Party boats in this country are the epitome of naffness, says Benji Lanyado in the Guardian. So how do the French manage to pull them off with such style? La Dame de Canton, a "chunky" wooden boat in the style of a Chinese junk, has "evolved into one of the city's coolest spots, with a boudoirstyle restaurant in its bowels" and a gig venue on deck. It sits moored on the Seine, next to the glass and steel Bibliotheque Nationale, looking "wonderfully out of place". Down below "feels somewhere between an oriental bordello and a burlesque cellar club"; dinner is served to the strains of a "superb" live band performing above. Later, when the DJ arrives, it's time to dance the night away, in sync with the boat's gentle sway.
Contact: 00 33 153 610 849; www.damedecanton.com. Dinner around €30 for three courses.
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