M8 bar
bar
go there to a snooker pool party
playing pool with friends is always fun while having a drink, and it's even better when the owners serve Chinese food at a cheap price
tip — quite hidden place, hard to guess this spot from the street
Welcome to Paris!
Below are my top 40+ cheap addresses in Paris.
I made this small guide to help you find good, unusual, and affordable places, while avoiding the usual tourist traps.
These are places where I actually hang out with friends. I also included some quiet spots where you can work for free, plus a few useful resources in case you’re here for art-related things.
If you need a map of the arrondissements, you’ll find it here.
If you see anything that feels off, or if you have better places to share, tell me. Also, please ignore the quality of my English—it shifts depending on planetary alignment.
Hope you enjoy your stay 🤪🤪🤪🤪
Bises,
Yves
last update: 11/07/2026
46 addresses
Bibliothèque de l'Institut national d'histoire de l'art
library 02nd
go there to work
beautiful library, full of people who look super smart reading super complicated books about art.
tip — Important: you need to be a registered artist/art student to have access. There's one room available for everyone without registration, but it might get crowded.
Bistrot de l'Horloge
bar 03rd
go there to drink a drink
cheap bar, good location (near the Pompidou Center) and above all quiet (no cars around)
tip — open from 4pm
La Gaîté lyrique
venue 03rd
go there to work
good place for working on a computer, they also have good parties and exhibitions. Also good for free toilets lol
La Mutinerie
bar 03rd
go there to a meeting spot for queers, women, trans people, dykes and bis. I don't often go there but I thought it might be interesting to add it to the list :)
besides being a lesbian bar, it's a place that needs support because they've recently been facing financial struggles!!
Le Marais art galleries
area 03rd
go there to take a walk
as they say "les galeries d'art sont le plus grand musée gratuit de France" = art galleries are the biggest free museum in France, lol. I recommend the ones around Le Marais, which are currently the best on average. Careful, there's a trap: the galleries on Place des Vosges are famous for being the worst ones (commercial sculptures and fake street art).
tip — During openings (usually on Thursday nights), you can eat and drink for free.
check out:
Galerie Anne Barrault
Galerie Florence Loewy
Galerie Kamel Mennour
Galerie Continua
Galerie Templon
Galerie Perrotin
Le Temple céleste
restaurant 03rd
go there to grab some Chinese food
you can buy 5 baozi (stuffed buns) for 5€. Best price around, it's quite fast, hot and good.
L'Attirail
bar 03rd and 10th
go there to drink a beer
cheap beers (3,50€) + they offer potatoes every half hour
tip — There are actually 3 different bars by the same owner in the same area of Paris
BPI (Pompidou library)
library 04th
go there to work
besides the art center, the Pompidou also houses a great public library, full of art books
tip — careful during student exam periods (December and June), it gets really crowded
L'Académie du climat
café 04th
go there to drink a drink
good coffee in a good location where you won't find any other cheap place in the area
tip — check the opening hours before going
Crêperie Genia
restaurant 05th
go there to eat crêpes
cheap crêpes (5,50€ for a savory and a sweet one + a drink). On the other hand, the service is not fancy at all, so I recommend eating them outside while walking along the Seine
tip — fun fact: the menu is in Spanish because Latino tourists think it's the Latino district (Quartier latin), so they gather in this area, it's quite mind-blowing
Crêperie Oroyona
restaurant 05th
go there to eat crêpes
cheap crêpes (5,50€ for a savory and a sweet one + cider) +++ the owner is quite funny, feel free to ask him about his art career and the relationship between paintings and crêpes
Daccord
café 05th
go there to tea/cake
not only is the owner super nice, but she also makes the best cakes I've ever eaten in my entire life
tip — there's no sign outside
La Clef
cinema 05th
go there to watch good films
it's the only associative cinema in Paris and they show amazing films
La Grande Mosquée de Paris
café 05th
go there to drink a Moroccan tea in a beautiful mosque
it's not cheap, but the experience is worth it
La K'fêt
bar 05th
go there to dancing
the cheapest beers in Paris (2€ a pint), located in the basement of the ENS, the most prestigious French university. If you're lucky you can even get into a free drinks party run by some student associations.
tip — you need to pretend to be a student to get in (they will probably ask you to write down your name if you arrive late), and once inside, ask where La K'fêt is. Careful, you need to be super smart to get accepted in this school, so do your best to look it.
Les Arènes de Lutèce
area 05th
go there to lie in the sun on Roman ruins
quite a secret place, the former Roman arena, now surrounded by buildings. A good place to chill with a drink you can buy in a grocery shop nearby
École des Beaux-Arts de Paris
venue 06th
go there to visit art exhibitions and party
A beautiful place, not open to tourists, full of student shows. Quite a unique place in Paris. There are two museums inside, and you can also book some time in the library to read their amazing collection of art books.
tip — The École des Beaux-Arts de Paris is not officially open to the public. Tip to get in if you look like an art student: just look at your phone when passing the entrance. Otherwise, just say you want to book an appointment at the school's library.
Another tip: if Café Elisa (the student bar inside the building) is open, you can get cheap drinks, and if you're lucky, good parties.
Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards
restaurant 09th
go there to eat traditional French food
it's a great place to try all kinds of French cuisine for a cheap price (1,90€ for the œuf mayo… wahh). The quality is not amazing and it's also quite noisy, but it's definitely a Parisian must-do.
tip — don't worry about the line at the entrance, it moves really fast.
There are other ones you should check out: Bouillon République, Bouillon Pigalle…
Musée de la Vie romantique
café 09th
go there to date
the café inside the museum is really cute and not so expensive if I remember correctly. The museum is free :)
tip — I recommend going there when the weather is good. You don't need to visit the museum to get to the café
Le Valmy
bar 10th
go there to watch cute dogs
there's a dog park nearby, it's quite fun to watch all the dogs passing by. It's really enjoyable when the sun is out
tip — go for the terrace
Le Zorba
venue 10th
go there to see good concerts
don't mind the small, dirty bar: the interesting part is down the stairs, where you'll find a small, dirty music stage. I played there twice and it was always fun. Really niche programming
tip — this Instagram account usually takes care of the programming: https://www.instagram.com/lasalepepiniere/
Musée des moulages (molding museum)
museum 10th
go there to a weird visit into the human body
this place was originally made for medical students to learn about body parts and diseases. You'll find interesting sculptures and moldings.
tip — be aware it's quite graphic
Restaurant Krishna Bhavan 100 Veg
restaurant 10th
go there to eat cheap vegetarian Indian food
good for a quick lunch around the area
tip — all the Indian restaurants around are quite cheap and good
Le canal Saint-Martin
area 10th and 11th
go there to take a walk (with a beer?) along a canal
cars aren't allowed anymore; when the weather is good, it's a great place to hang out and sit along the canal
tip — you can buy cheap beers at the Franprix supermarket
La Ménagerie de verre
venue 11th
go there to see contemporary dance shows
the best performance programming in my opinion. They also have a good café inside, but not cheap, I repeat: not cheap
Le Chair de poule
bar 11th
go there to get crazy
nice bar with nice owners and quite a punk program
Bois de Vincennes
area 12th
go there to walk around, party
the greatest Parisian park, you can go for a long walk during the day. At night, the whole park becomes a party place where you can find raves, from hardcore music to French pop.
tip — To find rave parties, just follow the sound! Be aware that it's quite dark at night. I recommend using Vélib' bikes to get there, there's a bike station right in the middle of the park.
Les Barques du lac Daumesnil
area 12th
go there to well, it's quite a big move for a date, but you can rent a small boat in a nice location
it's like in films… ffffff
tip — The Bois de Vincennes is the biggest park in Paris, it's also a cool place for a walk (as I mentioned in another line).
La Cantine de l'Aiguillage
restaurant 13th
go there to a fancy lunch in a trashy environment
Good place for a fancy lunch, not too pricey (around 20€). The food is full of surprises and the chef also vogues lol, what other reasons do you need? Oh, maybe that it's in a historic artist-run space that's also interesting to visit?
tip — You'll need to book ahead if you want a seat
Le Temps des cerises (SCOP)
restaurant 13th
go there to eat some French food on the south bank of Paris
it's a cooperative, quite unique for restaurants in Paris. I've never actually been there, but it seems fun, let me know if you wanna go there together :)
tip — the Butte-aux-Cailles area is really nice, full of bars and not really touristy.
La Réserve des arts
shop 14th and 93
go there to buy everything I need for the exhibitions I organize
La Réserve des arts is a crazy place to buy big furniture, because it's actually where museums and fashion shows give all their leftovers. It's great for buying wood, metal, textiles… at an insanely cheap price! A must-go for artists and designers! And the team is really nice
tip — they have two different spaces, a small one in Paris 14th and a big one in Montreuil. You need to be an artist to get in. If you're French they'll ask for your professional number, but I guess if you're a foreigner they'll take your word for it.
Guerrisol
shop 17th
go there to buy second-hand clothes
you can find a lot of options by going down the same street. It's not as touristy as the vintage shops in Le Marais, so probably better for finding good deals
tip — there are about 10 different Guerrisol shops in Paris, but my favorite ones are on Avenue de Clichy
Le 82
bar 18th
go there to dancing
it's quite a cheap bar and you can dance to commercial music until 2am
tip — near Montmartre and some concert venues (La Cigale…)
La Gare jazz
venue 19th
go there to jazz concerts
really good free jazz/experimental concerts, but careful, you're not allowed to talk during the shows
tip — there's a food truck selling Caribbean food at the entrance. The basement becomes a techno club at night. The ticket is not cheap but some parties are nice :)
La Péniche L'Antipode
bar 19th
go there to drink a beer
I love this place, there are always seats available and the location is convenient + you're on a barge, which is quite nice. A bar on a barge lol
Le Doc
venue 19th
go there to attend art events by local artists
A former squat, this now-legal artist-run space hosts a great program of exhibitions and concerts
tip — you need to check their program first, there aren't events all the time
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
area 19th
go there to take a walk
a weird park created in the 19th century, mimicking the Alps and Greek temples… Not touristy, but full of Parisians when the sun comes out.
Pizzeria La Tavola Calda
restaurant 1st
go there to pizzaaa
not the best pizza in Paris, but the location is great considering the price (10€ for the margherita if I remember correctly). Also, it's quite calm.
Le Monte-en-l'air
bookshop 20th
go there to buy books
cute team, cute place and cute selection of books. They host many book launch events
tip — if you steal books they will pretend not to see it, which is cute. But if you want to steal books, I'd rather advise stealing from the FNAC for ethical reasons
Le Relais de Belleville
bar 20th
go there to drink a drink
it's a place where many of my friends hang out… quite arty if I may say
Père Populaire
bar 20th
go there to drink a drink
Super nice bar, full of Parisians working during the day and chatting at night. Coffee is 1€ and beers are cheap. It's the kind of bar where everyone is super sexy and super Parisian
Gibert Joseph
bookshop 6th
go there to buy second-hand books
it's the historic second-hand bookshop, a good place to find really specific books, CDs… not touristy and well located
La Maison Pop
venue 93
go there to fab-lab
besides the museum and the music scene, La Maison Pop also has a cheap fab-lab with laser cutting, 3D printing…
tip — also check out their cool program
Puces de Saint-Ouen (flea market)
area 93 (outside paris)
go there to take a walk
a crazy place for second-hand furniture. Recently, it got quite expensive unfortunately
tip — be careful with pickpockets please!
Paris libraries (Bibliothèques de la Ville de Paris)
library everywhere in paris
go there to borrow an instrument
besides books, you can borrow instruments (guitar, synthesizer, percussion…) for free!
tip — you need the Paris library card, you might want to ask a Parisian friend for it
No address matches. Try another search!
+ share an address
You know a good, cheap or unusual place? Tell me, I’ll add it to the list after a look.
Some extra tips
Careful with pickpockets
The myth about Parisian pickpockets is true. Never leave your bag unattended in a bar/café/party — and not only if you look like a tourist (I did get my computer stolen while having a drink with some friends in a quiet bar on a fancy street, rrrr). One piece of advice: most places in Paris now accept card payments, so don’t bother with cash.
Go east
Just don’t hang out in the west side of Paris. It’s empty, it’s boring, it’s bourgeois, and it’s empty (yes, twice). You’ll actually find nothing but tourists. Which means, if you go, the pickpockets will go too. I barely ever went there myself, except to visit the Palais de Tokyo — the most important contemporary art center in Paris (but the ticket is expensive, so I haven’t included it here). All the interesting things are happening in the east. Choose your side.
For transport
I recommend using the public bike service, Vélib’. It is the worst means of transport, but still better than all other options. (I used it for 9 years — it doesn’t work well, but it’s cheaper, more convenient, and more fun than the metro or a taxi.)
If you want totally free transport, just prepare a fake address to give to the metro police if they catch you without a ticket. Don’t pay on the spot — just say you’ll pay once you receive the fine.
For cheap beers
This app helps you find the cheapest beers around you. (You’ll need to install it on your phone — it does not work on a computer.)
For art
Forget waiting hours to enter the Louvre. There are many free museums in Paris, and some are excellent and almost empty. You can find a list of free museums here. Some are free only on the first Sunday of the month. There are also free or reduced rates for people under 26, students, artists living in France, and unemployed people. If you don’t fit these categories, you can try explaining that you don’t have money — museum staff are often artists themselves and may understand.
For concerts
If you’re looking for cool, niche, or experimental concerts, check Agenda Informe. It lists all kinds of shows.
For clubbing
Check the Culturel Paris Instagram account — they post solid weekend cultural and club event recommendations.
If you want techno-ish music: Essaim (a bit polished), Le Gore (a bit chaotic), La Machine du Moulin Rouge (the classic big one).
