Last week the French capital cemented its status as the City of Love when a survey shone a light on its racy residents. And they take at least 19 lovers in their lifetime β double the amount of us Brits who settle for a modest ten. But in order to get to this exclusive club you have to first adhere to the strict rules. Men are required to wear suits and women must be in skirt and heels. Bags, phones and wallets are taken away to ensure anonymity and your bill is totted up on a card which you leave with the barman.
The total cost can be eye-watering. The entry fee is 92 euros per couple, including one drink per person. After that, drinks are more than 22 euros a pop. The bar area could pass for a regular nightclub, as guests mingle casually and dance to pop music. My wife and I have been together for ten years and we go together. Inside the small playroom, naked couples take up all available space, while others loiter outside, peering through the open doorway.
Most monsieurs are over 40 with some well into their sixties, while mademoiselles are younger, in their late twenties and thirties. She's dressed in a tiny pleated schoolgirl skirt complete with stockings and suspenders.
He has not even bothered to remove his wedding band. For this reason β and others β the club operates on a first names-only basis and no personal information is revealed. The former French finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn reportedly used to spend wild evenings inside the plush pink club.
Tucked away behind the Paris Stock Exchange, the club attracts a cooller, younger crowd, but it is less glossy. Entry on a Saturday night is 78 euros per couple, which includes two free drinks and a mask, which guests are encouraged to wear to lower inhibitions.
