Travel Online

Set in a seedy section of the rue Montmartre, this ‘zarbi’round-the-clock bar is easily spotted – it’s the one that looks like a Swiss chalet, its two-storeys shadowed by the six-storey buildings on either side. Inside it looks and feels a lot like a junk shop, with a fin-de-siècle glass screen here, a hideous lumpy green statue there, bar stools made out of old bus stop signs, coins set into the floor, an old post box set into the bar, shelves full of books and an ancient Métro map on the wall. The customers are a mixed bag too – on our visit, a heavy man with a handlebar moustache was bellowing out passionate opinions about art, ignored by the bar staff; we assumed he was a regular. The rest included a few men in smart suits, also clearly regulars, and a sprinkling of young student types writing letters. Drinks are reasonably priced and the staff are cheerful. One of a kind.