The first ever Paris Cocktail Week will be taking place next week, featuring events, courses, and special drink prices at more than thirty bars around the city.
Tag Archives: cocktails
Pas de Loup
Dersou
There are many reasons to go to Dersou: starting your day with a bowl of porridge and a coffee from Stéphane Cataldi; stopping for a healthy lunch near the boutiques along the rue de Charonne; sharing a sixty-day aged steak and a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage, as the couple next to us was doing at 11pm. Maybe you don’t go in for the no-choice dégustation menu offered for 90€ from 7:30-9pm. Maybe chef Taku Sekine’s food – a series of five inventive, generous and mostly delicious plates, each paired by with a cocktail from barman Amaury Guyot, is not well-enough supported by an adolescent service staff that seems to be more enthralled with their own vibe than with the banality of bringing your drink, your check, your noose. Continue reading
Le Mary Celeste
Le Mary Celeste is a new restaurant from the people behind Candelaria and Glass. Accordingly, there’s a solid cocktail program and two Brooklyn beers on tap. These will get a lot of attention, as will the rotating cast of mostly wild oysters sold by the piece for 2-5€. But the real story here is chef Haan Palcu-Chang and his menu of eclectic small plates, including Chinese crepes stuffed with pork knuckle and celery, tamarind-glazed endives, guinea hen with tare sauce and ginger (5-12€). Read more in our First Look at Le Mary Celeste.
Artisan
Frédéric Le Bordays is behind the bar and serving up excellent craft cocktails alongside a few simple small plates from chef Vanessa Krycève.
Practical information
Address: 14 rue Bochart de Saron, 75009
Nearest transport: Anvers (2)
Hours: Closed Monday; Tuesday-Saturday 7pm-2am; Open for brunch on Sundays in autumn/winter from 12pm-4pm
Reservations: Reservations not accepted
Telephone: 01 48 74 65 38
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
David Lebovitz (2014) “A big feature of the place is the zinc cocktail bar, where you can get excellent drinks… Bijou came in a slender cocktail glass, and was a delirious blend of gin and Chartreuse… The thinly sliced Iberian ham was a nice treat alongside as was the fried mini croque monsieur, that was perhaps the best I’ve had in Paris.”
Forest Collins (2013) “While Artisan has incorporated some successful trends like small plates, large format drinks (their punch serves four) or bottled cocktails, nothing feels gimmicky or risky. It’s quite simply a well-put together cocktail program that is as nicely balances as Fred’s drinks.”
Emmanuel Rubin (2013) “Un bar de belle civilité où cocktails d’auteur (quasi gourmands) et nourritures de comptoir twistent la canaille.”
Aaron Ayscough (2013) “An appealingly under-designed space with a big broad bar, competent cocktails, decent beer, not enough wine, and an astonishingly successful menu comprising miniaturized version of French classics: roast lamb shoulder, steak tartare, etc… Artisan presents sophisticated drinks and a lively atmosphere without Asian inflections, without caricatured Cali vibes, with no silly hidden doorways, no Mexican themes, and no vile perfumes sprayed on the cocktails – and as such, it represents the inevitable but already-overdue maturation of cocktails and bar culture in Paris. The theme is there is no theme, nor is one needed.”
Timeout (2013) “Sa carte changera toutes les deux semaines, en fonction de l’humeur du barmaid et de la chef, des fruits et légumes de saison de prime qualité. Un menu mettant l'”artisanat” des boissons et des ingrédients à l’honneur… En cas de fringale, vous piocherez des plats mitonnés à partir d’ingrédients de saison, une cuisine de marché hyper fraîche. On salive devant la bruschetta de tomates confites aux fraises et parmesan de vache rousse, suivie d’une épaule d’agneau du Quercy confite, avec son caviar d’aubergine à la flamme. Les desserts sont tout aussi tentants.”
Photo courtesy of Artisan’s Facebook
Lockwood
A coffee bar with emphasis on the bar – cocktails and coffee in a shared space from one of the partners in the Belleville Brûlerie. Anglo offerings are available for brunch onsite or to go.
Practical information
Address: 73 Rue d’Aboukir, 75002
Nearest transport: Sentier (3)
Hours: Closed Sunday; Open Monday-Saturday 8am-2am
Reservations: Not necessary
Telephone: 01 77 32 97 21
Average price for lunch: Less than 10€
Style of cuisine: Soups/salads/sandwiches, American, British
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Emmanuel Rubin (2014) “Selon l’heure à laquelle on veut bien s’y perdre, un post-café de la nouvelle rue parisienne, une cantine des pas pressés, un coffee shop hipster ou un cocktail machine” but he enjoyed it all the same as “toujours une bonne énergie à activer les en-cas.”
Hipsters in Paris (2014) “A haunt for Italy’s finest digestifs and liqueurs, the range and the spread during aperitivo is reason in itself to make the visit. By day, it’s a reputable coffee haunt with cafe food and beans from Belleville Brulerie. From 6.30–8 it’s Aperitivo time with antipasto and cold cuts to soak up the spritz. From 8pm onwards you can descend into the cocktail bar for some late night debauchery, or maybe munch on a fried chicken sandwich to the sound of excellent rock, soul and blues.”
Adrian Moore (2014) “Brews are from the Belleville Brulerié (thanks to Brother Thomas Lehoux, who is also behind the roaster) and cocktails from brother Olivier (also of the club Le Silencio). Breakfast and lunch are organic and Anglo-inspired.”
Forest Collins (2014) “Lockwood is exactly the type of place the city now needs. Its relaxed attitude, understated cool, and focus on quality ingredients are the right combination to satisfy the coffee connoisseur, casual early evening drinker as well as the late night bar crawler. Given their initial showing and reception, they are set to be a popular and prevalent force on the Paris drinking scene.”
Kim Laidlaw (2013) “A coffee shop by day and a cocktail bar by night set up by a Paris trio with serious pedigree (one founder is from Ten Belles, one from Silencio and the other has opened three bars in London and Sydney). This looks set to be hot.”
Bar 228 at Le Meurice
Entering Bar 228 is like stepping back in time. You don’t need to be a guest at the grand Le Meurice hotel to enjoy the luxury of solidly made classic cocktail in the intimate, clubby den, but you may need to be a millionaire. The atmosphere might be retro, but at 25€ a pop, the prices certainly are not. You’re there for the atmosphere–soft jazz, comfy leather chairs, and gracious pampering from tuxedoed waiters–not innovation.
Practical information
Address: 228 rue de Rivoli, 75001
Nearest transport: Tuileries (1), Concorde (1, 8, 12)
Hours: Open every day 11:45am-1:30am
Telephone: 01 44 58 10 10
Average price for cocktail: 25€
Website
Reviews of interest
Forest Collins (2011) “Barstaff maintain the same level of polished, professional, perfected service found throughout the rest of the hotel and bring out bowls of nuts, olives and creamy, garlicky dip with delicate bread sticks while guests peruse the extensive cocktail menu. Clientele can choose from dozens of long and short classics, champagne cocktails and a smaller selection of house creations…”
Emma Bentley (2011) “Dark wood. Leather armchairs. Attentive waiters in pressed white jackets. A glass of crisp Chablis. Nibbles. Jazz pianist. Hushed voices. The chinking of glasses. Dimmed lighting. Men in suits and women in cocktail dresses. Seduction at its very finest.”
Experimental Cocktail Club
The original (and still insanely popular) speakeasy that sparked the trend in 2007 and spawned an empire that now includes Beef Club, Fish Club, Prescription Cocktail Club and Curio Parlour. Despite being the oldest of the new wave joints, it’s still one of the swankiest and hardest to get in.
An absolute favorite
Practical information
Address: 37 rue St-Sauveur, 75002
Nearest transport: Sentier (3), Réaumur-Sébastopol (3,4)
Hours: Closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 45 08 88 09
Average price for cocktail: 13€
Website
Reviews of interest
Forest Collins (2013) “Worth a visit to see where the new wave of craft cocktails kicked off in France…Cocktail choices change on a regular basis (we tend to like any drink they recommend) and off-menu classics can be ordered confidently from the capable staff.”
World’s Best Bars (2012) “Unswervingly inventive and refreshingly affordable given the setting. Live DJs keep the atmosphere upbeat and the staff are friendly and well-informed about all matters drink-related.”
Little Red Door
The tiny red door leads to a dark bar with cozy couches, cushy bar stools, and an elevated nook that is ideal for people watching. The bar menu is short, sweet and well-curated, but the bartenders are amenable to getting creative and going off-menu.
Practical information
Address: 60 Rue Charlot, 75003
Nearest transport: Filles du Calvaire (8)
Hours: Open every day 6pm-2am
Reservations: Reservations not required
Telephone: 01 42 71 19 32
Average price for a cocktail: 13€
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Sophie Doran (2013) “Top shelf selection, no standard list and the most comfortable bar stools in the whole of Paris.”
Forest Collins (2013) “They’re turning out a small but solid (and regularly changing) selection of inspired cocktails. In an effort to continually up the ante when it comes to cocktails, they’re even bringing in a professional flavorist to assist with new drink design.”
Sophie De Santis (2012) “Des cocktails sur mesure. La carte est courte et précise. Pas de fioritures dans les appellations, les associations d’ingrédients cohérentes, avec la touche poivrée ou sucrée qu’il faut.”
Curio Parlour
A tiny cave filled with dead animals and intricate cocktails, from the ECC team. Its small size and popularity make it a tough door to get through so arrive early. Keep your eyes peeled for their house specialty: nikka, Japanese whiskey.
Practical information
Address: 16 rue des Bernadins, 75005
Nearest transport: Maubert-Mutualité (10)
Hours: Closed Sunday, Closed Monday
Telephone: 01 44 07 12 47
Average price for cocktail: 12€
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
World’s Best Bars (2012) “The Curio Parlour’s cocktails are experimental in execution and stuffed with unexpected ingredients (lemon grass, basil and the like). A hip young crowd perch on the velvet banquettes.”
Gisela Williams (2010) “Geeky hot spot…a speakeasy-style lounge popular with a chic Parisian crowd that sips single malt whiskey.”
Genevieve Sandifer (2009) “A grown-up, intimate den perfect for whiling away an evening when you’re homesick for a proper Manhattan. The ground floor is anchored by a bar teeming with bottles and vials, with a couple nooks recessed behind heavy curtains ideal for hushed conversing. The downstairs is where the late-night parties happen, with a second bar and a DJ booth for the guest acts that regularly grace the Parlor.”
Forest Collins (2008) “These guys have taken things (unmarked doors, movie screenings, high-end cocktails) and put them together into a nice, solid drinking experience without the potential pretension or cheese factor that this combination could present.”
Prescription Cocktail Club
Just what the doctor ordered: another reliable standby from the ECC team. Two floors of creative cocktails, dark lounge-y space, and too many fashionable people packed into one space.
Practical information
Address: 23 rue Mazarine, 75006
Nearest transport: Saint-Michel (4)
Hours: Open every day
Telephone: 01 46 34 67 73
Average price for cocktail: 13-15€
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
World’s Best Bars (2012) ” The cocktail list gives the place its heart beat, its reason for being. These are some serious drinks: inventive, inspired and, yes, occasionally experimental. They do all the classics but it’s the house drinks that really sing – try the Gin Gin Mule and you’ll see what we mean.”
Forest Collins (2011) “Prescription oozes the same lounge lover style as their other spots. While the downstairs bar is the perfect place to pull up a stool and watch the bartenders work, the upstairs holds a second bar hidden behind a bookshelf to cater to the bigger crowds on busier nights (and things do get much busier late night and weekends.)”
Le Forum
The unaffected but luxurious lounge is the least expensive of the historic cocktails bars, with a cocktail menu as thick as an encyclopedia. Le Forum has been open since 1918 and run by the same family since the early 1930s.
Practical information
Address: 4 Boulevard Malesherbes, 75008
Nearest transport: Madeleine (8, 12, 14)
Hours: Closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 42 65 37 86
Average price for cocktail: 16€
Website
Reviews of interest
Forest Collins (2013) “Spoil yourself with a drink from their “Hall of Fame” list, like the popular vodka-based Porn Star Martini, made with a soft touch of passion fruit and vanilla.”
World’s Best Bars (2012) “The boxy leather chairs are surprisingly comfortable and one could easily while away an hour or so here with a well-made martini, a classic Pisco Sour or a glass of crisp champagne. The crowd is smartly attired and can veer towards the middle-aged and corporate.”
Andrew Harper (2011) “Otherwise, this bar is a haven of excellence for anyone who likes a good cocktail, a fine whisky or an old-fashioned aperitif such as Lillet, Suze or Pineau des Charentes Marnier. Mrs. Harper has a fondness for the occasional Forum Cocktail, a mix of gin, Noilly Prat Dry and Grand Marnier that was created here in 1929, and I’ve enjoyed sampling my way through the excellent list of single malts through the years.”
Forest Collins (201o) “their attention to detail and consideration of cocktails ensures that every drink is made with just the right ice. This is where I go if I’m feeling flush and craving some sophisticated sipping.”
Dirty Dick
The congenial international crew at this cheekily named Polynesian-themed rum bar are serving up reasonably priced tropical cocktails, flaming scorpion bowls for a crowd, and interesting craft beers from Oregon to boot. Hipsters and regular people alike are enjoying the retro ambiance at this kitschy cool lounge.
An absolute favorite
Practical information
Address: 10 Rue Frochot, 75009
Nearest transport: Pigalle (2, 12)
Hours: Open every day 6pm-2am
Telephone: 01 48 78 74 58
Average price for a beer: 6€ for pints, 7€ for 33cl bottles
Number of taps: 3
Average price for cocktail: 6-14€
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Thierry Richard (2013) “On se verrait d’ailleurs bien en smoking blanc, version Bond à la Jamaïque, dégustant l’un de ces somptueux cocktails où le rhum est roi, comme un Mai Tai (Rhum, zestes d’orange, amandes grillées) parfumé ou, pour les soirs de blues, un Zombie (mélange détonnant de plusieurs rhums) un Pain Killer (Rhum, coco, ananas, orange) revigorant. Car l’avantage du Dirty Dick, c’est qu’on peut aussi s’y réfugier les jours de mauvais temps: le soleil hawaïen y a élu domicile.”
Serious Eats (2013) “As over-the-top as its ambiance is, the bar maintains equilibrium both in the make-up of the menu and in the mixing of impressively balanced individual drinks. The Da-Tiki-Da offers easy-drinking pleasure to big tiki style, impersonating a Brazilian caipirinha, but with rough edges smoothed out by coconut. Served small and clean, this cheapest drink on the menu (6€, or about $7.75) was a refreshing break.”
Le Figaro (2013) “Du côté des breuvages, la part belle est faite au rhum, avec 55 références, et une vingtaine de cocktails very strong servis – pour certains – dans des verres en forme de statues Maori ou dans des bowls à partager. La «Mula Mexicana», à base de tequila, gingembre et menthe, est intelligemment relevée d’un piment entier.”
Forest Collins (2013) “The menu features 17 cocktails with a good mix of classics and house creations, mainly based (of course) on rum, but with other options…I was ready to move onto the rum-based Cutback Conquest, which offers the satisfying balance of a well-made sour made more mature and interesting thanks to the Guinness reduction’s bitter beer bite, spiking through the otherwise easy-going cocktail for a pleasant surprise. The rest of the menu also reflects this element of the unexpected or a juxtaposition of sorts: An elegant un-refinedness, if you will.”
Sophie Doran (2013) “Rum is definitely the star of the show but the team are doing equally great things with vodka, tequila and whisky…The Mai Tai is excellent…As are the drinks – €5 for a pint, roughly €10 for a cocktail – its high brow drinking on a low brow budget.”
Kim Laidlaw (2013) “Somewhat incongruously, Guinness and Newcastle Brown Ale are also on tap, and there is a good selection of bottled beers, too.”
Photo via Dirty Dick’s Facebook page
Le Coq
A bar near Republique that distinguishes itself by using traditional French liqueurs and ingredients as the base of its menu.
Practical information
Address: 12 Rue du Château d’Eau, 75010
Nearest transport: Jacques Bonsergent (8)
Hours: Closed Sunday
Telephone: 01 42 40 85 68
Average price for cocktail: 11€
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Thierry Richard (2014) “La déco soignée de l’endroit puise donc son inspiration dans la vision anglosaxonne des années 70 parisiennes, chics, un peu déjantées, ambiance Gainsbourg – Hardy… L’un de mérites, et pas le moindre… c’est de remettre sous le nez des parisiens de vieux alcools et liqueurs du patrimoine qui enchantent tous les bars de la planète mais que les bords de Seine ont oublié depuis longtemps.”
Sophie Doran (2013) “The list is inventive, drawing heavily on local ingredients and forgotten French liquors, but you can also order the classics or Tony’s famed Dry Martini. The prices are great, the service is great and the music is great. It’s simply a great bar.”
Forest Collins (2013) “Rather than recreating Tony’s popular London bars here, they’re working in conjunction with local trends, tastes and products to come up with something uniquely Parisian.”
Forest Collins (2013) “Industry superstar Tony Conigliaro masterminds cocktail creations that focus on forgotten French spirits and liqueurs and incorporate secret ingredients imported from his London laboratory. With a regulars list already comprising Paris’s trendsetters and tastemakers, le Coq is giving the city’s cocktail scene a wake up call.”
Sophie De Santis (2012) “L’adresse anglo-chic ou le symbole de l’entente cordiale franco-anglaise. À la tête de ce dernier-né, un as de la mixologie: Tony Conigliaro, bartender auréolé de prix, déjà patron de deux bars en vue à Londres…Avec ses associés Thierry Daniel et Éric Fossard, il a imaginé une adresse dont rêvent les Britanniques à Paris.”
Photo via Le Coq’s Facebook
L’Entrée des Artistes
Expertly mixed cocktails and natural wines coexist peacefully at this low-key bar à manger.
Practical information
Address: 8 rue de Crussol, 75011
Nearest transport: Oberkampf (5, 9)
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7pm-2am; closed Sunday
Reservations: Reservations not necessary
Telephone: 09 50 99 67 11
Average price for a cocktail: 12€
Average price for dinner: 20-34€
Style of cuisine: Small plates & tapas
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Figaroscope (2013) “Un lieu à la croisée des genres entre bar à cocktails, cave à manger et club d’habitués, où l’on se dispute la vingtaine de places disponibles, jusque tard dans la nuit. Très beau choix de vins, cocktails pleins de style et bonne bistrote familiale.”
World’s Best Bars (2011) “The cocktails tend towards the innovative but they’re happy to dish up the classics on request – the super friendly service is part of the appeal. The food menu is compact, but the dishes are tasty (try the cheese or charcuterie plates if you’re in the mood for a snack) and you have the comfort of knowing that they’re keeping it in the family – the food is all made by the sommelier’s mum.”
Aaron Ayscough (2011) “…alongside a boldly curated natural wine list, a list of cocktails that is the equal of any in the city…”
Forest Collins (2011) “…a relaxed, low key, pint-sized cocktail bar with a significant food and wine list as well…Given the care that’s going into these drinks, L’Entrée des Artistes currently rates as one of Paris’ best values for money in cocktail options.”
Photo via L’Entrée des Artistes’ Facebook
Glass
This address from the team behind Candelaria brings together cocktails, whiskey and craft beer. You’ll find Brooklyn and Demory beers on tap, plus many more in bottles, including Flying Dog Raging Bitch, Nogne O Porter, Craig Allen “Agent Provacateur” and Left Hand Brewing “Milk Stout”. Cocktails pour forth from both the shaker and the tap, and organic hot dogs and house-made pickles are there to soak it all up. Plenty of press and a rotating lineup of DJs mean that the place is always packed. Arrive early or risk being turned away at the door.
Practical information
Address: 7 rue Frochot, 75009
Nearest transport: Pigalle (2, 12)
Hours: Every day 7am-2am
Telephone: 09 80 72 98 83
Average price for beer: 7€ for most pints, 5-11€ for most bottles
Number of taps: 3 beer taps and 2 cocktail taps
Average price for cocktails: 10-11€
Average price for food: under 10€
Food options: hot dogs with buns and pickles
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Forest Collins (2013) “Taking a decidedly more divey detour, Glass brought something fresh and feisty to last year’s drinking scene. With a creatively brut décor, lower prices and tongue-in-cheek offerings –cocktails on tap and shot-and-beer pairings–, it’s no wonder they quickly became a favorite among the city’s scenesters. Quiet evenings provide the perfect opportunity to sample their 100% organic beef hotdogs with homemade buns or a selection of tangy pickled veggies. On busy nights a party crowds packs onto the tiny dance floor to bump and grind to the loud music.”
GoGo Paris (2012) “This new bar from the crew behind Candelaria has opened in an old bar à hôtesse, the Soho Club, in the fantastically neon Rue Frochot at Pigalle, sandwiched between a sex shop and the Fox Club. Open every day from 7pm-2am, the bar is specialised in beer and hotdogs, proposing organic pure-beef dogs from Rostain on freshly baked buns (5-7€).”
Time Out (2013) “Drinks-wise, we recommend the Tattoo You (mezcal, ginger, grapefruit, lime and beer), and the marvellously named beer BrewDog Trashy Blonde. If you’re up for a Boilermaker, make sure you line your stomach with a hot dog first, then try the Patti & Robert (a shot of Jim Beam followed by a Brooklyn East Indian Pale Ale), or a Lila & Santana (El Jimador Reposado tequila ending and a Mexican Modelo Especial).”
Red House
Red House is where your bartender hangs out on his/her night off. An easygoing dive with really solid, inexpensive cocktails.
Practical information
Address: 1 bis rue de la Forge Royale, 75011
Nearest transport: Ledru-Rollin (8)
Hours: Open every day from 5pm-2am
Telephone: 01 43 67 06 43
Average price for cocktail: 10€
Website Facebook
Reviews of interest
Hipsters in Paris (2014) “Red House is the best place to drink above average cocktails at below average prices…It’s basically the perfect dive bar; friendly staff, quality drinks and excellent music (with DJs most nights of the week).”
Forest Collins (2013) “Giving clients a good time is as important as giving them a good cocktail…hungry locals line up to fill their bellies on taco nights and take advantage of one of the city’s best happy hours.”
World’s Best Bars (2012) “They’ve ramped up the cocktail list to include some inventive and intriguing drinks…The menu changes seasonally, so feel free to ask what’s good (or go for one of the seasonally variable Old-Fashioneds). There’s also, unsurprisingly, a decent range of spirits (especially tequilas) on offer. The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable and the cocktails are great value.”
Forest Collins (2012) “When I’m looking for a bit of fun over fancy, I head to the Red House…The spirits selection is smaller than in most of the city’s best cocktail bars, but it goes beyond the bottom shelf basics that you’ll find in most of the city’s laid back watering holes.”
Photo courtesy of Red House’s Facebook page
Our Guide to Paris Cocktail Bars
Whether you’re looking for a nightcap or an apéro, an old fashioned hotel bar or a new wave dive, here’s our guide to the best craft cocktails organized by arrondissement. Happy tippling!
75001
Beef Club
Fish Club
Bar 228 at Le Meurice
75002
Experimental Cocktail Club
Lockwood
Harry’s New York Bar
Silencio
75003
Candelaria
Le Mary Celeste
Grazie
Little Red Door
75004
75005
75006
75008
75009
Artisan
Buvette
Dirty Dick
Glass
Lulu White
75010
75011
Posh cocktails with a panoramic view
L’oiseau Blanc (75016) LiLi isn’t the only new opening at the Hotel Peninsula Paris, there’s also a rooftop bar with “360 degree view of Paris in a sophisticated and staid space. The drinks menu features around a dozen drinks ranging from appropriate classics (Aviation, anyone?) to twists on classics like their Take Off (gin, sweet vermouth and bitters). Here you’ll find the excellent service and hush hush feel that high-end hotels are known for.” Forrest Collins recommends going early as she suspects many of the best terrace seats are reserved for hotel guests.
Read the full review at 52 Martinis
Beef Club
We have not yet reviewed this restaurant, but you’ll find practical information about location and hours on this page, along with links to other reviews. Feel free to share your own opinion in the comments.
Paris has 10% of the World’s Best Bars
We already knew that Paris has great cocktail bars. But now the rest of the world does too.
10% of the best bars in the world, in fact.
5 Parisian watering holes placed in the Top 50 at the World’s Best Bars ceremony last night: Candelaria, Le Forum, Little Red Door, Le Coq, and Sherry Butt.
Candelaria not only broke into the top 10 and but also took home top honors for Best Bar in Europe.
Cheers!
Paris Results:
- #9 Candelaria
- #33 Le Forum
- #39 Little Red Door
- #40 Le Coq
- #43 Sherry Butt
Beyond the Hotel Bar: the Next Generation of Craft Cocktails
“Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares, if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars,” –Ernest Hemingway
Serious cocktail snobs, beautiful bobos, eager expats, and beer geeks alike are buzzing around the octagonal bar at Le Mary Celeste on a weekday night. Bright, airy, young, and fun, the bar is the hub around which the restaurant itself is organized.
First Look: Le Mary Celeste
Le Mary Celeste is a new restaurant from the people behind Candelaria and Glass. Accordingly, there’s a solid cocktail program and two Brooklyn beers on tap. Another creative and beautiful (now nautical) interior from David Rager, Cheri Messerli and Gilles Tombeur. These will get a lot of attention, as will the rotating cast of mostly wild oysters sold by the piece for 2-5€. But the real story here is Haan Palcu-Chang.
Haan is a Canadian of Romanian and Chinese descent whose most recent professional gigs were in Michelin-starred restaurants in Copenhagen. However skilled he may now be in the art of making foams and gels, he’s equally passionate about time spent learning how to cook from “real Asians” in New Zealand and about the ethnic food scene in his native Toronto. He’s a food nerd, and this is the first time that he’s been given control over a kitchen.
When you mix together the technique, the respect for ingredient and the ethos of everything-from-scratch, the result is a small plates menu that’s so much better than it needs to be. In the same spirit as Paris’ Au Passage or Copenhagen’s Fiskebar – this is a place where serious Food is being transmitted through a small plates medium to unshaven people in skinny jeans.
Examples
Bar snacks of (all housemade) pickled topimambour, beef jerky, kimchi
Crêpes Chinoises: beef shin, celery, sesame, peanuts
There’s also a respect for vegetables here that one doesn’t often find in Paris. While we were tempted by the poitrine de veau (veal breast) with coconut milk or the pintade (guineau hen) with tare sauce, we surrendered instead to a vegetarian dish with two kinds of cabbage, black beans and a roasted carrot that was so deeply savory it could have been meat. The two dishes I’ll return for are also meat-free: steamed oysters with chili, black vinegar, and crispy shallots, plus endives with tamarind and mint. Tamarind also flavors a chocolate creme dessert with Maldon salt. When’s the last time anyone saw tamarind in Paris?
I opted instead for a dessert cocktail (or two). My favorite was the Rain Dog, made with small batch bourbon, bitters, mint, lemon and sirop de capillaire. That last ingredient is a house-made infusion of simple syrup, orange flower water, and dried maidenhair fern. It’s what makes the drink more than a mint julep, and it’s what makes the drink 12 euros.
Practical Advice
It’s possible to reserve (only by email at reservations@lemaryceleste.com), and I would recommend doing so. The dining room was absolutely packed at 8pm on a Thursday with no place to sit besides our two reserved seats.
It’s also possible to order sequentially, another something I would recommend. Nearly all of the five dishes we ordered arrived at one time, along with a giant oyster platter, and these didn’t fit on the tiny little table. My friend and I took turns holding plates in the air above the platter to let the other person take a few bites. The result: a stream of fatty jus dribbling from the crêpe chinois onto an unsuspecting kumamoto oyster below. Delicious, actually. We then had to stack the demolished plates under my chair to free up our hands for oyster play. It made the waitress giggle, and we thought it was fun. However, other eaters may have different standards, and they should order sequentially.
The best move would be to arrive early for a first round during the 5-7 pm Happy Hour when oysters (one special per day) are sold at only 1€ a piece. Wash them down with a good bottle of Muscadet from Marc Olivier for 22€ or an even better Muscadet from Guy Bossard for 34€. Then order everything on Haan’s food menu, and as many drinks as you can stand from Carlos (ex-L’Hotel) Madriz’ cocktail menu. You will float out very full and, like the namesake sea vessel, on your way to wandering lost.
For more details, including address and hours, see the page for Le Mary Celeste in Our Guide to Paris Restaurants.
Candelaria
With its bright, bare-bones kitchen, crowded counter, communal table, and addictive salsas — all mercifully un-Frenchified — this upper Marais spot has officially changed the game, and people are lining up for tacos and agua fresca. Go through the unmarked door next to the stove and you’ll find a serious bar, staffed by Experimental Cocktail Club grads.