Cocktails in Paris, where?

Heading over next month and even though I've heard that the cocktail scene there is really beginning to blossom, I know very little about it. The one cocktail I remember having last time I was there, in 2010, was a horrible Manhattan that was made with Scotch.

I know there's better to be had but I could really use some assistance. Does anyone have any recommendations for places to get quality drinks in Paris?

Thanks,

=R=

Had some very good cocktails at Le Forum. Also wanted to check out Experimental Cocktail Bar, but didn't ever make it.

This may be a good starting point:
http://www.diffordsguide.com/class-maga ... 10/page-8/

jfibro wrote:Had some very good cocktails at Le Forum. Also wanted to check out Experimental Cocktail Bar, but didn't ever make it.

Thanks. Much appreciated. Experimental is a place that almost everyone seems to mention, so I'll try to check it out.

kathryn wrote:This may be a good starting point:
http://www.diffordsguide.com/class-maga ... 10/page-8/

Thanks, for the link. I've seen that piece before but it almost seems too broad. Have you been to any of the places listed? If so, what did you think of them? Any favorites?

=R=

Experimental / Prescription / Curio are all by the same folks. When they are on, they are the equal of any place in town, but they can be hit or miss. I enjoyed Experimental much more on "off" nights (Sunday was terrific)...it's worth noting that quite a bit of the surrounding area is somewhat "red light"...

Definitely check out Candelaria. Head to the back of the taqueria & through the unadorned white door, prepare for deliciousness.

Spend some time at La Maison du Whisky (the Odeon location is the one you want, the other is lame by comparison) and chat up the staff. You'll likely be invited to try some very neat stuff. They will also likely have leads on other places to try. Pick up a bottle of their single-barrel expression Rittenhouse Rye, or a case.

I've heard good things about Le Forvm, but haven't made it over there.

ETA: The Hemingway Bar is closed for a remodel, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it anyway. It is a total scene, and drinks are $40+. If you get a chance to chat with Colin Field and score some tips, it might be worth it for one or two...

Experimental Cocktail Club
37 Rue Saint-Sauveur
75002 Paris

Prescription Cocktail Club
23 Rue Mazarine
75006 Paris

Curio Parlor
16 Rue des Bernardins
75005 Paris

Candelaria
52 rue de Saintonge
75003 Paris

La Maison du Whisky
6 Carrefour de l'Odéon
75006 Paris

Bar Le Forvm
4 Boulevard Malesherbes
75008 Paris

Hemingway Bar (The Ritz Hotel)
15 Place Vendôme
75001 Paris

Thanks very much, for the detailed intel, kl. I really appreciate it. Looking forward the drinking on this trip almost as much as the eating.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:Thanks very much, for the detailed intel, kl. I really appreciate it. Looking forward the drinking on this trip almost as much as the eating.

=R=

Happy to help. If you're heading back to Josephine Chez Dumonet, you might ask chef to wrap your left-overs in the shape of a swan (cygne in French). If he recalls our meal there in July, he'll laugh uproariously and likely oblige.

kl1191 wrote:Happy to help. If you're heading back to Josephine Chez Dumonet, you might ask chef to wrap your left-overs in the shape of a swan (cygne in French). If he recalls our meal there in July, he'll laugh uproariously and likely oblige.

Had some of the best foie gras of my life there two weeks ago. Hope to get a post about it up shortly.

sank roo doe noo?

Roger Ramjet wrote:sank roo doe noo?

Heh, have you been? If so, what did you think?

(Harry's Bar, 5 Rue Daunou)

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:sank roo doe noo?

Heh, have you been? If so, what did you think?

(Harry's Bar, 5 Rue Daunou)

=R=

I've been, but a long time ago. (To watch the Bush v. Gore election returns there, as Americans in Paris traditionally do. I left late into the night, expecting to wake up to le nouveau président des États-Unis, Monsieur Gore. Anyway...)

If you have a chance to go on a quite night, at a quiet time, then do. It's historic, 101 years old this year, and claims to be the birthplace of several classic cocktails, including The Monkey Gland. It reminds me of The Berghoff before The Great Change.

Louisa Chu wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:sank roo doe noo?

Heh, have you been? If so, what did you think?

(Harry's Bar, 5 Rue Daunou)

=R=

I've been, but a long time ago. (To watch the Bush v. Gore election returns there, as Americans in Paris traditionally do. I left late into the night, expecting to wake up to le nouveau président des États-Unis, Monsieur Gore. Anyway...)

If you have a chance to go on a quite night, at a quiet time, then do. It's historic, 101 years old this year, and claims to be the birthplace of several classic cocktails, including The Monkey Gland. It reminds me of The Berghoff before The Great Change.

Thanks, Louisa. If the cirumstances line up as you suggest, we'll be sure to check it out.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:sank roo doe noo?

Heh, have you been? If so, what did you think?

(Harry's Bar, 5 Rue Daunou)

=R=

Just once, quite a while ago. I thought it was great. No retro, no irony, not an amazing lifelike simulation, just the real thing. Like listening to Ben Webster.

We ended up cocktailing on only one night and went to Experimental Cocktail Club and Candelaria. Both places were fun but creations at both places suffered a bit from "too many ingredients" syndrome. Still, it was a very enjoyable night.

ECC seemed to be the more serious place of the two. When we first arrived, we got out of our cab and asked the doorman if they had room for 4. He asked back "you do know what we do in here, right?" He was entirely friendly but still, I had to fight back the urge to reply smart-assedly to that kind of query. Instead, I said "of course we do and we came all the way from Chicago to check it out." He asked us to wait, ducked inside and returned, saying that there was room to stand but no seating. We entered and found a place to stand near the back end of the bar.

Inside it reminded me a bit of The Whistler, only smaller. Small, narrow space, brick walls, wood-shelved back bar, dim orange lighting. There were 2 bartenders working. One was mixing speedily, with a proficiency that suggested a strong expertise. Unfortunately, we found ourselves in front of the other guy, the one who had to continually refer to the menu while he made the drinks. I didn't care that it was slower but I'm guessing that his unfamiliarlity didn't help the quality of the beverages at all. Drinks were tasty but again, a bit busy and fairly pricey at 13 euros. Here's a look at the menu . . .


Experimental Cocktail Club Menu - October 25, 2012

We had a round and because we were a bit hungry, decided to head over to Candelaria for some tacos and some more rounds. Candelaria, located about a mile from ECC is kind of like the PDT of Paris in that it's fronted by a taqueria (instead of a hot dog stand) and the cocktail bar is behind it, although there is no phone booth portal between the 2 spaces. In any case, we arrived at Candelaria just after midnight and the kitchen was already being cleaned up. Bummer. We descended into the bar, which was bustling, alive and thumping with loud music. This was definitely the more clubby of the 2 places we visited on this night. In fact, the bartenders -- Amanda and Dimitri -- were part of the party, bouncing to the DJ'd music as they mixed drinks, and even drinking a bit themselves. It was a party and the entire scene could not have been friendlier. Even though it was very tight in there, the vibe was a happy one. We grabbed a couple of stools at the bar and sampled a few cocktails, which were not as buttoned down as at ECC. Shortly thereafter we shifted over to whiskeys. I ran into some guys who worked at our hotel and we bought each other rounds. Later, our bartenders joined us for a round of Van Winkle Family Reserve Ryes and just as we began to really get our groove on, the lights went on and there we sat in a quiet, empty bar. Yep, closing time in Paris is 2 a.m., which shocked me. We considered hitting some of the other bars on our list (mentioned upthread) but Amanda and Dimitri assured us that they would all be closed, too.

Instead, they offered to send us to a private club. They called ahead to a place called Silencio and informed them that we'd be coming. We got the green light and we did go there but when we arrived we were refused entry because we weren't dressed properly. After an "are you serious?" type of discussion with the doorman (who was wearing a cheap-looking, ill-fitting suit), we gave up and waited for what seemed like forever for a taxi. Oh well.

I'm sorry that we didn't have more time to explore the cocktail scene in Paris. I think it would have been fun to check out a few more places but between the long, late dinners and the 2 am bar-closing time, it would have been tough. The aesthetic was very different than the types of bars I frequent here at home. Drink-wise, they've got nothing on the Chicago scene. By that measure both places we visited would fall into the 'middle of the pack' category here in Chicago. Still, it was cool to be getting our drink on in the City of Light, even if its bars do close up well before dawn.

=R=