Wine Bars--Many Parisians now prefer wine bars to traditional cafes or bistros. The food is often better and the ambience more inviting.

Bars & Pubs--These "imported" places trying to imitate American cocktail bars or British pubs mostly strike an alien chord. But that doesn't prevent fashionable Parisians from barhopping (not to be confused with cafe-sitting). Many bars in Paris are youth-oriented. But if you're an older traveler who prefers to take your expensive drink in one of the grand luxe bars of the world, Paris has those as well. The bars at the Plaza Athénée, Crillon, and Ritz, for example, are among the grandest in the world and provide a uniquely Parisian experience to those who want to don their finest apparel and take along a gold-plated credit card. In general, bars and pubs are open daily from 11am to 1:30am.