Paris is expensive. We know this. You can easily drop €15 on a mediocre cocktail while staring at a statue of a guy you don’t recognize. But if you know where to look—specifically around the borders of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements near Rue St Denis and Rue Montmartre—you can actually drink like a king on a pauper’s budget.
I’ve crawled through every dive, student haunt, and neighborhood brewery in the area to find the spots where your 10-euro note actually has some staying power. Based on our latest menu analysis on Seeker Social, here is the honest truth about the cheapest bars in the heart of Paris.
1. Les Brigands
This is my top pick for a reason. While everything else in this neighborhood is trying to be a “concept,” Les Brigands is just a bar. It smells like old wood and bad decisions, and honestly, that’s exactly what I want on a Tuesday night. It’s classified as a neighborhood and student bar, which is code for “bring your coins.”
The Menu Breakdown:
Their draft beer selection is impressive for the price point. You can grab a Blonde (50cl) for just €4. Compare that to the Guinness (50cl) at €8, and you see where the value lies. If you’re feeling fancy, their Gin & Tonic is a steal at €6, while a Mojito or Bloody Mary runs you €7.
- Cheapest Draft: Blonde (50cl) — €4
- Cocktail Value: Gin & Tonic — €6
- The Vibe: Unpretentious, loud, and incredibly friendly.
2. La Cordonnerie
Located on the infamous Rue St Denis, La Cordonnerie is a legendary student brewery. It’s the kind of place where the tables are sticky, but the couscous is often free on certain nights. During happy hour, things get aggressive. We’re talking €3.90 for a 50cl Kronenbourg. That is absolute insanity for central Paris.
Their cocktail menu is suspiciously uniform. Every single cocktail—from a Moscow Mule to a Pornstar or Caipirinha—is €7.50. It’s simple, it’s effective, and it’s dangerous. I personally recommend the Berlin Mule for €7.50; it’s got just enough kick to keep you going. If you aren’t sure, the Cocktail Du Moment is €7, making it the cheapest non-beer option on the menu.
3. Tabac Le Ventadour
Do not sleep on the French Tabac. These are the unsung heroes of cheap drinking. Tabac Le Ventadour is a classic brewery-style setup. It doesn’t have the “cool” factor of a cocktail bar, but it has Biere Blonde francaise for €4.50 and a very solid Moscow Mule for €6.
If you want to track your spending, the Seeker Social app shows their regular starting price is €4.50, which is great for those afternoon sessions when other bars haven’t started happy hour yet. Their Tequila Sunrise and Cuba Libre are also priced at €6, which is basically half of what you’d pay four blocks away near the Louvre.
Price Comparison: Beer & Cocktail Benchmarks
We pulled this data from the Seeker Social app to show you exactly how much you save by walking an extra five minutes.
| Bar Name | Cheapest Pint (50cl) | Cheapest Cocktail |
|---|---|---|
| Les Brigands | €4 | €6 (Gin & Tonic) |
| La Cordonnerie | €3.90 (HH) / €5.50 | €7 |
| Tabac Le Ventadour | €4.50 | €6 |
| Le Tipsy | €4.50 (HH) / €7 | €9 |
4. Le Tipsy
Le Tipsy is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde situation. During the day, it’s a calm afterwork spot. By 10 PM, it’s a sweatbox of students. Their happy hour starts at €4.50 for a 50cl Blonde, which is a massive save of €2.50 compared to their regular €7 price. That’s a 35% discount just for showing up at the right time.
Their cocktail list is long (23 items!), but prices jump here. A Mojito is €9, while their Expresso Martini and Pornstar Martini hit €11. If you’re on a budget, stick to the draft beer or the Aperol Spritz for €9.
5. Sofs Bar
Sofs is where you go when you want to feel slightly sophisticated without the 1st Arrondissement price tag. It’s a dedicated cocktail bar on Rue Saint-Sauveur. While their Long Island Ice Tea is €13, you can snag a Caipirinha for €9 or a Sex on the Beach for €10.
The real secret? Their bottled beers. An IPA or a Chouffe is €7, which is actually cheaper than their draft L lloise Blonde at €7.50. It’s a weird price gap but use it to your advantage. During happy hour, prices verified via the Seeker Social app start at €5.
6. Le Salon
Le Salon feels like your cool uncle’s living room if your uncle lived in the middle of a Paris party district. It’s a neighborhood favorite. Regular prices for a Jupiler (50cl) are €6.50, but you can find drinks for €5 during Happy Hour.
What I love here is the cocktail consistency. Almost the entire menu—Moscow Mule, Sex on the Beach, Cosmopolitan, Gin Fizz, Negroni, and Zombie—is €9. If you’re really pinching pennies, the Punch or the Spritz is €8. It’s not the cheapest on this list, but for the comfort of the seats, it’s worth the extra Euro.
7. La Grosse Caisse
This place is loud. It’s fun. It’s located at 160 Rue Montmartre and it lives up to its name. The menu is simple. The Grosse Blonde (50cl) is €7 regularly but drops to €5 in Happy Hour. If you want something heavier, like a Goose Island IPA or a Triple Karmeliet, you’re looking at €8.50 for a pint.
Cocktails here are a flat €11 across the board (Mojito, Margarita, Pina Colada), except for the Long Island which is €13. Personally, I come here for the beer and the noise, not a craft cocktail experience.
8. Monkey
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Monkey is a vibe—specifically a “I want a cool cocktail but I only have 11 Euro” vibe. Their signature La Monkey Pils (50cl) is €6.50, but drops to €5. They also have some unique hitters like the Tinto De Verano for €7 and the Despe Maison for €8.
The cocktails are a bit more elevated. The Dirty Caipirinha is €11, and the Basil Smash is €12. It’s a great “bridge” bar—somewhere to go when you’re done with the dive bars but not ready to pay €18 at a hotel bar.
9. Au P Tit Paname
Right on Boulevard Montmartre, this is a classic afterwork spot. It’s a bit more “mainstream” than the others. A Kanterbrau (50cl) is €7.50 (down to €5.50 in HH). They have a decent selection of Mocktails for €7.90, which is actually quite expensive compared to their €9.50 cocktails. If you’re not drinking alcohol, you isn’t saving much here.
Happy Hour Strategy
If you want to maximize your evening, start at Tabac Le Ventadour or Les Brigands for those €4-€4.50 pints that don’t depend on a ticking clock. Around 6:00 PM, move to La Cordonnerie for the €3.90 pints. If you’re still standing by 10:00 PM, Le Tipsy usually has the best energy for a late-night crowd.
FAQ
What is the absolute cheapest beer in the 1st/2nd Arr?
According to current menu data on Seeker Social, the 50cl Kronenbourg at La Cordonnerie for €3.90 is the winner, followed closely by the €4 Blonde at Les Brigands.
Which bar has the best cocktail deals?
Tabac Le Ventadour has cocktails like the Moscow Mule and Gin Tonic for €6, which is the lowest price point in the area.
Are these bars safe for solo drinkers?
Yes, especially Les Brigands and Le Salon. They are true neighborhood spots where people actually talk to each other.
Sources & References
Stop paying “tourist tax” in Paris. Download Seeker Social on the App Store or Google Play to find happy hour deals near you—we’ve got 10,000+ bars across 50+ cities and counting.