Paris Blog - Stuff Parisians like by Olivier Magny - O Chateau

Tourists visiting Paris may be disappointed by the Parisian bar and going-out scene.

The main reason behind this is that young Parisians do not go out as much as youngsters from other cities or countries. They do go out. But to their friends’ apartments: the Parisian version of a House Party. Young parisians throw two sorts of house parties: “une soirée posée” and “une grosse soirée”.

La “soirée posée” is a quiet party. Parisians sit on couches, chairs or on the floor, drinking a bit and munching on “des gateaux apéro”. Discussions vary but usually turn up political. The atmosphere gets more electrical, two camps are usually defined (a heavenly night for a young Parisian man is to be alone against the rest of the crowd) and girls usually end up in the kitchen talking about work, secret affairs or clothing while guys keep going political. “La soirée posée” is usually improvised the same day and repeated every Friday or Saturday.

“La grosse soirée” involves more Parisians. More alcohol. More planning. And people dancing. The Parisian is reluctant to throwing a “grosse soirée”. The Parisian usually claims that his place is too small. Which is a bad excuse. Truth is, his place will be trashed by other drunk Parisians. The success of a ‘grosse soirée’ lies in a nice sexual balance and in the diversity of people who attend; ultimately proving that the Parisian hosting is not only generous but also that his friends are really cool.

The predominance of house parties in Parisian culture explains the overall lameness and high foreigner attendance proportion of most Parisian bars and clubs.

Useful tip: Don’t bring wine to a “grosse soirée” - that would really be cheap of you.
Sound like a Parisian: « Si tu veux passer à la maison ce soir, j’ai invité 2/3 personnes ».

Tags:   going out at night · house parties · parisian parties6 Comments