Tuesday 29 July 2014

Travel tips for geeks: A real-life version of Milliway's in Paris

Well, not completely: Other than Douglas Adams' original restaurant from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, the end of the world is somewhat missing from this bar in Paris. Fortunately this makes having a drink at Le Dernier Bar Avant la Fin du Monde considerably easier, what with timetravel not being invented yet and all.

I came across this place a while ago in a friend's Facebook posting, so when we finally started planning our Paris trip last september, Le Dernier Bar went straight onto my Must-See-List - and I was not disappointed!



Situated in a rather central location, a couple minutes' walk from the Métro stations Hôtel-de-Ville or Châtelet, it's easy to find with large friendly letters and an adorable Cthulhu above the door and a small outside area thats probably already filled with fellow nerds when you arrive.



The ground floor is designed as a Neovictorian/Steampunk/Museum/Library, with large comfortable leather chairs, a ceiling decorated with Gallifreyan symbols and a large Maya calendar on the wall (end of the world, you get it?). The shelves are filled with old books, pseudo-antique knick-knack and a large selection of board games that are available for trying out.




The other two floors are situated underground (after all, every respectable geek boasts an affinity for the basement): Floor -1 transports you into a futuristic spaceship area, with blinking lights and sliding doors, where the toilets are marked with Firefly characters, while Floor -2 is a sort of post-apocalyptic zombie defense bunker - which was quite crowded when I was there, so I didn't get much of a good look.


On the menu, the visiting Geek is overwhelmed by a plethora of nerdy drinks to choose from - from the Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster to Cpt. Picard's Earl Grey, Lebowsky-style White Russian and as far as I remember even True Blood, nearly every relevant drink in Pop-Culture and several more can be ordered. Beer (Grolsch, Guinness, Duff Beer...) is available too, but since the prices are typically Parisian (~9€ for large beer) you might as well treat yourself to a cocktail:
That's exactly what I did, and ordered a Bad Wolf:


They're also offering some snacks: Cupcakes and Dark Side Cookies are what I remember, a quick look on their current menu tells me that salads and some other salty snacks are available as well - including vegetarian and vegan options!

Theme nights are a regular thing, with themes like Pirate Night, Villains and Superheroes, Vampire Hunters or Doctor Who, and staff and guests dressing up. Apparently there are also special events with bands (Cécile Corbel for example) and some weeks ago even the lovely Felicia Day paid a visit to Le Dernier Bar.



All in all this is about the most awesome bar I've ever been to - heaven for everyone who's into Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Gaming or other imagined worlds and I spent most of the night pointing out new details and geekeries to my not-so-nerdy boyfriend. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to go back there when we were in Paris this May, but on my next trip I really need to return to Le Dernier Bar - after all, I didn't even try the Pangalactic Gargle Blaster and there are so many more details to discover!
My only point of criticism: The music. Call Me Maybe, seriously?!

Oh, and there was already a 9gag post about it, with some more pictures:
http://9gag.com/gag/5813432



Le Dernier Bar Avant La Fin Du Monde

19, avenue Victoria 75001 Paris
Chatelet Metro (exit Théâtre du Châtelet)
https://www.facebook.com/DernierBar
www.dernierbar.com/

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