Cantada II

Very cool and unexpected bar with a full menu of absinthe and a friendly, multi-lingual bartender. The neighborhood is colorful so be wise to your surroundings-not the touristy side of Paris. It's a hard rock/metal bar with loud music,tatted patrons, and no nonsense drinks. There is also charcuterie available for noms. Our bartender helped us choose from the extensive absinthe menu according to personal tastes and was very friendly and personable. He gave us a restaurant recommendation as well and was kind enough to write it down for us. I also had a gin cocktail he came up with, delicious and boozy!

If you're into rude hipster type Parisians this is your place. We just tried entering the bar, and upon hearing our American accents were turned away (literally told we could not come in!). Do not go if you are an American, you will be ostracized

Wow! An actual absinthe bar! This place is in credible.

They have a huge selection of absinthe. Stuff which you'll never find in the States, not even in New York. My personal favorite was the Verte de Fougerolles.

The ambiance is interesting. Very dark, with demonic artwork. The bartenders are really friendly despite their tough appearance.

If you haven't experienced a night of rock-n-roll karaoke at La Cantada II then you're missing out on one of the most eccentric, exciting Parisian nights out.

No joke!!

This goth, punk, rock n' roll bar would be kind of scary if it wasn't also hilariously kitch. Upstairs the walls are covered in biomechanical porno art on one side, and bottles and bottles of absinthe on the other. Mickey, the owner, is an absinthe connoisseur and his collection is one of the best in Europe (Anthony Bourdain drank his way through a large chunk of it in one of his No Reservations episodes in Paris).

But it's downstairs in the dungeon-like cave where every first Friday and third Saturday of the month a miss-matched posse of people come to belt it out to everyone from Metallica, The Kinks and the Sex Pistols to the B52s, the Beastie Boys and Blondie. It's a surprisingly fun party, totally chill, not at all pretentious and completely offbeat. Couldn't recommend it more.

PS. Mickey has a cabaret license which allows him to keep the bar open to 4am every night BUT he usually ends the karaoke party around midnight to keep things cool with the neighbors.

A cozy bar for metal heads and absinthe enthusiasts, which will likely be perfectly half empty on non-event nights. A full menu of absinthe varieties, done well with its classic fountain, and usually occupied by a crew of older regulars. The basement decor borrows from the catacombs, literally, and your date..., if she or he is cool at all, will appreciate this visit.

As seen on Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and the very reason I knew it existed. I stumbled upon it by chance while looking for another bar in the area, immediately recognized it, and walked in. Awesome vibe, plenty of good rock music playing all night, hosting a crowd that can and will kick your ass if you deserve a fist to the face. I love it!

This place is probably more recognizable to states tourists for absinthe, and they've got quite a nice absinthe selection. The bartender was kind enough to explain what the process is all about with the sugar and the spoons (in English), and he helped me select a drink. Try some if you haven't, by the way. It's delicious. No, you aren't going to hallucinate. You're just going to get very, very drunk.

Should I end up in Paris again for work, this will be my most frequented watering hole while out on the town.

We came here because this was the place Anthony Bordain came for Absinthe (yes, we are those people). We could tell immediately that the other patrons of the bar were not thrilled we were there (blocking the entrance making it hard for us to enter, giving bad looks, and emitting an overall bad vibe). The bartender, upon seeing us sit down, immediately went to fill the contraption with water because he could just tell that we were going to order absinthe. My husband ordered one, they made it, we drank it, and we quickly left.

Overall: its NOT worth going all the way to this place to try absinthe in such an unfriendly environment.

Go somewhere else to try absinthe.

Awesome locations, my boyfriend and I first real absinth bar experience. We tried it once before but not with the true set up. Anyone interested in trying new things or even mildly interested in trying absinth I absolutely recommend it. Bartender was extremely nice and even took the time to make multiple recommendations and explain each one including its origin. Ill certainly be back the next time I visit Paris!

Very nice people there. and also had time to give us a name and explain the menu. Would definitely come back

Wish we had been able to go downstairs and check out the rest of the decor. This was a cool place inside, even if you haven't seen the Anthony Bourdain show! We went for the absinthe which was fun but not something I'd order again...I didn't like the taste. No matter how much water I added. Anyway, the artwork was enough to satisfy me while the misses drank the rest of my absinthe. I'd go back to check out a show there or to see Parisians belt out metal hits. Craziness.