Buddha Bar, Paris

Been there several times over the years. In 2002 waiters were friendly and ambiance was inspiring. Food was prepared with love and attention. Over the years prices went sky-high and the quality of food went from exclusive to more avarage; cocktails though are still good, yet not great and to expensive. Crowd changed over the years from (partially avant-garde) ambient and worldmusic scene to flashy moneyspenders, businessmen and tourists. Nevertheless still a good concept and the bar offers overall absolutely enough quality to spend a few pleasant hours.

Good meals and nice cocktails served by cocky employees in an exclusive environment with good music for overrated prices.

Before going to Paris I was reading reviews about Buddha Bar...and many travelers were not happy about the staff and their attitude, unfortunately I must agree...I like good service and feel welcome...especially if I am going to spend some good money there...but it wasn't welcome and no atmosphere...

Buddha Bar has recieved mixed reviews, as some believe it to be full of tourists, but others love the atmosphere and the music. I belong to the latter group! Buddha Bar, at any time during the week, is filled with a wide variety of people, but always has such an amazing ambience due to the physical beauty of the club/restaurant and the funky music.

You do not have to pay for entry into Buddha Bar, though this can be compensated with the expensive cocktails...it costs 16 euros for a coctail...which is roughly converted into £12 and $24 What I normally did was buy one drink, enjoy it, and if I wanted to party all night, I found a considerably cheaper bar nearby, which is a viable solution, as it is located in the middle of the city, near place de la concorde! I have not eaten at the restaurant, because I think the prices for dining are astronomical!

Even though it is a very expensive place, I really like Buddha Bar, and if you are in Paris and in the mood for a relaxing drink, it is definately somewhere I would recommend!

Warning:
It is very difficult to catch a cab home on the weekend, be prepared to wait for a long time, but please don't let this put you off!

Dress Code: Dress code...smart and sexy...so technically jeans and sneakers/trainers are allowed, but they cannot look sporty...

For men, it is best to wear jeans that are one colour (not faded) and preferably shoes as it is more difficult for men to enter.

For women...it is easier for us to enter without any problems, but I think its best if you do not wear sneakers/trainers

a reservation is the first step before you go there.
as a famous club, have a big waiting list.
notice, you don't have more than 2 and half hours to stay in a table for eat.

is a hot spot for your memories

Dress Code: modern classy

This is an amazing place as it is quite huge once you get inside.

Has a cascading grand staircase which has at the bottom all the tables for those dining, it is also a restaurant.

Above is the bar which hangs above the dining area, which enables you to look over at those below. A huge buddha statue overlooks the room with purple lighting.

Cocktails excellent here but they are not cheap. 20 euro for one cocktail! 17 euro for gin & tonic!

The music is very funky but there is no dancefloor which is a disappointment for those that like to dance.

The Buddha Bar is in the exclusive and expensive area of Paris; everything is saturated with glamour! Beautiful streets, beautiful people, beautiful shops. The walk there was, in fact, the most exciting thing about it.
Me and my Dad only went there to check it out and see if it was worth the hype, and it WAS an opulent beautiful club, however, i thought that the massive Buddha was insensitive. It was baisically like having a crucifix in a brothel! I don't think these capitalists realise that drinking is against the Buddhist religion!
I hope that this fantastic venue is made to re-name, and remove the Buddha! Then it would be good!
Oh, and just to let you know - its pretty expensive. we got a beer and a cocktail (which wasn't even that nice, they hadn't really made an effort) and they cost £20 apprx!
Also, the staff are nice. I don't know what everyone is talking about!

Dress Code: It annoyed me that half the people in there looked like tourists that had just walked off the street. Say it with me now 'GLAMOUR'!

HAVING THE IMAGE OF LORD BUDDHA IN A LIQUOR BAR IS AN INSULT TO A GREAT RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY. TO NAME THE PLACE BUDDHA BAR IS EVEN MORE INSULTING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A BAR CALLED JESUS BAR, ALLAH BAR WITH A STATUE OF JESUS OR A PICTURE OF MECCA ON DISPLAY.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO RESPECT EACH OTHERS RELIGIONS AND THE BUDDHA BAR CONCEPT IS A CHEAP, SICK WAY OF TRYING TO MAKE MONEY.

JOIN THE GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO BOYCOTT THE BUDDHA BARS

Overrated. If you have never been to a big city restaurant, maybe this will seem special. The large buddha has been decor here in New York in several restaurants. I felt the food was subpar, and the atmosphere as well. THe waiters were rude, service slow, and overpriced.

Dress Code: Dress nice.

Went there with a couple of friends...Needless to say, you WILL enjoy the music, the staff were friendly and went out of their way to find us a table, although the place was packed..and the mood was great.

We had just had dinner elsewhere, so we just went there for the drinks...But, you have the option of having dinner at the lower bar area..we sat in the upper area..and could see the HUGE Buddha's head! (Really HUGE)

However, be ware...it IS expensive..You can spend around 45-55 euros for 2 drinks! But it's worth a try ;-)

Dress Code: No special dress code..although Paris makes you want to dress up ;-)

If you want a fantastic night out, with great drinks, great crowd and great music....Hit the Buddah Bar. Hands down one of the best nighttime spots in the city. You can chill in an intimate corner or mingle at the bar.

Dress Code: Most people here are fashionistas, so leave the sneakers and fanny pack at your hotel for the night.

The Buddha Bar is famous for the music CD's around the world and definitely worth a visit. The interior is intersting with the humongous Buddha dominating the main room and the balcony "mezzanine" circling the restaurant. the crowd is too touristy for my taste though and if you wish to see locals this is not the place to go.

Dress Code: Smart casual and upwards.

Grear reputation, upscale with good music.
Saved as our last night in Paris, dressed up and hoped for a special evening.
Ambiance and music was good but EVERYTHING ELSE absolutely horrible.
Worst attitude of staff, arrogant and could not care less. Smokey and so dark that you could not read the menu! Should have stopped there as a sign of thing s to come. Extremely overpriced and not even worth 1/4 the price. Food was VERY mediocre and wished that we stopped for a Big Mac at the local Mc Donalds. At least the attitude would have been better.

Dress Code: Most people were dressed up.

I was not very impressed with the nightlife at Buddha Bar. It's mostly a place to eat and drink and not a nightclub, which we were told it was. If you're looking to dance it up, this is not the place for you. It's also really dark and pretty crowded.

Dress Code: Dress smart!

Atmosphere was very nice, enjoyed the music and the decor. Drinks were nothing special and over priced, the service was terrible, I am in the hospitality industry and what I saw at this bar was ridiculous, the waiter actually stopped us for a second from ordering so he could answer his cell phone. I don’t think these people know what being courteous to their guests is. If it wasn’t for the service A. overall ranking C. ATMOSPHERE IS ALL THEY HAVE GOING FOR THEM.

Dress Code: Smart were. (No Jeans or No Sneakers)

was recommended this bar by the concierge at our hotel (Plaza Vendome), and thought we'd check it out.

what a fantastic place!

really chilled out, with comfy seating and excellent drinks and crackers!!