The Oberkampf – Menilmontant area in Paris’ 11th arrondissement is for sure up-and-coming. Remnants of the past (old barber shops, cobblers, and seamstresses) mingle with the new vigils of hipster-dom (dive bars, vintage shops, and ethnic grocery stores) producing an energy that is at once inspiring as it is unbalanced. One small but important contribution to this vibe is Les Idiots. Not immediately noticeable (indeed, it took us a full 5 weeks to finally stop there, even though it was just 1.5 blocks from our apartment and on a street that we passed everyday), we fell hard and fast for this boîte. In fact, the minute we entered this small bizzarro world, we had wished that we had done so sooner.
Les Idiots, not surprisingly, doesn’t take itself too seriously: faux-Renaissance head busts, a disheveled shelf containing files and papers, vintage photographs of women in full piece suits, and a stark medley of mid-century furniture, doesn’t exactly spell “I give a sh*t what you think about me.” But the cherry on the cake was Armand, the bar-tend, who joyously insisted that he scoop us a €3 glass of one of their two house ‘cocktail mixes’ (read: jungle juices), which are presented in giant jugs. We much obliged, of course.
Les Idiots
PARIS / Les Idiots
