If you're looking for a jazz club or a place to swing dance in central Paris, the Caveau de la Huchette is just steps from Notre Dame and the St. Michele Metro. The building dates to the 16th Century, became a jazz club in 1946, and has featured numerous jazz legends over the decades. Walk inside, hang a left, and go down the stairs to the "cave", where you'll find a smooth dance floor in a Gothic basement, with a crowd swinging to the poppin' tunes being played by a live band of hep cats. (Check the website to see what time the music starts - usually 9:30). As the evening progresses, the dance floor slowly gets more crowded with dancers -- from expert lindy hoppers to absolute beginners -- from all over the world. A few people have complained that the cave is touristy, and it's true: the night I was there I danced with beautiful girls from Virginia, Minnesota, UK, Australia, and even New Zealand. It was quite an imposition to spend one of my nights in Paris with all those tourists, but every now and then you just have to take one for the team. But I have to qualify my review by noting that the bar upstairs is complete waste of time, unless you're into overpriced, watered-down drinks. Come for the music and dancing. Skip the bar. And, btw, skip the other lame bars on this touristy street. You can see a minute of the dancing here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/starbuck77/10024488625/in/set-72157636064684243 read more

I am split down the middle for this place. If you are looking for Jazz, they for sure have some good stuff. But, as you walk down this cheesy street (NEVER go into a bar that the bar itself has to advertise, by having workers try and convince and haggle at you from the doorway) That is all this street offered. The drinks here are absurd. I realize they need to make up the money for the band, but a shot of whiskey and I mean.... the smallest shot ever is 10 euros. A Heineken is 7 Euros a bottle. Wine is ridiculously overpriced as well. The music was good, but not for the cost. read more

Caveau de la Huchette - Underground jazz night. - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Paris, 75

I didn't know what to think when I peeked inside and saw the bar completely empty. Little did I know that the downstairs was filled with people. It's very small and crowded with not much seating, but it's a fun little cave. It's definitely worth going if there is a decent band playing. read more

Caveau de la Huchette - jazz cave - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Paris, 75

seems to feature swing-boogie bands and boppers often so best to check the website first. popular with students due to proximity to sorbonne and tourists who flock to St. Michel for cheap eats. occasional magic like one night when a young french saxophonist played a solo of the John Coltrane classic My Favorite Things. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTPhk__KGmU read more

If you find yourself in Paris run, do not walk to Le Caveau. Seriously. You'll either love it or you won't. It isn't for everyone and that's okay. There can be a wait at the bar but I've dealt with far worse. read more

This renowned place certainly lives to the hype, very friendly staff, and a very cozy place, the live band is always a bonus, the drink choices are limited though. The dance floor is nice and the place is somewhat clean. The place is usually filled with tourists but I would certainly come back... read more

I went here expecting it to be some awful touristy schlock. I left here full of wine and happiness (the rainbows and stars and fuzzy kittens kind). At first, it seemed as if it would be a long night. We went here as our guests from London had requested a jazz venue (as per their top 20 things to do in Paris guidebook suggestions). We arrived at ten, and already, most seats in the 500 yr. old stone cellar had filled. We did manage a spot where the four of us could sit together and still see the band, but barely. The space is intimate (SMALL). At first, it was just ok. The band, admittedly, was good - high energy, creative, engaging. The crowd, however, was staid and about half tourists and half French, many of them playing an awkward game of musical chairs for the few remaining bench spots. Then, one couple got up to dance. Then another. The mood changed. No longer were the audience passive listeners. We became active particpants. A man in dungarees (overalls), who was pushing at least 70, tore up the dancefloor with a woman half his age. Someone asked me to dance and I was whirled around like Ginger Rogers. The vibe here (once the crowd warms up) is friendly and social (as long as they're not fighting for a seat on one of the benches that line the walls). Wine is reasonably priced if you buy it by the bottle. The cover is EUR14. All in all, completely charming. See you next week? Wear your dancing shoes. read more

This place is a must see on a Paris trip - absolutely the coolest/creepiest bar I've ever been inside of - and I mean that. The bathrooms are up a windy staircase that look like they lead into the catacombs, lol. Great drinks, great music and a very cool vibe that reminded me of a scene right out of Inglorious Bastards. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

A great diversion in Paris. The cover was 13e, beers 6e. Limited libations; I'd recommend drinks beforehand. Don't be deceived by the lifeless bar, all the fun is downstairs. I checked out a swing band that played jazz and swing covers well. The dancers (looks to be a club, with lots of partner swapping, and prtty skiiled) were added entertainment. The small cellar makes for a very live room, so the acoustics are quite good. Not a lot of seating, maybe 30 decent spots on benches or sofas along the walls, so if you show up later you'll be standing. The big surprise was seeing parents dragging along teens. What a great exposure to jazz, and they didn't seem out of place. Worth the visit if you like good music. read more

Amazing drinks and an amazing experience listening to the jazz in Paris! My boyfriend and I had such a great time listening to the music and watching the people dance! A must in Paris !! read more

Wow! Talk about experiencing Paris at its finest. This bar/jazz venue will cost you 15e par personne but the experience and music should really cost you $75 each or more. Drinks are normally priced. This is the off season, winter, so it was typically busy at opening and then died down around 1. I would recommend getting there 5 or 10 minutes before opening to get a good seat around the dance floor/band. If not it's standing room only. Awesome bar service from Cynthia! Met a bunch of friendly Parisiennes and some tourists. TOP night! read more

This is my favorite jazz club on God's green earth. I never never never miss it when I go to Paris. Players from all around come to play here and it's the real deal. read more

I found this place one night strolling through Paris while it was pouring outside. Seeking comfort and warmth, I heard into the jazz club that led me into a dimly lit bar room. The sounds of jazz music resonated throughout the hallway and filled the room. After ordering a bottle of wine I followed the music down the spiral stone steps into a former WWI underground bunker where I discovered a mass amount of people swing dancing on the dance floor while the live jazz band was doing its thing. This was the best night of my life. read more

I have a few strict criteria for the jazz clubs I frequent, and the Caveau de la Huchette meets nearly every one of those expectations: is it located in a medieval wine cellar? Check. Does it contain labyrinthine passageways carved from solid bedrock? Yup. Is it a former torture chamber? Obvi. EVERYWHERE in Paris is a former torture chamber. Was it used by 16th century Rosicrucians for Da Vinci Code-esque secret ceremonies? Duh. Should you go to the Caveau, you will love the jazz portion of your experience beyond measure. The cave's acoustics are a marvel. The swing dancing regulars--most of whom clock in at 60+--will bring joy to your poor withered ironic heart. The entry fee was a modest 12€. The band played something halfway between swing & rockabilly, which was a bonus since I'm jazz-averse and had been dreading a 14 minute amelodic interpolation of "My Favorite Things." So why the 2 star review? The bar. The mother####ing bar. Our first wait at the bar: 22 minutes. Our second wait at the bar: 27 minutes (at which point we gave up and walked away empty handed). It's easy enough to believe that there are still 16th century Rosicrucians waiting at the bar. It's highly probable that whatever tortures were devised during the Reign of Terror involved waiting for someone--anyone!--to take your drink order. We were in the club for about 2 2 1/2 hours, and nearly an hour of that time was spent being courteously ignored by the bartender. Not to say the fault was his. He was a competent & friendly bartender, as Parisian bartenders go. But management had scheduled a single bartender for a 50 foot long bar in a sold-out house. Thirsty jazz aficionados packed the length of the bar 3 deep. The bartender must have been using a random number generator to choose lucky patrons from the crowd, as getting one's drink order filled had absolutely nothing to do with how long one had been waiting or how hard one eyeballed the bartender with cash in outstretched hand (I honestly made more eye contact with the bartender than I have in several multiyear relationships). And several insufferable tourists, upon being randomly selected from the throngs and oblivious to the 500 other patrons queued behind them, would order an absurd number of fantastically complicated cocktails that necessitated a dozen different ingredients and the use of a cocktail shaker and a lemon zester. You might object "yes but it's a jazz club, not a bar! You want alcohol, go to an actual drinking establishment." A valid point, but the entirety of the upstairs is devoted to the bar; it accounts for half the space in the club. And jazz (or in my case, a very enjoyable rockabilly fusion) goes better with booze. That's a scientific fact. And finally, the single drink I did have delivered unto me: a thimble of Johnny Walker (and I'd asked for a double; one imagines the single pour is enough to moisten a stamp). Price: 24€. And this was Johnny Walker RED. The swill. My wallet cringes at the memory, and here I am, mere hours later and utterly sober, pecking out this review. read more

Awesome jazz club. The only negative is the bar is upstairs and the music is downstairs. Great place to listen to music and dance.

We had a fantastic time! Do NOT miss this club when you are in Paris. What's Paris without going down to a cave (and it's really an interesting climb down to 16th century cave where you can just "see" how they might have imprisoned & tortured someone down there!) and listening to great, live jazz! Mid-August is when everyone in France takes vacations (down to south of France mostly) so the crowd wasn't as bad when we arrived at the bar. The 13 Euro cover per person, how great was that?! What you end up spending on are drinks at the ground floor bar, tended by Marcus. On the night we were there, Al Copley Trio was playing and they had the place hopping with swing, blues, 50-60's music to dance to! The antics of some (female) patrons were very amusing to watch as well. The basement cave was rocking and the acoustics were awesome! I can not emphasize this enough: Do NOT miss this club when you are in Paris! read more

Awesome jazz bar I checked out at the recommendation of the hotel bartender across town. It was a swing jazz theme the night I went. Go downstairs. It's a little warm with the crowd and enclosed place. Awesome 8 piece band, friendly crowd and delicious drinks. I enjoyed the gin fizz - twice! :-) Also great bar street to grab a snack afterwards before you call it a night. read more

So the first time we came here, we peeked into the door and of course no one was there, but we ventured into the downstairs and were rewarded with a unique experience. Below is a huge vaulted basement, and here you are seated around a big dance floor. Their is both live and DJ music and an assortment of swing dancers (on the nights we went), the ambiance was something out of a movie, you could easily pictures this going on during ww2, while being occupied, ok maybe i have watched too many old Paris heyday films, but hey it worked for me. I suggest going later in the evening so your sure that the place is hopping. I know we were once asked ton pay 15-20 euros to get in, which may seem high, but it was well worth it. read more

Outstanding. Old dude and girlfriend had a blast. Cool vibe. Great music. Hello 2 AM!!!

A really nice looking place, with a promising program: Warren Vache on trompet. Pero what a disappointment, how can it be that a musician that talented can sit there without any interest or connection with the performance - a pity read more

A great place to listen to jazz in the Latin Quarter. I love the subterranian room and casual atmosphere.

Such a cool part of Paris. We love finding jazz clubs and this was one of the best. We weren't expecting much On a Sunday night but it was hopping. A 14 prodigy on the piano, incredible quintet and some of the best damn dancers I've ever seen. We loved every minute and somehow managed to meet some Americans from our home state of Nebraska!! A must go if you're in a Paris!! read more

I went to Caveau de la Huchette last night and I agree it is a great place to experience true Paris culture. It was very lively. As soon as I walked downstairs a lady grabbed me and just started dancing. That was very surprising but fun! But the downside is that you pay a $15 cover and drinks START at $12 per. So if you want a Guiness or a Scotch, will pay handsomely. I was hoping for Jazz as advertised but they had a "boogie boogie" group. I guess they were ok but I was sold on the "Jazz and Blues" listing. So my advice is to call first and make sure who is playing. But the place is classic, the vibe is good. There are also many other options on Huchette street as well as it is a very lively street after midnight! read more

If you're in Paris, you HAVE to come here!!!! Bartender's cool and the downstairs is tons of FUN!!! People are super friendly and drinks are well balanced and delicious! read more

Super fun, casual dress, great music, lots of locals swing dancing their hearts out in an ancient wine cave--I think?--so fun!!!

I you like dancing to Jazz this is the place to go. If not you can still enjoy the band playing, often inspired.

Amazing night out great crowd won't be a disappointment, only over priced drinks. Overall a great Jazz bar read more

When in Paris this is a must!!!!!! Such fun. Live music and dancing the night away. Get a bottle cheaper in the long run but Ive been here twice and look forward to going back!!!! read more

Went on a random Wednesday night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Great live jazz and great people watching as there is a mix of locals and tourist who love to dance! Wish we had the skills! They accept credit cards at the door 13 euros pp but bar is cash only it seems. read more

Rockin' If you want some jazz or rock n roll, this is it! They've got enthusiastic dancers that get you moving! Girls, watch out for your heels when going down the stairs. read more

A million thumbs up! A French friend recommended it to us and it was amazing, seeing 1960s style dancing in an underground cave in Paris while listening to live jazz. Highly recommend for a unique experience! read more

The Latin Quarter of Paris oozes mystery and history. In the daylight hours the cobbled streets buzz with shoppers, and at night sultry jazz spills from every building. We had indulged in the best of French culture with wine over dinner, and were lured along an alleyway by the sound of a trumpet. On street level, this bar looks like many others in Paris with quaint tables and cigarette smoke. But let the jazz sounds entice you downstairs and you step back in time. The club is carved into natural rock, a genuine cave lit only by flickering candles tucked into nooks and crannies. The ceiling dips and curves creating hideaways for amourous couples or scheming mobsters (I imagine...) The white hot jazz band electrify the place on a stage that's also carved into rock, and on the dancefloor more magic happens. French couples move too fast for the eye to comprehend, frantic and beautiful salsa steps, their faces glistening with sweat and candlelight. This magical place used to be the haunt of Sartre, and it transports you to his era. Romance, passion, alcohol and jazz in the perfect underground setting. read more

The atmosphere and history of the place were AMAZING!! The jazz band and spontaneous join in musicians were all great. We went on a week night and the crowd seemed to be older "regulars" who come there to swing dance. That was ok to watch for a bit. You had to go upstairs to the bar to get some overpriced wine... We enjoyed the evening, but not everything. read more