Source: Adult Industry News
By: Fawnia Mondey
Chez Paree has been rightfully crowned “Montreal’s Most Elegant Gentlemen’s Club.” Upon entering I felt there was something special about this establishment. The waitresses, adorned with their clean pressed white dress shirts and black shirt and ties, exuded a mature air of confidence and pride. They were certainly not the young, yet worn out hotties which I had been greeted by at other clubs; these ladies had grace.
I sat at the bar enjoying one of their personalized waters, catching site of their cigar case in the distance. It was a weekday afternoon. Certainly a slower time for them which I often prefer if I’m visiting a club to review.
The chairs were right out of Madonna’s “Open Your Heart” music video. Trimmed with gold. I took a better look around and thought to myself how classic the club appeared.
Open since 1953, Chez Paree was the home for many great entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Junior and Dean Martin. My tour guide was a large, informative, kind hearted bouncer. Though I interrupted his lunch, he gave me the low-down and shared with me a CD which had been recorded live, decades ago. In the 50s and 60s, Burlesque dancers took to center stage entertaining audiences between acts. – How did burlesque dancers turn into strippers… or did they? (Bit of history here.)
In 1981 the club changed hands into who are now the current owners. By day there are about 12 dancers working and at night the number of available entertainers jumps to at least 24. Rarely, if ever, Chez Paree will have feature entertainers. “We prefer to place emphasis on local dancers” comments DJ Gaetan. Dancers can bring their own music if they like but with a library of over 1000 CDs they can arrive knowing they are in good hands.
Dancers have their time to shine on the main stage two to six times a shift, performing to two songs each time. The cost to the dancers? There is no fee, simply a tip to the staff such as the bouncers and DJ.
On my way out I thought I’d ask the bouncer if he had encountered anything memorable while working. “Yes, five hells angels threatened to trash the place.” I didn’t press for any further information. Chez Paree is simply divine; has been for decades and will remain so for decades to come.
Visit PareeMontreal.com
Fawnia Mondey
