A Cabaret Dancer Reveals Her Tips for the Best of Paris
Anna Richards | June 17, 2025
Being a Crazy Girl is an identity. When Liza Stardust and her fellow cabaret dancers hit the town in Paris, wearing the signature "Crazy Rouge" lipstick, they often don't break character. Their stage names, chosen for them just before the curtain rose on their inaugural performance, have become so familiar that hearing their "real" first names can make them feel like they're in trouble.
Showtime wasn't for a few hours, but when Stardust met me in the boudoir-like room that was once the office of Alain Bernardin, founder of Crazy Horse cabaret, her scarlet lipstick was already in place, matching the sofas. Behind her, a ceramic table lamp was shaped like perfect, pert buttocks.
Australia-born Stardust had never been to Paris before her Crazy Horse audition, but after two years, she feels at home here. From bookshops to where to get the best crème brûlée, she shares what to see, do, and eat in the city — once you've seen a Crazy Horse cabaret show, of course.
If you only go to one Parisian quartier make it…
"Three. I love Le Marais, Montmartre, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés," says Stardust. "Le Marais is the one that has everything — a mix of modern and classic Paris. Grab dinner at Café Hugo on Place des Vosges: the sunset views are amazing. Just around the corner, Chez Janou makes a chocolate mousse famous all over the city."
The south bank is much maligned by Parisians. "There's this idea that it's boring, and everything interesting happens north of the river," says Stardust. "But Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the best places for a wander. I'm a real bookworm, and I love to go to Abbey Bookshop [on the edge of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter]. It's packed with English-language books in all genres."
