Pigalle at night: a local guide to a perfect evening

Pigalle, the legend and the reality

Pigalle has been the capital of Parisian nights for well over a century. At the end of the nineteenth century, its cabarets, dance halls and artists’ cafés made it the symbol of a free, festive Paris. Painters, singers and poets gathered here, and the red windmill of the Moulin Rouge turned above it all.

Today, the neighbourhood has changed, but it has kept its energy. Around the boulevards de Clichy and de Rochechouart, you will find legendary cabarets, great concert halls, historic brasseries and a new generation of cocktail bars. Here is how I would spend an evening there.

Start the evening with a massage

This may seem surprising, but it is the secret of a good night out. After a day of sightseeing, the legs are heavy and the shoulders tight. A massage in the late afternoon resets the body, and you head into the evening fresh and relaxed.

Our salon is open every day until 8pm, at 42 rue de Bruxelles, five minutes from the Moulin Rouge. A session around 6pm or 7pm is ideal: a hot shower, then the warm, enveloping glide of a body to body massage. If you want to feel energised rather than drowsy, choose the soapy massage, with its foam and warm water.

Every massage at the salon is professional, performed by trained Thai masseuses by the book. The masseuse may end a session whenever she sees fit, and an indecent request or inappropriate behaviour cancels it immediately, without refund.

The Moulin Rouge

It is impossible to talk about Pigalle at night without the Moulin Rouge. Opened in 1889 on boulevard de Clichy, it made the French cancan world-famous and remains one of the most famous cabarets on the planet. Its revues combine feathers, sequins, dancers and spectacular numbers.

Book well in advance, especially at weekends, and check the time on your ticket. Our page on massage near the Moulin Rouge suggests how to fit a massage in before the show.

Concerts on boulevard de Rochechouart

East of Place Pigalle, boulevard de Rochechouart is lined with historic concert halls:

• La Cigale, a beautiful nineteenth-century theatre turned concert venue, known for its intimate atmosphere.
• Le Trianon, an elegant former theatre with a gilded interior, hosting concerts and events.
• Élysée Montmartre, one of the oldest music halls in Paris, famous for rock and electronic concerts.

Check their programmes before your trip: an evening at one of these venues is often more memorable than a big stadium show.

Montmartre by night

A short climb from Pigalle, the hill of Montmartre takes on a different charm after dark.

• Au Lapin Agile, the historic cabaret on rue des Saules, where French songs have been sung for generations in a tiny, candle-lit room.
• The steps of the Sacré-Cœur, for the view over the lights of Paris.
• Place du Tertre, quieter in the evening once the painters have packed up, with restaurants around the square.

Our pages on massage near Montmartre and massage near the Sacré-Cœur describe the walk down to the salon.

Where to eat and drink

• Around Place de Clichy: the Wepler, a historic brasserie famous for its seafood platters, and plenty of café terraces.
• On rue Lepic: the Café des Deux Moulins, made famous by the film Amélie, and small bistros climbing the hill.
• In SoPi, south of Pigalle, around rue des Martyrs and the surrounding streets: cocktail bars, wine bars and trendy restaurants.

A quieter evening: SoPi and the Nouvelle Athènes

Not everyone wants cabaret feathers and loud concerts. South of the boulevard, the streets of SoPi and the Nouvelle Athènes offer a gentler kind of Paris evening. In the nineteenth century, this was the neighbourhood of romantic painters, writers and composers, and its elegant façades, hidden courtyards and small squares still carry that atmosphere.

Start with a slow walk down rue des Martyrs, lined with food shops, bakeries and cafés, then wander through the side streets towards Place Saint-Georges, one of the most harmonious little squares in the 9th. Wine bars and neighbourhood bistros fill up after work, and the mood is relaxed, local and unhurried.

It is the perfect evening after a massage: no crowds to fight, no queue, just a good table, a glass of wine and the feeling of being a Parisian for the night.

Getting around between the venues

Everything in Pigalle is close. From the salon on rue de Bruxelles, the Moulin Rouge is five minutes on foot and Place Pigalle about eleven minutes along the tree-lined central promenade of boulevard de Clichy. The concert halls of boulevard de Rochechouart lie a little further east, and Montmartre rises just behind. Metro line 2 runs underneath the whole boulevard, stopping at Place de Clichy, Blanche, Pigalle and Anvers, which makes it easy to hop from one end of the evening to the other.

A sample evening

Time	Plan
6pm	Massage at the salon, 45 minutes or an hour
7.30pm	Stroll along boulevard de Clichy
8pm	Dinner around Place Blanche or Place de Clichy
9pm onwards	Moulin Rouge, a concert, or a Montmartre cabaret
Late	A drink in SoPi, then home

Practical tips for a night in Pigalle

• Watch your belongings. As in any busy area, pickpockets operate in crowds and on the metro.
• Ignore the touts. On the boulevards, people may invite you into bars with promises of shows. Check prices before ordering anything, or simply walk on.
• Check the last metro. Lines 2, 12 and 13 serve the area; the metro runs later on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Book ahead. Cabarets, concerts and popular restaurants fill up quickly, especially at weekends.
• Staying nearby? See our page for guests staying in Pigalle hotels. Note that all our massages take place at the salon.

Enjoy the lights, and start with a moment of calm.