Famed with multiple titles like the ‘Fashion Capital of the World’ and ‘Romantic Capital of the World’, Paris offers a lot more than whatever one can expect before stepping into World’s most exciting cities. Going from India, one can expect a stark cultural difference, from what you experience in other cosmopolitan cities like London and New York. Lesser familiar Indian faces, lesser Indian food (which is now easier to find in London than in Mumbai sometimes) and dealing in a language almost unknown to most Indian travellers.
But then, that is the charm of Paris - a city so unknown and yet one of the most popular destinations of the world, a city that literally never sleeps and a city that has a nightlife which extends like a long dark tunnel into the abyss.
Rightly so, it was An Evening in Paris, which set the path for revolutionary change in the portrayal of Indian female identity with Sharmila Tagore’s first-ever bikini appearance. Such was the cultural impact of a movie set in Paris. And more so, when Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore romantically crooned on ‘Raat ke humsafar, thak ke ghar ko chale’ on the streets of Paris, it very well displayed the then beautifully-lit nights of Paris.
Over 50 years after that song, Paris’ nightlife has evolved and yet remained the same in a very philosophical manner. One of the perfect embodiments of this emotion is the long-standing Harry’s New York Bar which prides itself in its history of over 100 years, having been founded in 1911. Primely located at 5, Rue Daunou, the vibe and setting of Harry’s New York Bar still transports you back to the mid-20th century nightlife of Paris.
Boasting itself to be the inventor of some iconic, globally popular cocktails like Bloody Mary, Sidecar and French 75, Harry’s New York Bar still offers the same classics. Much like the early 1900s, when the bar was opened with the concept of welcoming the expatriates and making the American tourists feel at home, the bar with its welcoming staff and old-school classic cocktails still manages to do the same. Sitting here, you could almost imagine a song like ‘Raat ke humsafar, thak ke ghar ko chale’ coming to life.
It is also imperative to consider this evolution of welcoming tourists and expatriates with places like Harry’s, coming from the city of Moulin Rouge founded in 1889, still standing strong. The club is not only the house of iconic cabaret and can-can dance but also stands as an iconic symbol of a period when Paris was witnessing industrialisation and capitalism seeping into the economic development.
Such is the modernity and progressive approach of the city, which now also is the home of new-age modern bars like Le Syndicat. Only over 7-8 years old, Le Syndicat has featured regularly among the World’s 50 Best Bars, making modern cocktails with the confluence of gastronomy and mixology in their own lab. However, even with this modern approach, it is notable how this Parisian haunt is patriotic in its essence much like 100-year-olds such as Harry’s. They use only French-made liquor and have collaborated with six extremely popular French chefs to create 12 exclusive artisanal cocktails.
Unassuming in its exterior located quietly at 51 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, and happening to the core from the insides where you will often find people standing across the small bar grooving to the French hip-hop music.
Such is the vibe of Paris which stands strong in its cultural roots and historic icons like Harry’s and Moulin Rouge while embracing modernity probably faster than any other city in the World by housing places like Le Syndicat.
And this blend will probably hit you differently with a cozy visit to the artistic heritage neighbourhood of Montmartre in Paris. With the towering presence of Sacre Coeur, providing the perfect backdrop, you will find hundreds of artists painting and selling art in the central quadrangle surrounded by happening bars and pubs. Pass through this neighbourhood on a cold Parisian evening with a glass of Mulled Wine (or Vin Chaud) and appreciate how Paris has remained the same in its essence of modern nightlife from Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila’s Raat ke Humsafar to the current Gen Z’s Instagram-worthy clubs, and yet evolved from being the inventor of classics like Bloody Mary to now creating artisanal cocktails for the World to remember for the next 100 years.
Such is Paris.
(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
