This little wine bar, tucked far away from the big commercial cabarets off rue Bergère, is one of the best places to listen to traditional French chansons (songs). The crowd can be convivial or almost reverential, depending on the night. Singers perform on the small stage nightly. It's free, with cheap food available so be generous when the hat comes around.

No mention of Montparnasse, once at the centre of Paris' artistic endeavours, would be complete without Le Select. Opened in the mid-20s, it was the first of the area's grande dame cafes to open late into the night and still draws everyone from beer-swigging students to whisky-swilling politicians.

This rustic cabaret venue in Montmartre was favoured by artists and intellectuals in the early 20th century and chansons (songs) are still performed here. Poetry is read six nights a week and admission includes a drink. The name derives from Le Lapin à Gill, a mural of a rabbit jumping out of a cooking pot, by caricaturist André Gill.

A huge bar with high ceilings greets you on the ground floor, setting the Oriental gentleman's club theme. Upstairs is the fumoir (smoking room), complete with glowing fire, for cigar aficionados. The Sing Song jazz club (styled like Shanghai circa 1930) occupies the cellar.