Ah, oui, gay Paris. Pronounce it “gay Paree” and you might be referring to the classic phrase in its archaic but quite timeless sense, that of a joyful or mirthful French capital (gay being another word for “happy” or “merry”). But for some travelers, “gay Paris” quite literally means the LGBTQ+ side of Paris, where “the love that dare not speak its name” does declare itself loudly and proudly.
There’s a museum with breathtaking art by a gay couturier in the 16th arrondissement and, in the 1st, a raucous club space with beats that last until six in the morning. There’s a legendary café in Saint-Germain that was an old haunt of 20th-century LGBTQ luminaries, and a queer bookstore with a friendly staff near a solemnly beautiful cemetery where gay and lesbian icons currently rest. And of course, in Le Marais, there’s a see-and-be-seen rainbow-decked restaurant-bar patio and a queer-owned hotel with comfortable rooms that you can call your French home.
If all that sounds up your alley, then this guide to gay Paris is for you. With a little bit of something for everyone, whether you’re a queer traveler or an ally, these hotels, restaurants, cafés, bars, clubs, bookstores, museums, and more paint a vibrant and multidimensional picture of queer communities and social scenes in Paris. (Note that we at Condé Nast Traveler use the word queer in the inclusive and expansive sense, as a catch-as-much-as-possible term to describe people, places, and ways of being that lie beyond the boundaries of straight or heteronormative lives and identities.)
To get expert recommendations for seeking out gay Paris, I spoke to a veritable pantheon of queer travel specialists for their tips and insight: Andrew Lear, historian and founder of Oscar Wilde Tours; Ginny Lunn, co-owner and director of Walking Women; Miles Mitchinson, owner of Detours, a gay adventure travel company; Joel Cabrera and Bryan Herb, the co-founders of Zoom Vacations, a luxury gay travel operator; and Matthieu Jost, the Paris-based co-founder and CEO of Misterb&b, a homesharing platform aimed towards queer people.
Drawing on the wisdom and suggestions of these experts, here is an introductory guide to gay Paris. May it illuminate a new-to-you side of the City of Light, its queer histories, and its gay—joyful! mirthful!—present.
Where to stay
You’re never at a loss for a place to bed down in the French capital, but to support a queer-owned business, try Jules et Jim in Le Marais. Housed in a former processing plant, this chicly designed 23-room hotel has all the modern conveniences like a bar, a fully-equipped gym, and a gallery space. “You can’t beat the location and quality of this little haven in the city,” says Mitchinson of Detours Travel: It’s near many Parisian must-sees, like the contemporary art museum Centre Pompidou and the 17th-century Place des Vosges, the oldest square in the city.
