Jazz behind Moulin Rouge and Alice in the Marais...

Sometimes I forget how much I adore living in a city like Paris. This normally happens when I've spent all day with two 6-year olds who make me want to tear my hair out (just kidding, kind of). But then I experience the places I am about to tell you about and I remember the awesomeness of Paris and French culture and wonder how I am ever able to forget that feeling.

The first place I want to tell you about is a jazz bar behind the Moulin Rouge. I stumbled in here quite by accident, proceeded down the spiral stone steps into the basement (most live music in Pars is held underground, they have so many old dungeons for space! I love it) and found a vibrant jazz bar called Autour de Midi. The band was tres francais, they loved their music and blended together like age old friends, which most of them probably were. They did more than blend musically, they bounced off each other. Members of the band came onto the stage and were replaced or joined by others as the night went on. A singer also appeared and she was truly amazing: her silky yet husky voice complimented the music perfectly. Entrance was "libre" and the waiter brought us our beers promptly but appeared unfussed whether we ordered or not (it was an inconvenience to his enjoyment of the music if anything, but the atmosphere was like this and he fitted in). We seemed to be the only non-French people in the place; to my right were a gang of stoned looking teenagers, to my left a group of older ladies enveloped in vintage couture and whose excessive plastic surgery did not effect their ability to enjoy the music before them (although it did prevent them from smiling).
A gold find, I will be going there again. Please note the photo in this case is not mine, but has been googled just to give you a taste of the place! http://www.autourdemidi.fr/

There is a small tea room (yes tea, not coffee, although this is France and you can of course order a delicious coffee almost anywhere) hidden in a corner of the Marais. The place is called Le Loir dans la Theiere - roughly translated as the mouse in the teapot. The tea room presents an Alice in Wonderland theme - hence the name in recognition of the Mad Hatter and friends tea party. It is altogether much more Lewis Carroll than Disney, and I mean this in a good way. There are fresh home made cakes on display, no menu is available but think of a hot drink you'd like and chances are they'll make it for you. The place is filled with trendy indie-looking young people gossiping over thick hot chocolate. The staff are much the same as the clientele and the atmosphere is relaxed yet buzzing. A very cosy and lively place to go on a cold winter's day.

Le Loir dans la Théière, 3, Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris

I have more to say on a couple of other hotspots but will save this for my next post.

A bientot xxx