Au Général Lafayette holds a corner of Rue La Fayette in the 9th arrondissement near métro Cadet, a retro beer brasserie pouring around 40 beers on tap and in bottle. The zinc counter dates to the cafe's opening in 1896, and the room trades on that age rather than hiding it.
Published June 1, 2026 · By Daniel Okafor
The room
The room is old Paris brasserie: dark wood panelling, a long historic counter, and the kind of worn detail that several Paris bistro guides, from Paris-Bistro to Gault&Millau, single out as the reason it still draws a crowd after dark. It runs late, open daily until around 3am, which makes it a post-theatre and late-supper room as much as a beer hall. Management under Michel Planchon keeps it a working brasserie rather than a museum, with food served through the night.
The crowd and vibe
The crowd is mixed 9th-arrondissement local: beer drinkers, after-work groups, and late diners who drift in from the theatres and offices around Rue La Fayette. Reviewers and guides describe a steady, unpretentious room rather than a tourist stop, busiest in the evening and holding late as the kitchen runs toward 3am. The historic counter draws regulars who treat it as a standing bar, while tables turn over with the supper crowd. Earlier afternoons read quiet, a slow-beer-and-a-plate hour before the room fills. The mix skews Parisian and repeat, drawn by the long beer list and the late hours rather than a scene, which keeps the tone classic brasserie.
What to order
Order beer, since the list runs to about 40 options across tap and bottle, the reason the brasserie has held a beer reputation for decades. The kitchen pairs it with brasserie plates: salads, charcuterie and cheese boards, and full dishes, with choucroute the house specialty and the order to share at a table. Prices sit at neighbourhood-brasserie level, not tourist markup. The plan is a beer flight off the list, a choucroute to anchor it, and a late seat at the counter when the post-theatre crowd arrives.
What regulars say
Reviewers and guides return to the same notes. The beer selection is the draw, around 40 across tap and bottle, which sets it apart from the wine-first brasseries around it. The historic counter and panelled room earn praise for atmosphere, the appeal of a cafe that has poured since 1896. The late hours come up as a practical win, since few neighbourhood rooms in the 9th keep a kitchen running toward 3am. Choucroute is the dish reviewers name most. The recurring caution is that this is a traditional brasserie, not a modern craft-beer bar, so the list favours range and reliability over rare releases, and the service runs to the brisk, classic Paris style rather than the chatty. The standing advice is to come for a late supper and a beer rather than a quiet date.
Who it is for and best time
This is for beer drinkers, late diners, and anyone touring Paris craft beer bars in the 9th. It opens late morning and runs to 3am daily, so a post-theatre supper or a slow afternoon beer both work. Skip it if you want a polished craft-beer taproom; this is a classic brasserie. For the wider city, see the full Paris bar guide.
The verdict
Au Général Lafayette earns its place as the late beer brasserie of the 9th, around 40 beers poured at a counter from 1896. Order a beer flight, share the choucroute, and stay for the late hours. For more Paris beer rooms, compare A la Bière Comme à la Bière, the canal taproom at Paname Brewing Company, and the taps at Hoppy Corner.
