La Champmeslé -- with dim lighting, background music, and comfortable banquettes -- is a cozy meeting place for lesbians (and even for "well-behaved" gay men). It's housed in a 300-year-old building with exposed stone and ceiling beams and 1950s-style furnishings. On Thursday and Saturday, one of the premier lesbian events of Paris, a cabaret, begins at 10pm; every month there's a well-attended exhibit of paintings by mostly lesbian artists. The bar honors a celebrated 17th-century actress, La Champmeslé, who was instrumental in interpreting the fledgling dramatic efforts of celebrated playwright Racine.