Favorite Paris Bars

Everything BUT hotel bars (that'll come soon)

My last newsletter was quite serious and intense, so I thought I’d follow it up with a theme that came at the request of one of the wonderful founding members of this newsletter (more about tiered subscriptions here!)— bars I love. If you read The New Paris, you know that wine is hardly the only draw in Paris; it shares the landscape with craft cocktails and beer. Cocktail destinations are the primary focus below but I’ll be back with some of my other go-to bars, including those in hotels, in a few weeks.

First, a disclaimer: I’m not a huge drinker. I have fairly low tolerance and as much as I’ve had moments of excess where that tolerance grows, my body fights back (shocker!). I know a whole subset of travelers who genuinely enjoy going out and experiencing nightlife in a new place or, at the very least, its drink culture. Many will bar-hop or bookend a meal with mixed drinks or bubbly. I am not such a person! When I go for a drink, I typically want to be able to snack, which ultimately informed this inexhaustive selection.

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LE MARY CELESTE
1 rue Commines, 75003

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I know I’m often talking about this ten-year-old sharing plates, wine, and cocktail bar (a lot of seafood if that’s your thing), but as an unsophisticated cocktail consumer, I appreciate the legibility of the offering. There may be a few obscure botanicals or bitters, but nothing to make me feel I need to be a seasoned drinker or mixed drink connoisseur to fit in and have a good time. Lately, there’s been a grasshopper twist on the menu that I’ve ordered three times. It’s incredibly refreshing and brightens the palate, much like an Andes Chocolate Mint or After Eight. (Incidentally, the grasshopper cocktail is back in the limelight thanks to Kristin Wiig, whose character on the Apple TV show Palm Royale drinks them in nearly every episode.)

Traditionally, it’s made with green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream, resembling an after-dinner milkshake. But here, the recipe is more complex. It’s built on a foundation of vegan milk punch (which includes Gifford peppermint, Tempus Fugit crème de cacao, fino sherry, black tea, balsamic vinegar, coconut cream, and milk), vodka, coconut water, and a dash of absinthe. As a happy garnish, a small chocolate nib sits atop a giant square ice cube in the glass.

When not ordering from the cocktail menu, I usually choose from a selection of grower wines or drink Deck & Donohue beer on tap. Naturally, this all pairs beautifully with LMC’s small plates menu and those deviled eggs with pickled onions and puffed rice, the house signature.

When I’m in the mood for a different kind of snack with my drinks, I head to LMC’s sister bar and taqueria, Candelaria.