Chez Raspoutine

Boney M's 'Ra Ra Rasputin' sets the tone perfectly for this trendy Russian-themed nightclub - a former luxury bordello turned cabaret, once frequented by ‘tout Paris’, including Gainsbourg. Nowadays it’s still rather ‘ra ra’, attracting a young, moneyed crew into its red velvet, pink-neoned, Byzantine-style interior, for nightlong parties à la Eastern Bloc. For the first part of the evening, there’s no escaping Russia: you dine on beef Stroganoff, caviar and vodka while watching knife throwers and burlesque dancers. But after 11pm the West creeps back in with a vengeance, with red-hot electro-pop mixed by the capital’s best DJs. Just dress up if you want to get in – Chez Raspoutine’s bouncers are très selective.