Paris Nightlife 1: Return of the Incredible Shrinking Drink

Those of you who were on Fire Island this summer remember the Incredible Shrinking Drink. For those who weren't, well, somewhere around Pride, all the drinks at Tea magically shrank by about one-third (for the same high price), going from a reasonably-sized cocktail cup to the size of plastic cup you'd use at a child's birthday party.

Turns out they have something similar in Paris, although here it's not a shady thing.

Walk into RAIDD, one of the main bars in my neighborhood, the Marais, before 11p on a Friday night and order a beer and you'll get a half-liter -- about an American pint, or in other words quite a nice amount of beer -- for 3.90 euros, or about $5.50. (And what a pleasure it is to be able to buy a beer with two coins, even if said coins are worth $3 each.)

Order the same beer after 11 and you get half the amount for the same price.

It turns out that that is how they do their "happy hour" -- not by charging half the price, or by giving you a chip to get your second drink, but simply by giving you twice the drink for the same amount of money. This kind of culture I can get used to.

RAIDD is a nicer place by far than anywhere else I've been on this European trip. Continuing in the theme of Tiny European Bars, it's about the size of Barrage, decorated very much in the modern style with bright colors, mirrors and designed lighting. It draws a mixed crowd of French and expats/tourists; I overheard French and (mainly American) English in about equal amounts last night.

There is no dancing, alas, but there is a DJ playing quite good, mainstream dance music. Their gimmick is a shower stall with muscular dancers getting soaking wet: very Splash 1991.

And there's a back room, though it's a single small room, not an elaborate bathhouse-style installation as in Germany or Poland. It's advertised, quite openly, by projections on the video screen: "Basement Salon. 100% guys. 100% sex. Basement for guys only. (Toilets and coatcheck open to all.)"

And yet the backroom is clearly not the point of the place, which is, in the manner of any bar in Chelsea or Hell's Kitchen, primarily a place to meet your friends, have a few drinks, flirt with cute strangers, ogle the shower guy and listen to the music.

The only thing wrong with it, if wrong it is, is that it's a bit too American-style. So I'm going to explore some other, more French places later (possibly not till next week) and report on those in due course ...