By the bright lights of day, this Pigalle joint doesn’t look like much - another neighbourhood brasserie that could use a facelift. Come nightfall, however, and Le San Souci comes alive with Bohos, professionals, artists, internationals and party kids looking for a good time.
Surrounded by handwritten menus, string lights and mirrors, groups gather at the small tables or hang by the bar, while DJs play an eclectic mix of tunes from Rihi to The Strokes. Serving food until late, this is used as a launching pad before heading to other nearby drinking holes like Chez Moune, Glass or Dirty Dick, but for just as many people, this is the destination. It has a hipster type of charm, with efficient bartenders and a good-looking crowd.
It gets really rammed around midnight, with most people spilling out onto the curb creating a bubble of cigarette smoke, cheap booze and good times that lasts all night long. No one seems to know when – or if - it actually closes.