La Sunday’s Guide to the Best Vibes in Paris
When La Sunday organized its first event in 2018, it was just a small gathering of around 70 friends in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. No doubt, the collective had no idea how quickly it would become a central pillar in Côte d'Ivoire’s party scene.
Within a year, the collective was hosting its first festival: 10,000 attendees, two stages, around 13 acts, and a Christmas market. “We decided to go big or go home,” says co-founder of La Sunday, Charles Tanoh-Boutchoue (better known by his DJ name Black Charles).
The group has continued to grow and with it, the scale and ambition of their parties, too. Some all-time hits include the takeover of Sofitel, the most prestigious hotel in their hometown of Abidjan, and an underground party in a garage that was technically canceled – the weather was bad but fans persuaded La Sunday to go ahead with the event, even helping rebuild the already packed-away equipment (Charles says this was his favorite La Sunday event: “It was nuts because we were missing so many things but the energy was just there.”)
After establishing itself in Côte d'Ivoire, the collective took their parties worldwide. Next up, Paris. Together with Champion, La Sunday is throwing a Fête de la Musique as part of Not In Paris, a multifaceted celebration of culture curated by Highsnobiety. Plus, it has created a line of exclusive merch with Champion, available exclusively via the Highsnobiety Shop starting on June 19.
Ahead of the party, we caught up with members of the collective to find out their favorite places to shop, eat, and drink in Paris. “[The reason we picked] these places is the music and the vibe,” says Fayçal Lazraq who deals with management, operations, and partnerships for La Sunday and splits his time between Paris and Abidjan. “It's not only about what you can eat or drink, it's really about the vibe. If the vibe is cool, everything will be cool.”
Touki Bouki
68 rue Julien Lacroix, 75020
Fayçal Lazraq: Touki Bouki offers African food with French wine. Plus, it has Mezcal from South America, so there’s a nice fusion between [different] continents.
Maison Château Rouge
40 Bis Rue Myrha, 75018
Aurore Aoussi: Maison Château Rouge is a very important brand for African fashion in Paris. It has collaborated with Jordan and Monoprix.
Ofr Bookshop
20 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003
Fayçal Lazraq: Ofr is an institution in France. You can find [almost] every book there and they do a lot of collaborations with brands. Yesterday, Lana Del Rey was over there for a book signing.
Crispy Paris
Fayçal Lazraq: Crispy Paris is a pop-up restaurant. We go to [the pop-up events to] eat wings and burgers, have fun, and listen to good music.
Crispy comes to Abidjan and does pop-ups during La Sunday events, so, of course, when we come to Paris, we go to their place.
Jah Jah by Le Tricycle
11 rue des Petites Écuries, 75010
Lionel Obam (also known as Jeune Lio): Jah Jah was founded by Daqui Gomis, an old friend of mine, and his wife, Coralie Jouhier. They do vegetarian food and are always showcasing Rastafari references in the restaurant. The food is [centered] around Rasta culture.
THE NEXT DOOR
10 Rue Beaurepaire, 75010
Fayçal Lazraq: You can find [almost] everything at THE NEXT DOOR. It’s a concept store with a big selection of items: perfume, vinyl, books, and fashion.
Chop Chop Love
48 rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010
Fayçal Lazraq: Chop Chop Love makes French food but it's finger food. They also have nice music and sometimes a DJ playing vinyl.
Mimzo
49 Rue Marguerite de Rochechouart, 75009
Aurore Aoussi: I love the design of the bar at Mimzo and the selection of wine. It's owned by a brother and sister duo and a place I highly recommend.
Bonjour Jacob
28 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 / 30 Rue Dauphine, 75006
Fayçal Lazraq: Bonjour Jacob is a coffee shop and it has a great selection of vinyl records and books.
Marché Noir Lomé
18 Rue Commines, 75003
Aurore Aoussi: Marche Noir is Marché Noir is our friends’ brand coming out of Lomé, in Togo. I consider them to be rock stars and they create the clothes of rock stars. It's an African brand and they have a shop also in Paris.
Montezuma Café
15 Rue Notre Dame des Victoires, 75002
Fayçal Lazraq: There’s always a good atmosphere and a nice vibe at Montezuma. It’s a good place to connect with people in Paris.
Jolis Mômes
5 rue turgot, Paris, France 75009
Fayçal Lazraq: This is a French restaurant, a typical brasserie. The best way to enjoy Jolis Mômes is to have a drink — a coffee or a glass of wine — and enjoy the terrace and its view of the Sacré-Coeur.
