Parisian Nights in the Bains during the 1980s

At the end of the 19th century it was the first and most renowned bathhouse in Paris, but to capture the modern spirit of Les Bains, we must go back to the 1980s, when this legend of the capital become a rock concert hall and super-cool temple of Parisian night-clubbing. At the crossroads of fashion, Les Bains roused Paris to wakefulness and quickly become a cultural institution of the city; a point of reference for the world of media, entertainment and arts, and a gathering place where the celebrity elite mingled in dissolute disarray. Happy were the few who managed to face the infamous gatekeeper Marie Line without hearing the ego-crushing words, “Sorry, tonight it will not be possible”. Andy Warhol’s maxim, “It’s a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor” was applied to the letter. The champagne flowed, the music electrified. This is where Yves Saint Laurent partied, Prince improvised a concert, and Robert De Niro, attracted by the most beautiful girls in the world, sought fresh conquests. Closed since 2010, Les Bains, the legendary club of the 1980s, has recently been reopened so that we can relive in the 21st century the madness of this high place of Parisian nights. But if today is not quite as crazy as yesterday, we can still rejoice in a beautiful place which also offers fine dining in a soothing neo-chic brasserie atmosphere. JR.

Less than 15 minutes from the Hotel Fabric
7 Rue du Bourg l'Abbé, Paris

Open Wednesday to Saturday from 23:00 to 5:00
www.lesbains-paris.com

Photo credit: Les Bains Douches Paris