving CAC 40 companies' CEOs leading us back to his 400sqm flats on the Seine river, then getting a robe on to react Marilyn Monroe... Anyway, the 41 is always fun times but maybe less classy than les Chandelles (which I do not know).

[Arpey]

... Regarding bars, I mostly go out around where I live (9th, 18th arrondissement, Montmartre). You can find some really great bars in the Abbesses neighborhood (Pigalle), or in the 9th arrondissement in the rue des Martyrs. ....
All of this may not be "old fashioned" alas...

You are a fund of information. Thank you.

We will be staying in the 9th arrondissement, walking distance from Madeleine, so your insights are quite helpful.

[Pierre Spies]

Pay a visit to Hediard on the place de la Madeleine, they have really nice fruits jellies and most of all, if you like almonds, their "massepains" are a treat.

[hectorm]

Patisserie Mulot: their orange/Cinnamon macaron is to die for. Forget LaDurée.

All of this may not be "old fashioned" alas...

Pierre: I´m taking notes myself for my next trip.
It´s wonderful to see Paris through the fresh eyes of a 28 year old, and one well informed and with good taste like you.

Arpey: please DO NOT forget Ladurée. While Gerard Mulot is a pastry superstar and may make a better orange-cinammon macaron, there is nothing like seating by the window in the Salon Castiglione (request firmly), upstairs at Ladurée Champs Elysées. Call me "old fashioned".

[Arpey]

... It´s wonderful to see Paris through the fresh eyes of a 28 year old, ..."

"You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know."
(Father and Son, by Cat Stevens)

[Pierre Spies]

Yes In fact maybe do not skip LaDurée, it still is a nice moment to spend.

Another idea : you can consider eating at the Jules Verne, restaurant in the Tour Eiffel; Pretty good food, and the view is naturally great.

[Arpey]

While Hediard and Ladurée are indeed very nice, we prefer the sweet delicacies at Pink Paradise @ 51 rue de Ponthieu.

For the most part, except to hit some salons & stores for her and getting the taps on the Westons replaced, we don't intend to wake up until after stalwart locales such as Hediard and Ladurée close their doors; breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. After all, as mentioned in the original post (and the rethinking of the original question), this is a celebration of excess and not the tours of the blue-haired Red Hat Society. I'll leave "old fashioned" to others, as I was once twenty-eight and have no desire to return to my youth. "Ah, but I was so much older then / I'm younger than that now"

While everyone has been extremely helpful (with special appreciation to both hectorm & Pierre Spies), and it has been a sincere pleasure to converse with y'all to take your take on things, from these post so far we are planning to include: Le Bal de L`Elysée, Le Blue Note & Rosa Bonheur.

And, if Rosa Bonheur can make a good Bloody Mary and add some orange juice to the champagne, all the better {for a Sunday brunch} to "get there pretty early (5pm), get drunk and dance until 00h when it closes" before heading off to other places.

Keep those great decadently elegant suggestions coming!

[hectorm]

Keep those great decadently elegant suggestions coming!

Then, given your planned schedule, why not try a champagne bar for breakfast?
I love the Parisian approach to champagne by which they (old and young) take it as a "normal" drink.
There are several "easy" places (like the chain "Wine and Bubbles) in which you can sip endless varieties, but my best bet (for decadent surroundings and ambiance) would be some of the specialty champagne bars like the Veuve Clicquot bar La Grande Dame (at the Hotel Sezz by the Trocadero).

[Arpey]

Keep those great decadently elegant suggestions coming!

Then, given your planned schedule, why not try a champagne bar for breakfast?
I love the Parisian approach to champagne by which they (old and young) take it as a "normal" drink.
There are several "easy" places (like the chain "Wine and Bubbles) in which you can sip endless varieties, but my best bet (for decadent surroundings and ambiance) would be some of the specialty champagne bars like the Veuve Clicquot bar La Grande Dame (at the Hotel Sezz by the Trocadero).

Now you're talking! You're cooking with gas, my friend. Great suggestion!

[Costi]

b) Chocolate maker Patrick Roger (http://www.patrickroger.com/en/index.php 108 boulevard Saint Germain): forget about Pierre Hermé. Best quality in town (IMO). His feuilleté noir will take you to heaven. (If you need confirmation on this, just ask Costi )

[Luca]

On the issue of black tie.
I should imagine the weather could e a bit hot for it.
Other than that, just because localsdon't wear it, I don't see why you shouldn't... just "pour epater le BoBo..."
I mean, how tiresome to even consider how the less sartorially elightneed diport themselves...
It's even worse in Italy; (almost) always correct - hardly ever interesting.

[Arpey]

Other than that, just because locals don't wear it, I don't see why you shouldn't... ."

Because it's best to remain quiet and not bring attention to one-selves in public.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do," (Cum Romanum venio...), is a very sage proverb.

[Arpey]

- Go have a picnic in the parc de la Villette

- Go picnic in the Parc de Sceaux (outside of Paris)

More like getting a case of Bollinger along with some bread & cheese, and having a picnic on the balcony between getting up and heading back to the sack.