Perpignan shows its Spanish and Catalan side at night, when a round of tapas and late-night promenades are among the activities. The streets radiating from place de la Loge offer a higher concentration of bars and clubs than any other part of town.
An evening on the town involves a drink and a chat in one of the bars de nuit, followed by a visit to a disco. Perhaps you will start your night at Le Habana Bodegita-Club, 5 rue Grande-des-Fabriques (tel. 04-68-34-11-00), where salsa and merengue play and sunset-colored cocktails flow. Brews with an Irish accent are the attraction at Le O'Shannon Bar, 3 rue de l'Incendie (tel. 04-68-35-12-48), where a small community of Irish expats (and Celtic wannabes) wax nostalgic.
Discos in Perpignan open around 11pm. Le Napoli, 3 rue place de Catalogne (tel. 04-68-51-25-02), a modern, mirror-sheathed space, may remind you of an airport waiting area without the chairs. (You'll have to stand up and mingle or dance, because there's almost nowhere to sit.) Another option is the Uba-Club, 5 bd. Mercader (tel. 04-68-34-06-70), which has a smallish dance floor and, thankfully, sofas and chairs.
During summer, the beachfront strip at the nearby resort of Canet-Plage, 12km (7 1/2 miles) east of Perpignan's historic core, abounds with seasonal bars and dance clubs that come and go with the tourist tides.
