Au Lapin Agile

One of the true survivors of Monmartre's bohemian heyday, Au Lapin Agile has weathered its illustrious 150-year history remarkably well. When tracing its past, it can be hard to separate fact from legend – in its infancy, the venue was known as the 'Cabaret des assassins' for the band of killers who supposedly broke in and killed the owner's son. What's more certain is that its current name derives from its insignia: a rabbit jumping out of a saucepan, painted in 1875 by André Gill (whose surname was later corrupted to 'agile'). By the turn of the 20th century, Au Lapin Agile was the preferred spot for struggling local artists including Picasso, Utrillo and Modigliani – the former two of which captured the place on canvas, thus eventually propelling it to global fame.

Today, the prices have gone up and they sell their own compilation CDs; but that's all that seems to have changed. They don’t serve food (although they’re happy to recommend other places), but a drink and a show will cost you a still reasonable €24, with renouvellements (refills) at €7 (or €6 sans alcool).