Paris nightlife is a bit more subdued. What it lacks in disco, it more than makes up for in elegant, quaint restaurants, many of which can be far off and away from the tourist areas. Many of these "Mom and Pop" restaurants are family owned, and specialize in authentic french cuisine, often bought fresh that day, and prepared for you just hours later. Many of the smaller restaurants will post their hand written menu just outside the front doors, so that passers by can read what is being served without disrupting guests inside.

After a delictible dinner, walking around the city at night is wonderfully entertaining itself, and is a great way to walk off those filling dinners. If you need to rest your weary feet, you can always stop at many of the beautiful cafe's scattered throughout the city. These Paris coffee houses serve up more than delicious coffee and sodas. You can choose from a selection of draft beers, both domestic and imported or even a glass of wine or mixed drink of your choice.

If you're looking for live music, many of the smaller pubs around the city will hang posters announcing the live music for the evening. My cousin and I came across one of these very places not far from The notre Dame cathedral, just on the other side of the river Sienne. There was plenty of room for dancing as a French rick band played music to kick your heels up to!

The bars are a great atmosphere to just immerse yourself in Paris nightlife. One of my favorite nights there was a walk up past the location of the original Moulin Rouge, up the hill toward The Sacre Coure Cathedral one evening. We stopped at a bar in the way up the hill for a Guiness, and continued our journey to the top of the hill, which looks down on much of Paris and the twinkly lights below.