As a French queer woman, I can attest that Paris is not known to be the easiest place to meet other lesbians and WLW, you may struggle to find a place that works for you and makes you feel safe and comfortable. Well, search no more, Nonchalant, is here with the Ultimate Guide To Lesbian Bars & Nightlife Hotspots in Paris.
Figuring out what to do on Friday evening, when the night is still young, full of promises, and the possibilities seem endless can be thrilling, for some, and for others, it can be a bit of a headache. Whether you’ve just moved to the new city of Paris and you’re overwhelmed with options, you’re spending the weekend travelling with your friends and are looking for the perfect club (or lesbian bar) or you simply want to find a new cool bar to impress your hot and worldly date, finding the right spot can be really difficult. And as a WLW, that task can be even more challenging. You may decide to go out after a long and hard day, looking to relax, maybe even find a lovely gal with whom to compare your birth chart and discuss your favourite Phoebe Bridgers’ song. But somehow you’ll find yourself surrounded by men in vests discussing the stock market, thinking: “How the hell did I end up here ?”, and questioning every life decision that brought you to this point.
Our List of lesbian bars in Paris and hotspots
La Champmesle
4 Rue Chabanais, 75002 Paris
Let’s start our journey at the very beginning with La Champmesle, legend has it that this is the first lesbian bar in Paris, it opened in the late 1970s.
Walking down la rue Chabanais you’ll be intrigued by the deep blue bar and its bright neon sign, once you’ll have walked through the doors, you’ll be welcomed by Josy the founder of La Champmesle.
On the menu, at La Champmesle you’ll find dancing, drinking, beautiful art on the walls, cabaret shows and even tarot reading on Tuesday.
Although it’s a mainly lesbian spot, other queer people and allies are welcome at La Champmesle.
La Mutinerie
176, Rue Saint Martin, 75003 Paris
La Mutinerie is a bar situated in Le Marais, a historic district, which became a centre of LGBTQIA+ culture in the 1980s. There you can find plenty of LGBTQ+ friendly bars, clubs, restaurants and bookshops, it’s a place of self-expression and acceptance.
La Mutinerie is self-described as “a feminist bar, a space run by and for us queers, women, trans people, dykes, and bis.” The bar is run by a collective composed of women and trans people. It’s a safe space with solidarity, self-determination and consent as its core values.
La Mutinerie celebrates the queer culture and queer artists, there you’ll be able to enjoy a night out with music, dancing and drinks, but La Mutinerie is also a queer space which fosters political discussions and actions with creative writing workshops, self-defence classes, queer feminist stand-up and drag shows.
La Mutinerie was the first queer bar I ever went to, when I had just moved to Paris at 18, freshly out of school, it’s the perfect place to meet new people, and maybe if you’re lucky, make lifelong friends.
I can only describe this bar as the epitome of cool, the colours, the furniture, the posters on the wall, the music, the ambience, the chats. You’ll leave La Mutinerie feeling excited and inspired.
Le Bar’Ouf
182 Rue Saint-Martin, 75003 Paris
Just a minute’s walk from La Mutinerie you’ll find Le Bar’Ouf, it was founded by two women, who wanted to share their love with others. Stepping inside Le Bar’ouf, feels like coming home, there’s a warmth and simplicity to it, it’s a celebration of friendship and there you’ll experience first-hand the French “convivialité”.
One of the things which makes le Bar’Ouf stand out is the number of games you’ll be able to play or lose at, there; card and board games, billiard and even scrabble if you’re coming with your grandma.
It’s the perfect place to have a fun night out with a group of friends, relax and enjoy life for a little bit.
Le bonjour madame
40 rue de Montreuil 75011 Paris
Le Marais is not the only place where you can find queer spots. Le Bonjour Madame, situated in the 11th arrondissement, is a cultural bar rooted in political activism and feminism. The bar often hosts concerts, art and burlesque shows but also workshops, classes and many debates on topics such as gender and trans identity, decolonization, violence or climate awareness.
Le Bonjour Madame is an inclusive and welcoming place where you’ll be able to deconstruct social expectations and gender roles amongst other women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
With its light brown brick walls, wooden furniture and low-light lamps, le Bonjour Madame feels both relaxing and stimulating. In a world where you can often feel overwhelmed or paralysed by current events, le Bonjour Madame gives you the opportunity to take action, contribute, to add your stone to the edifice of social change.
The Wet For Me Parties
And finally, if you’re looking to party till your feet are sore, make out with a hot French stranger on the dance floor or spend the night half-naked without ever being bothered by annoying men, a Wet For Me party is the perfect event for you.
The Wet For Me dyke parties began in 2008 when the feminist/lesbian collective Barbi(e)turix decided to organize the first of many parties.
The collective is Self-financed and composed of a team of 15 volunteers, it’s a site, a fanzine, but above all, it is unforgettable parties, like the Clito Rise, La Méchante Soirée or WET FOR ME.
The Wet For Me parties celebrate queer culture and young artists, performers, and DJs. It’s a night made by and for women, where men, as long as they’re respectful, are welcomed.
The Wet For Me parties are held in different party spots all around Paris, like la Machine at The Moulin Rouge or le Cabaret Sauvage.
A night spent at a Wet For Me party will be filled with so much joy and excitement that you’ll never want it to end.
Thanks for checking out our article on hotspots and lesbian bars in Paris. If you’re jet set and you travel often, then check out our article on lesbian bars in London, or how about checking out the lesbian bars in New York too?
Let us know if we’ve missed any hotspots by commenting below.
Nonchalant x
