Housed in the very chic Hôtel d’Aubusson, the cellar of which used to be home to the Existentialist haunt, Le Tabou, the Café Laurent elegantly perpetuates the spirit of jazz in Saint-Germain-des-Prés thanks to the presence of the house pianist Christian Brenner, who performs in a well turned-out trio from Thursdays to Saturdays during the aperitif hour (from 6.30pm to 8pm), which then transforms into a quartet by inviting a guest – either a quality singer or instrumentalist – for a concert (from 9.30pm to 12.30am). A haven of tranquillity in a district which is very lively in the evenings.

Every evening the bar of the Hôtel Lutetia, a select and urbane meeting place with its superb leather armchairs and decorated with sculptures by Arman and Philippe Hiquily, welcomes a pianist from 7pm. And from Wednesdays to Saturdays "Lute-Jazz" concerts at 10.15pm mean you can enjoy a drink to the sounds of a traditional jazz ensemble. At the Hôtel de Banville, every Tuesday from 7pm to 10.30pm, the owner sings a medley of jazz classics and French songs, accompanied by a pianist.
At the bar of the very hip Murano Urban Resort, every Monday the ambiance is colourful in terms of both the decor and the music, with a jazz-soul programme which perfectly matches the design. On Saturdays, resident DJs mix jazz, soul, disco and rare grooves and on Sundays people flock for a bossa-jazz brunch.

The historic setting for the arrival of jazz in France, the Bœuf sur le Toit owes its name to a composition by Darius Milhaud, one of the first composers to show an interest in music from outside Europe, written on an essay by Jean Cocteau, a jazz drummer in his time. It is said that the expression "faire le bœuf" – meaning "to jam" – was coined when musicians who had taken to meeting in this bar, which was popular with artistic bohemians in the 1920s, began to play informally together. Jazz returned to the brasserie which again, two Mondays a month, hosts a concert followed – naturally! – by a jam session.

The Petit Journal Montparnasse offers dinner-and-a-show packages combining a traditional French menu with a concert, the genre varying according to the evening. In terms of jazz, the venue’s owner likes big swing ensembles (Claude Bolling appears regularly), Dixieland jazz and resonant rhythm ’n’ blues such as the group Captain Mercier. At the Havana Jazz, opened by natives of Havana, great Cuban cooking complements a mainly jazz programme promoting young talents and vocal jazz.

At the Closerie des Lilas, you can dine to the sound of a high-quality piano bar or just have a drink at the bar where literary figures including André Breton and Ernest Hemingway have sat before you. On Thursdays and Fridays, another place to eat accompanied by a piano is Cat Corner. A famous listed brasserie with original Art Nouveau decoration, the Bouillon Racine organizes classical jazz evenings on the first and third Tuesdays of every month.

Finally, two brunches for jazz fans who like to get up late on a Sunday: at the Bellevilloise , in a glazed hall filled with potted olive trees, generally to the sound of a world-jazz group; and in the eccentric décor of the Réservoir, accompanied by a trio and, between sets, DJs who mix rare discs from september to june.