Cocktail bars in Paris: our best trendy places to have a drink

Bar 228 at Le Meurice | An intimate, elegant English-style piano bar

Once kept secret from Parisians, the legendary cocktail bar "228" at Le Meurice, the capital's very first luxury hotel, has become a renowned venue for refined Parisian evenings, along with its gourmet restaurant. Recently revamped by French interior architect and designer Philippe Starck, this unique English-style den, with its delicate patinated woodwork, houses, under an immense celestial ceiling, painter Alexandre-Claude-Louis Lavalley's century-old frescoes of country parties at the Château de Fontainebleau. Heavy velvet curtains, wraparound leather armchairs and a backlit speakeasy bar with Carrara marble countertop enhanced by pinkish copper, brass and steel.

Served with olives and spiced dried fruit, the cocktails, devised by Le Meurice's mixology experts and customizable at will, are regularly renewed to offer new creations, among other classics, and a vast selection of rare spirits taking pride of place on the menu. The 228 signature blends champagne, pear, lychee and raspberry. The Lavalley, created in homage to the fresco painter, features vodka, peach, lime cordial and ginger ale. A menu of shareableantipasti from chef Clémentine Bouchon will delight the most discerning taste buds at this Paris cocktail bar.

Le Bar 228 au Meurice
228 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris

Grouvie | A disco atmosphere hidden above Brasserie des Prés

The La Nouvelle Garde group recently unveiled its very first Parisian dance cocktail bar, perched above the Brasserie des Prés. The latter's more traditional setting, featuring classic French bistro cuisine (pâté en croûte, Auvergne snails, sole meunière), contrasts nicely with the offbeat fun of the 2nd floor where Grouvie perches. With XXL mirrored ceilings, faceted baubles and retro pink velvet seating, the disco chic décor, signed B3 Designers and Dorénavant Studio, gives way to a regularcomedy club-style festive program.

The menu features a dozen original cocktails designed by world champion mixologist Jennifer Le Néchet, inspired for the occasion by the cuisine and patisserie of the group's brasseries. Their divine Paris-Brest, with mousseline, praline coulis and roasted hazelnuts, now has its cocktail counterpart: The Temptations is a surprising combination of Plantation Original Dark rum, cannelé syrup, coffee, Cognac Grand Brûlot, peanut butter, lime juice and toast-infused milk. The Dolly Parton revisits the famous tarte tatin with hazelnut syrup, granny smith apple juice, lime juice, vanilla liqueur emulsion and young cider brandy with toasted hazelnut oil.

The best part? The team makes its own juices, shrubs, syrups, emulsions and clarifications for the cocktails at this Parisian bar.

Grouvie
6 Cour du Commerce Saint-André, 75006 Paris

The Doris Bar at Sir Winston | An English-style speakeasy hidden away in the basement

The 16th arrondissement is home to the capital's oldest pub, recently reinvented by talented interior designer Laura Gonzalez. This English cottage-style restaurant, with its colonial Indian inspirations, contrasts with the basement that houses the Doris Bar. Resembling a luxurious vintage train carriage on its way to Madras, Agra or Bombay, the English-style speakeasy bar serves cocktails in a subdued atmosphere dotted with inlaid mirrors, engraved sconces and soft loveseats set in carved wooden compartments. At the helm of this Paris cocktail bar is head bartender Julien Quettier, who sources his spirits from all over the world, including whiskies from England, Scotland and Punjab.

A standout on the menu is the gourmet signature cocktail Chocolate Island with FAIR Rue XO, Frangelico hazelnut liqueur infused with cocoa nib, cookie syrup and Angostura bitter. Others created in collaboration with Virgile Texier, head bartender at Paris restaurant 4eme Boubalé, are all the rage, like theEdelflower Spritz at FAIR Sureau, Baldoria Dry vermouth, mint cordial and Riccadonna Prosecco. To share without hunger, Indian chef Manoj Sharma's dishes - grilled potatoes with cheddar cream, melting crab croquettes or sea bream ceviche with satay, tamarind and fresh coriander.

Doris Bar at Sir Winston
5 rue de Presbourg, 75116 Paris

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Le Prescription Cocktail Club | Emblematic of the Left Bank

Just a stone's throw from the Odeon district on rue Mazarine, Le Prescription Cocktail Club has established itself as a timeless landmark with an unrivalled reputation. The legendary Experimental Group address, recently revamped by interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon, welcomes guests in a hushed atmosphere inspired by the world of theater: draped curtains, refined passementerie, mirrors, gypsum globe lamps and velvet banquettes. The vibrant heart of the evening is on the first floor, where the bar and DJ preside, while upstairs, the style is more boudoir. The cocktail menu, devised by mixologist Maxime Potfer, is more than creative. These include the Karl cocktail, made with Tequila Ocho la Estancia, lime, spinach cordial, lemon mousse with ginger and celery bitter, or the Garavani, a judicious combination of Whisky Lot 40, Pommeau Drouin, Campari, honey, verjuice and bitter chocolate. A cocktail bar in Paris for connoisseurs.

Prescription Cocktail Club
23 rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris

Mondaine de Pariso | An ultra-private, devilishly Parisian evening

Nestled near the Champs-Élysées avenue, Mondaine is a confidential Parisian restaurant where you can spend a chic and wild evening. Designed by Daphné Desjeux, the décor is inspired by a luxurious 1970s bachelor pad and features velvet reds, moiré leopard prints and plush carpets. In this neo-cabaret, every evening comes alive with DJ sets, live piano and entertaining musical performances, where talented singers move freely among the guests. After the opulence of a candlelit dinner accompanied by fine wine, feverish dancing follows, chaperoned by a selection of signature cocktails.

Mondaine with Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé champagne, Belvedere vodka, passion and apricot, served around a glamorous lace, or the Espresso Leopard, Belvedere vodka, coffee and toasted coconut, topped with an animal-decorated mousse. On the menu, luxurious dishes such as the generous lobster roll , the sole meunière to share and theatrically carved into its dish or, on the sweet side, the farandole of fresh cream puffs.

Mondaine de Pariso
23 rue de Ponthieu, 75008 Paris

The Delano Bar

Close to the Elysée and Faubourg Saint-Honoré,the Maison Delano Paris bar is accessible via a dedicated entrance and revisits the classic hotel bar as a place in its own right in the former Buddha Barrue d'Anjou building. With its sophisticated design, cosy ambience and attentive service, this classy bar offers a choice of twelve cocktails (including two virgin), such as the essential Delano Mule, the Déjà Vu made with Macallan whisky, or the Maison Negroni washed down with Bombay Sapphire. The art of tasting continues with a selection of aperitifs and digestifs meticulously crafted from a diverse palette of wines, spirits, vermouths and bitters. Good to know: the bar welcomes non-residents and comes alive at weekends with DJ sets. Open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Le Delano Bar à Maison Delano Paris
4 Rue d'Anjou, 75008 Paris

The rooftop bar at La Fantaisie

On the rooftop terrace of the La Fantaisie hotel, seasonal cocktails have been imagined by Dominique Crenn himself. Perhaps one of the best reasons to enjoy a drink at the bar of this Parisian boutique hotel, perched on the seventh floor of the building. After passing through a pop space in whimsical shades of pink, soft green, yellow and copper, you sit down to sip the signature cocktails of chef Dominique Crenn, the recipient of 3 Michelin stars in San Francisco. What's on the menu? Californian-inspired cocktails with a Summer of Love Sour (Monkey Shoulder Whisky, Orange Cordial, Campari), a Golden Tiki (Clarified Coconut Rum, Clarified Lime Cordial, Suze, Coffee Liqueur), or a The Mule & The Tiger (Fair Vodka, Tiger Leche, Ginger Syrup). Three mocktails are also available, including the California Soul Milk Punch with Chicha Morada, Seedlip Spice, Cinnamon and Orange syrup. On arrival, guests can choose between the garden side, covered in greenery, and the terrace side, under the olive trees, offering a view of the Sacré-Coeur basilica. Note that the rooftop has just 15 tables and operates on a first-come, first-served basis.

La Fantaisie
24 rue Cadet, 75009 Paris