La Champmeslé

About this place La Champmeslé

La Champmeslé holds the distinction of being the oldest lesbian bar in Paris, and one of the oldest in Europe, having been open since the late 1970s in its current location just off Rue Sainte-Anne in the 1st arrondissement. The bar is small, intimate, and deliberately community-first: there are regular art exhibitions on the walls, cabaret shows, and a standing Tuesday tradition of tarot card readings. The atmosphere is warm in the way that only old bars with deep roots manage — the kind of place where the staff know the regulars, where people celebrate birthdays and come back year after year. For lesbian and queer women visiting Paris, La Champmeslé is both a practical destination and a pilgrimage. The location near Palais-Royal puts it slightly outside the main Marais cluster but is easily walkable; Metro Pyramides, Palais-Royal, or Bourse are all within ten minutes on foot.