An evening in Paris when you are on your own

• Socials by Detor, this site. We seat four to six people who have not met at one table for dinner, drinks, coffee or brunch, in English or in French. You give a few answers once, we choose the group from them, and a person checks every group. We book the venue and send the address the day before. Nobody sees a name until the table's chat opens, an hour before, and there are no profiles. A seat is priced per session, with no membership, and everyone pays the venue for their own bill. Tables are for over-18s, and visitors book like anyone else. What is open this week is on the Paris page.
• Timeleft runs dinners for four to six on Wednesdays and Fridays at 20:00 and drinks on Thursdays at 19:00. Mondays have themed dinners that are women- and LGBTQ+-friendly; Tuesdays are for singles. You choose French or English. It needs a subscription, booking closes 13 hours before, and you pay the venue for your own meal.
• Strangrs is Paris only and in French. There is a dinner for four to six from around 20:00, plus drinks, coffee and a walk. First names and the address arrive a few hours before.
• Dixner sets tables of six to ten with a host, and its main offers include the menu and drinks. Expect a set dinner in a private room.

Parisians open Sortiraparis to see what is on tonight. For what costs nothing this week, the list at godetor.com/city-happenings/paris gathers it in one place.

The Louvre is free on the evening of the first Friday of the month. The Bourse de Commerce has a free late opening on the first Saturday.

• A language evening, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Polyglot Club's evenings run from 20:00 until 02:00. Entry is free, you buy a drink, and the current venue is on its Meetup page. You do not need French: someone there wants to practise English.
• An English trivia night. La Pomme d'Eve holds one on Wednesdays at 20:30.
• A walking tour. GuruWalk has a pay-what-you-want tour of the historic centre.

Head for Oberkampf, République or the Canal Saint-Martin, the liveliest streets at night. The Quai de Jemmapes has the most bars.

Bastille-Oberkampf and the Marais are good too. Belleville is cheaper.

• Evenings start late. The apéro is drinks from about 18:00 to 20:00, the strangers' tables sit at 20:00, and the language evening runs past midnight.
• Say bonjour first. Parisian reserve is protective rather than hostile, and the greeting opens it.

• Book one table during your stay; the address comes the day before.
• Go to the language evening even if you have no French. Practising is the whole point.
• Take your apéro on a terrace. An hour alone with a drink is normal in Paris.

Socials' Paris tables are in English and in French; the ones open this week are on the Paris page.