Akram Kahn
  • 25
  • Feb
  • 2011

Akram Kahn (with Vertical Road).At the Théâtre de la Ville from 4 to 13 March.

Akram Kahn is one of the great choreographes of this time. His dancers are like angels who observe the Earth in its crazy tredmill .

A new step, for dance… New movement and a deep dramaturgie.

Théâtre de la Ville, 2 Place Châtelet, 75004 Paris, tel 01 42 74 22 77, M° Châtelet.

Café Constant
  • 19
  • Feb
  • 2011
Situated in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, at the corner of rue Saint Dominique and rue Augereau, a short distance from Le Violon d’Ingres and Les Cocottes, the Café Constant is a local café where you will often find Catherine and Christian Constant, as well as all the locals. They opened in 2003. At Café Constant, they serve traditional café food.

« Here, I cook traditional café food inspired by my mother’s recipes. It’s a place where you can come for a coffee and a croissant in the morning, lunch and a apéritif……to cut it short, a real Parisien café ». Christian Constant.
Christian Constant got his inspiration at home from his mother . He worked at Ledoyen, but gave Les Ambassadeurs, the restaurant of The Ritz,  two Michelin stars and inspired a new generation of bistro-chefs.
Bistro Constant, 139,Rue Saint-Dominique , 75007 Paris, tel. 01 47 53 73 34, M° Ecole Militaire . Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 8-23h (lunch 12-14.30h, until 17h with an afternoon menu – dinner 19-23h) No reservations.




Paris’ Alternative Nightlife V
  • 14
  • Feb
  • 2011

Text: Rooksana Hossenally for Vingt Paris
Needless to say that Paris doesn’t quite have a bustling nightlife to rival London or New York, but it does have its fair share of quirky and traditional bars, restaurants and cabarets, as well as a number of alternative arty music events in venues all over the city. Popular with the capital’s ‘in’ crowd, venues like La Bellevilloise and La Maroquinerie in the 20th, Point Ephémère in the 10th, Glaz’Art in the 19th and Mains d’Oeuvres at Porte de Saint-Ouen are experiencing a rise in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. The events held at these venues often combine art and music in quirky unusual spaces that have quickly become the place to be seen, especially for those of you dying to be part of the Paris Boho scene!

Last but not least is a venue offering a mix of cultural events in the north of the city, in Porte de Saint-Ouen. A little out of the way, but worth the trip, Mains d’Oeuvres has become a respected venue hosting artistic events from more of a serious angle. Opened in 2001, in an area that desperately needed a cultural centre, it was founded by a collective of experienced professionals (including one of the co-founders of Point Ephémère). The Mains d’Oeuvres association acts as a link between art and the community. With its 4000m2 space, this venue is one of the largest of its kind in Paris. What do they do with all that space? Well, it’s quite simple: they do everything. From concerts to artist residencies, exhibitions to conferences, festivals, a restaurant…you name it, they do it!

An eclectic mix of events, the space is popular with those who know it, but the real downside is its location, meaning that it is still relatively unheard of to the lay person; your average cultural friend will have heard of it, but venturing out to Porte de Saint-Ouen may be a bit of a stretch for many. Mains d’Oeuvres is however worth the extra time on the metro, so do cast the laziness aside and make a day of it!

Mains d’Oeuvres, 1, Rue Charles Garnier, 93400 Saint-Ouen, tel. 01 40 11 25 25, M° Garibaldi

Paris’ Alternative Nightlife IV
  • 12
  • Feb
  • 2011

Text: Rooksana Hossenally for Vingt Paris

Needless to say that Paris doesn’t quite have a bustling nightlife to rival London or New York, but it does have its fair share of quirky and traditional bars, restaurants and cabarets, as well as a number of alternative arty music events in venues all over the city. Popular with the capital’s ‘in’ crowd, venues like La Bellevilloise and La Maroquinerie in the 20th, Point Ephémère in the 10th, Glaz’Art in the 19th and Mains d’Oeuvres at Porte de Saint-Ouen are experiencing a rise in popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. The events held at these venues often combine art and music in quirky unusual spaces that have quickly become the place to be seen, especially for those of you dying to be part of the Paris Boho scene!

A little out of the way, further northeast near the Villette cultural complex, Glaz’Art is at your service with a varied program of concerts, a bar, an exhibition space, an exterior terrace and even a beach in summer! Don’t be fooled by the venue’s non-descript building that melts into a landscape of motorways and bus depots, as the easily overlooked concrete walls that hide an array of cultural happenings that are well worth dropping by for. Glaz’Art is one of the city’s most low-key places with some surprisingly big names gracing the stage, ranging from hip hop to punk, so if you are particular about the music you like to listen to, do look up what’s on before heading down.

The intimate gig space is hinged to the exhibition space that meanders around the building to its exterior terrace, by the Glaz’Art bar. Most people tend to be there to see a band rather than just to hang out ,as in the other places mentioned above. The venue opened 15 years ago, with the aim of being an atypical music base, which it has succeeded in doing judging by its storming success. Unlike the other venues, Glaz’Art hosts a series of free concerts in partnership with Radio Neo, which signals its open, community-focused spirit.

Glaz’Art, 7, Av. Porte de la Vilette, 75019 Paris, tel. 01 40 36 55 65, M° Porte de la Vilette