Originally owned by stars Mick Hucknall, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn and John Malkovitch under the name Man Ray, this trendier cousin of the Buddha Bar, with a similar neo-Asian décor, changed its name to Mandalaray in 2005.
Aside from the name change, I couldn’t see any other obvious changes. Give the restaurant a miss and check out the bar scene of 20-something fashion models and sun-glass wearing men in designer suits typical of the Champs-Elysées jetset. The schedule changes often to keep up with the trends, but there’s usually live DJs or jazz at the bar, and funky hip-hop or R’n’B on club nights. There have even been opera evenings. Stay tuned… Lounge bar open nightly 9pm – midnight , dance club Wednesday-Saturday midnight-5am. Have a look on their website for more information and menu prices.
UPDATE JULY 3, 2007: The Mandalaray is now closed for good and will be reopening in the fall as something completely different (called World Place, according to my source). So what are they going to do with that big Buddha statue?
Mandalaray
32 Rue Marbeuf, 8th
M° Franklin-D-Roosevelt
Tel 01 56 88 36 36
http://www.Manray.com
The schedule changes often to keep up with the trends, but there’s usually live DJs or jazz at the bar, and funky hip-hop or R’n’B on club nights.