Skip the pizza at Da Vito and head directly for the refrigerator in the center of the room. The walk-in fridge filled with beer kegs and hanging hams is an entrance to this elegant but unpretentious speakeasy. Get a seat at the bar if you can–both to ogle the impressive collection of vintage barware and because the service leaves a little much to be desired. The drink menu runs heavy on whiskey and mezcal (in a good way) and includes a fresh, seasonal punch for only 6€ each day.
— Catherine Down, July 2013
Practical information
Address: 5 rue Sedaine, 75011
Nearest transport: Bastille (1,5,8)
Hours: Open every day 6pm-2am
Reservations: Reservations not required
Telephone: 09 50 73 12 99
Average price for cocktail: 11€, 6€ for punch
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Travel + Leisure (2016) “With etched-glass wall sconces, exposed brick walls, and art deco black and gold wallpaper, you’ll be shimmying along to the jazzy tunes with every sip of your $13 “Scarlett O’Clara” cocktail, made with honey vodka, blackberry liqueur, and topped with Champagne.”
52 Martinis (2013) “Moonshiner is currently the best bet in town for celebrating the era of the Noble Experiment. While some bars incorporate aspects of the speakeasy trend, the Moonshiner is the only place in town that is maximizing them all at once with its truly hidden entrance, Gatsby-like decor and drinks secreted away in old books.”
52 Martinis (2013) “Play with the Prohibition theme by ordering a Bottled Vieux Carré, mixed up with high quality ingredients and discretely served at the table tucked inside a book. Pour over ice or sip it directly from the flask.”
Le Figaro (2013) “Invisible pour les non-initiés, le Moonshiner, spécialiste du whisky avec 83 références, prépare aussi une vingtaine de cocktails élaborés… le tout sur une musique jazzy, dans la pénombre d’une déco 1900 réussie, avec fumoir confortable intégré.”
Photo courtesy of Moonshiner’s Facebook page
Hello all,
wanted to thank the “Moonshiner”, and especially one of its bartenders (working there on august the 29th) for his warm and friendly behaviour:
I was with a couple of friends, waiting at the bar for 20 minutes (what is totally understandable as the place was massively crowded), when the barman has prefered to take care of some girls (arrived after us and being in the queue behind us)
When i tried to ask for my drinks, the “mixologist” said to me:
“Do you squint? you dont see i am speaking to the girls behind you ?”
After that, we left the place.
We were not regular customers, and as you can imagine, we do not plan to become regulars.
I wrote exactly this same text on their facebook page, adding that i hope this will not be deleted.
I got no answer from the bar, and the post was deleted after a couple of hours.
It seems that their succes got them a swollen head pretty quickly (as they opened a couple of month ago).
Paris got a bunch of good places, similar or not, and as crowed as the Moonshiner (maybe even more crowded).
I went to those, and i have never been talked to like this.
I can only advise people to not go there, unless, speaking frankly, you like to be talked to like a P.O.S.!
GodSpeed them!