A Parisian Night

It was one of those nights – an ‘I’ll just have one’, ‘we’ll just stay ten more minutes’ sort of night. We had ended up in ‘Le Chat Noir’ in Pigalle. A pianist struck up some sultry dinner music on an impressive-looking grand piano while I ate my Beef Bourguignon. The wine was going down nicely and the warm city air was alive with a steady hum of people and traffic.
Sure enough, once we’d polished off some hearty French food and listened to our fill of piano music, we were ready to explore. We didn’t get far before we happened upon Bistrot 82. The garish neon sign was uninspiring, but the glass doors were folded open allowing the enticing atmosphere to spill out on to the street. We wandered in.
It was still early and the bar (although we didn’t realise it yet), was still quiet. Drinks were ordered and we settled ourselves by the open glass doors. Steadily, it began to fill up. The people spilling in all seemed to know the bartenders and were chatting animatedly to each other.
After an hour or so, a man walked in with a battered acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder. He sat on an empty bench and began to play. The guitar was covered in masking tape but it sounded fantastic. He played for a while on his own until a few more guys joined him – one playing the bongo drums, one with maracas and another with a saxophone. The bar was full to the brim with people – some standing in the street to listen to the music - and the atmosphere was electric.
Everyone danced and sang along to the music. The makeshift band played upbeat acoustic renditions of popular songs in French. We couldn’t help but dance. While the band played, the bartenders entertained. At one point, the bar was literally alight – the blue flames lapping up the spilt alcohol. It felt as though we had walked into some surreal alternate universe.
We stayed all night and danced to the Metro on our way home, surrounded by the beautiful architecture of Paris that everyone seems to know and love. Initially, we had planned to go and see the Eifel Tower twinkling in the twilight but instead we spent the evening dancing with the locals.
Sometimes the hidden gem we seek sneaks up on us in the most unlikely of places. The bar doesn’t look like much and would be easily passed by during the day, but on the right night it bubbles with an effervescent energy enticing in those lucky enough to stumble upon it.