Le Pompon is recent addition to the Paris nightlife scene in the up and coming 10th arrondissment. Despite the fact that it only opened at the end of 2010, and that this discrete bar is on a quiet street with no name on its exterior, Le Pompon's reputation already precedes it and it is invariably packed with an interesting mix of people by around 8pm. Housed, somewhat surprisingly, in a former synagogue, there is a ground level bar featuring chandeliers, retro wall paper and wood paneled walls, creating almost a smart-British-pub setting as a backdrop for a civilized drink early on in the evening or lots of raucous fun as the night goes on. Cocktails are served by the dapper barmen and there’s an unpretentious, laid-back but lively, anything-goes atmosphere. Meanwhile, hidden downstairs are a smoking room and a brick-walled club-cum-concert venue with a giant red-neon “P” on the wall, which is a considerably less polished than the street level bar and where indie DJs spin, bands signed to the likes of Kitsune play, and spirits are served. A restaurant is scheduled to open soon.
Photography: Kim Laidlaw
