Where to Drink Like a Local in Paris

As the summer Olympics descend on Paris, and 15 million projected visitors with it, all eyes will be on the City of Light. For those visiting, there’s no time to waste when savoring the city’s meritorious drinks scene. And who better to point you in the right direction than those leading the charge on Paris’ increasingly notable cocktail culture? We tapped some of the city’s most talented hospitality pros for their recommendations on where to find Paris’ Olympians of mixology.

Bisou

Nicolas Munoz, who had previously opened popular cocktail bar Divine, founded this hotspot in the trendy Marais quarter in 2017. Bisou quickly became a staple of the Paris cocktail scene for their personalized experience—sans menu. “I see how hard my team is working to make everybody that comes to Bisou happy. It is definitely my top cocktail bar in Paris,” says Caroline Noirbusson, head director of the bar.

Start by sharing your go-to cocktail and then witness the spin Bisou bartenders put on it. “I love a gin Martini, wet with a lemon twist and a bit of homemade crème fraîche liqueur,” says Noirbusson, or “an Espresso Martini with rhum and cacao.” In true Parisian style, allow plenty of time to linger. “It’s a tiny and busy bar,” notes Noirbusson. “Come early to get a spot outside. And if you have the patience to wait a bit to be seated at the bar on a Saturday night, it’s quite a show!”

CopperBay

Inspired by the South of France, CopperBay opened its doors in the heart of the 10th Arrondissement in 2014. “CopperBay is a neighborhood cocktail bar with a Mediterranean vibe,” says co-founder Aurélie Panhelleux. Every visit starts with a Mauresque, the traditional French preparation for pastis sweetened with orgeat and lengthened with water. The bar’s ever-changing menu of “potions” often incorporates culinary techniques and textures, owing to Panhelleux’s gastronomic background. The foam-topped Fluffy leans into licorice flavors with aquavit, kummel, fennel seeds, star anise, and white grape juice. The vibrantly hued Limpid combines rum infused with dried mango, fino sherry, cranberry, and clarified lime juice. Velvet curry, a syrup infused with light spices, tops the cocktail to add balance and depth. 

The Cambridge Public House

Self-described as a “cocktail pub,” The Cambridge Public House opened in 2019 to combine the casual atmosphere of a pub with the innovative drinks and elevated service of a craft cocktail bar. The iron stools, room-length community table, and Guinness on draft all exude pub. Meanwhile, homemade sodas and libations like the Midnight Driver (a Gimlet riff using rye whiskey with notes of eucalyptus and vetiver) highlight the team’s penchant for craft. Founders Hyacinthe Lescoët and Hugo Gallou have established the bar as “a pillar of the bar industry,” according to Panhelleux. Its popularity stems from hosting global bartender takeovers that include a local masterclass. Recently it became the first bar in the world to earn B Corp status. If you’re seeking a drink to match the intersection of cocktail bar and pub, opt for the Tiny Martini and Guinness combo, advises Panhelleux. 

Danico

Tucked behind a velvet curtain in an Italian trattoria, Danico is a suave speakeasy from restaurateur Julien Ross and French mixologist Nico de Soto. The 45-seat bar is “100 percent committed to their mixology process,” according to Michel Frère Libotte, bar lead at Poppy, another relative newcomer in the bedazzled basement of the art-centric Hotel Grand de Voyageurs in Saint-Germain. He adds that Danico “goes above and beyond as much as they can” when it comes to pushing boundaries with their avant-garde cocktails.

Inspired by de Soto’s global travels, the most recent menu began with 12 cocktails that incorporated Indonesian spices and tropical flavors—including a riff on the country’s signature stir-fry dish, Nasi Goreng. The menu then transitioned to Mexican-themed drinks, before landing in their current country of inspiration, Japan. Try the Onsen Fumito. This nod to Japan’s natural hot springs features shiitake-infused sake, acid-adjusted green apple juice, sansho pepper syrup, a smoky Inoki tea, and tamari bitters. The Chanoyu, inspired by the tradition of a Japanese tea ceremony, includes rum, amaretto, and a matcha distillate with homemade almond milk to evoke a latte. It’s served alongside a housemade almond mochi.

Mesures

Newcomer Mesures is a vinyl listening bar, an increasingly popular concept inspired by Japanese kissaten jazz cafés. Settle in and tune out the bustle of the city in the intimate bar outfitted with a premier sound system. Co-owner Guillaume Castiagnet works behind the bar mixing drinks divided into three categories: Signatures, Seasonal, and Classics. Creations such as the Amalthée, a creamy seasonal serve, incorporates charred padrón peppers and yuzu kosho (a fermented sauce of chili peppers and yuzu peel) into a base of mezcal and sake with dry vermouth, oleo saccharum, and a Greek yogurt lassi blended with the pepper mixture. Even the bar’s classics defy expectation. Castiagnet plays with spirit bases, such as an olive oil–washed tequila and mezcal base for their Margarita.

A regular at the bar, Panhelleux says her go-to is the house Daiquiri. Or she’ll order the Astobizka, a milk punch made of aguardiente, rhum agricole, pommeau (a mix of fresh cider and Calvados), sherry vinegar, cold-brew coffee, and milk. “To be ordered with the house hot dog, of course,” she says. “I have to say, they also have a banging wine selection.”

Moonshiner

“This is my favorite,” says Libotte. “Here, you’ll find seasoned bartenders from all around Europe riffing on the classics.” The team behind Paris’ tropical bar Dirty Dick and L’Orange Mécanique opened the Prohibition-inspired Moonshiner in 2013 in the back of Da Vito pizzeria in the 11th Arrondissement. Unassuming and moody, Moonshiner offers a high level of professionalism when it comes to their cocktails, says Libotte. No matter how crowded the tiny room gets, expect your drink quickly and with little chit chat.

He prepares his go-to, the Old Fashioned, with rye whisky, banana-infused cognac, curry leaf, and an umami-forward syrup. Flip to the final pages of their menu for the barrel-aged cocktails, including a take on the classic Godfather cocktail called Pop Parrain. The drink is made with a whisky fat-washed with buttery popcorn. Its additional complexity comes courtesy of Campari with Grand Marnier complementing the standard amaretto.