Remi Feraud, the Socialist mayor of the 10th arrondissement, in which lies Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Denis, said local authorities are doing all they can to make sure drinking establishments stay in line.

“Particularly when a cafe has two-thirds of its clientele out on the sidewalk. That is not in keeping with the law,” he said.

He said his officials had brought residents and bar owners together in a neighbouring street to draw up a “charter” aimed at lowering decibel levels, and that he hoped the same could be done in Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Denis.

The manager of Chez Jeanette said he employs a doorman to make sure his lively clientele behave when they are outside.

Yet despite these assurances, the street in front of Chez Jeanette and many other bars heaves with revellers most nights of the week, to such an extent that walking out into the middle of the road is often the only way to get past.

Feraud said there was no question of sending police in large numbers to move these crowds on, and hinted that residents might just have to get used to the situation.

“If I wanted to caricature the Parisian, I would say that he wants to be able to party below the windows of other people, but the evening when he doesn’t want to party, he doesn’t want others to party below his window,” he said.

Alex Toledano, an American currently completing a doctoral thesis for Berkeley University on the history of Rue Du Faubourg Saint-Denis, said the street was symptomatic of many of the changes taking place in Paris.

Rent and real estate value have soared over the past couple of decades as younger and wealthier people move into central areas like this one.

“I think there’s an urban vision that many people in Paris, especially property owners, share. They want to live on a diverse, bustling street during the daytime but one that is quiet at night,” he said.

But he noted that change in this neighbourhood has been constant since the 1950s.

“It has constantly evolved, with different communities moving in and out, different businesses opening and closing.

“It’s healthy for a neighbourhood in general to be changing. The problem is if it’s a situation where only a certain type of business can afford to open here,” said Toledano.