Le Comptoir General

Fantastic space! Stop by and grab a drink and chill out. Tucked away from the street this place is young, fun, collects a random crowd. Vibrant with an indoors and outdoors that is like walking into a classy jungle.

Set back secretly from Canal St Martin, Comptoir Général is a hush-hush West African arts venue/restaurant/bar totally unique in Paris. Housed in an old 600 meter square barn, a narrow entrance hall leads you into a network of huge bar and restaurant areas flanked by a tropical garden. Décor is a mix of rustic and kitsch; black and white tiled floors, red carpets, grand chandeliers, grass hut bars, exotic plants and references to West African pop culture are scattered throughout its vast space. Music policy is Afro-beat, jazz-funk and soul. Eclectic, peace-and-fun-loving crowd. Welcome to funky Francafrique!

Le Comptoir Général is one of the funkiest places to spend an evening Paris. The entrance along the Quai des Jemmapes is discreet and leads across a courtyard into the impressive building (that used to be a 600m2 barn) that functions as a museum-come-bar-come-café devoted to celebrating African culture. You give a donation at your discretion and enter a venue that feels far far away from Paris. What you do at the Comptoir could be as diverse as rummaging through a vintage clothes stand, feasting on a Sunday brunch (€16), sipping an exotic cocktail, buying some jewellery from a market stand or dancing the night away. This spot is unlike any other in Paris and attracts a pleasantly diverse crowd.

A magical space. Plants and trees growing out of the floors and walls. Part adventure museum, part bar, part spiritual escape. A beautiful gem tucked away from Canal St Martin.

Very cool place! There really isn't much like Le Comptoir General out there, at least not in Paris. It would be hard to explain exactly what this place is, perhaps the closest description would be a sort of ethnic-themed, hipster mall of curiosities. The warehouse-style space includes an organic restaurant, vintage shop, hairdresser, bar, garden, exposition space, and more. Best to come early, or there will probably be a line.