La Perle

La Perle is both ordinary and exceptional. It is ordinary in that like many Parisian bars the place is a cafe du quartier, open all-day serving food and coffee at pretty standard prices to grandads and pretty-young-things alike. It is also ordinary because of its celebrity clientele, most bars on the Left Bank claim Hemmingway, Sartre, De Beauvoir and Gertrude Stein as their own (see Cafe de Flore, Le Select, Les Deux Magots). But La Perle is exceptional in that it is neither standard cafe nor standard ‘gay bar’, customers are young, sometimes gay, sometimes straight, sometimes chic and sometimes not. It is also exceptional in that it was where John Galliano, famous fashion designer, ranted, raved and deservedly fell from grace. The wonderful retro interior is worth a visit in itself.