Le Bateau Phare can host seminars, company parties, product launches and weddings for groups of 20 to 300 guests, across four spaces on three decks and 600 square meters. The boat is moored at 3 Port de la Gare, in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, on the Seine opposite the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Seminars and company events
The boat can be booked for private events every day of the week, from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. The seminar package includes a room equipped for video and sound, a coffee break, lunch on board and a technical control desk. Le Carré suits a board meeting or a workshop, with tables, sofas, a long bar and portholes on the river. La Cale, on the lower deck, takes conferences and presentations on a large screen, with a stage. Booking the whole boat lets a group run a plenary, workshops and lunch on the three decks, then carry on into the evening.
For company parties, the boat offers a private bar, signature cocktails, a resident or guest DJ and a partner caterer. Customizable digital screens in every space can show a logo, visuals or videos. A projector is available on request, and Wi-Fi with a redundant internet connection covers the whole boat. Le Carré and La Cale are air-conditioned.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings are sold as part of the made-to-measure formula: full private hire, a wedding planner and professional power supply. Birthdays, private parties and bachelor parties are also hosted, from 20 guests. Film and photo shoots can book the whole boat.
Rooms and capacities
La Cale, on the lower deck, takes 200 guests for a cocktail or a club night, with a stage, a central bar and a dance floor. Le Carré, on the middle deck, seats 100 for a dinner or a meeting, with a view of the Seine. Le Deck, the covered outdoor upper deck, takes 130 for a cocktail or a standing dinner, with a wide view of the river and the bridges. The quayside terrace covers 350 square meters, takes 300 guests and is open from April to October. The whole boat takes 300 guests. Three formats are offered: a group table from 20 guests, a private space such as a lounge or a terrace, or the entire boat. A 360-degree virtual tour of the three decks and a brochure are available on the website.
Catering
On public nights the Food Deck serves sharing boards, homemade street food and signature cocktails. For private events the boat works with a partner caterer, and the seminar package includes lunch on board. Group menus are chosen from three formulas.
History and setting
The boat was launched on May 24, 1955, by the Philip and Son yard in Dartmouth, England. Named Osprey, it served as an Irish lightship for the Commissioners of Irish Lights from 1955 to 1975. It reached Paris at the end of 1998 and became the Batofar in 1999, a well-known stage for electronic music. After the former operator went into liquidation in January 2018, the boat was bought in May 2018, renovated and reopened as Le Bateau Phare. It remains a bar, restaurant and club, with concerts and DJ nights.
Getting there
Bibliothèque François Mitterrand station, on Métro line 14 and RER C, is five minutes away on foot, and Quai de la Gare on Métro line 6 is eight minutes away. Bus lines 25, 62, 64, 71, 89, 132 and 325 stop nearby, a Vélib' station faces the boat, and the Bibliothèque François Mitterrand car park is two minutes away. The quay is level and step-free.
