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Slideshow
Top 10 hotel bars: Paris
1. Le Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Hotel
Oozing with old school glamour, Le Bar Hemingway at the Ritz is named after the famous author of ‘Paris est une fête’, Ernest Hemingway, who is just one of the many famous faces that would on occasion prop up at its mantle for a whiskey, or other preferred libation. Cole Porter is thought to have spent up to nine hours a day in the Hemingway bar, and is even rumoured to have composed “Begin the Beguine” there, while F. Scott Fitzgerald was so commonplace that he had a favourite seat.
Besides its famous connections, the bar is also a cracking spot for cocktails, with head barman Colin Peter Field overseeing a creative list of classics and signature serves always keeping the following in mind: “One drinks a single cocktail three times: once with the eyes, once with the nose and lastly with the palate”.
Signature sip: Serendipity – a cocktail made with Calvados from Le Pays d’Auge and apple juice with bitter apples from Normandy, fresh mint, and Champagne.
Who to know: Head barman Colin Peter Field
15 place Vendôme, Paris, 75001
2. Les Bar at Les Bains Hotel
A former bathhouse famous for its underground pool, Les Bains reopened in March 2015 as a luxury hotel, along with an impressive U-shaped, chequer-floored bar, managed by Julien Deba and Nicolas Lasjuilliarias. A popular spot for young Parisians, the bar is located on the ground floor with head bartender Julien and his team using fresh herbs, house wines and spirits to create a range of creative serves.
Signature sip: The O Mostro, which blends aged rum and grenadine with white vermouth and dry curaçao.
Who to know: Head bartender Julien, a Paris native who took on the position in 2014.
7, rue Bourg-l’Abbé, 75003
3. Bar du Terrass at the Terraas Hotel
Boasting spectacular views over the city, Bar du Terrass at the Terrass Hotel is based in the heart of Montmartre, on the seventh floor. Open from noon until midnight, the bar provides a stunning setting for a late lunch, or late night from its outdoor terrace with panoramic views across Paris.
Signature sip: Terrass Julep – a blend of Citadelle gin, jus de citron vert, liqueur lune d’abricot and menthe fraiche
Who to know: Bar manager and mixologist Emeric Aguilar, who is responsible for its 16 signature serves and the aforementioned Terrass Julep.
Terrass Hotel – 12-14 rue Joseph de Maistre, Paris, 75018
terrass-hotel.com/en/restaurant-and-bar
4. Le Bar du Bristol and Le Bristol Hotel
Combining classic Parisian charm with a modern edge, Le Bar du Bristol is a sophisticated lounge bar and club venue, with DJ nights held on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 6 to 9pm, and from Thursday to Saturday from 6pm to midnight. Its “on-trend” selection of music ranges from electro to “vintage”, making it something of a chameleon when it comes to pinning down its classic-meets-modern vibe.
Signature sip: Currently a Winter Old Fashioned with a twist of champagne and tobacco syrup, bitter orange, and mandarin.
Who to know: Head barman Maxime Hoerth
Le Bar du Bristol, 112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008
5. Bar 228 at Le Meurice Hotel
Also home to restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse restaurant, Le Meurice Hotel also has a top notch bar to its name. Named after the hotel’s address on the rue de Rivoli, Bar 228 is a sophisticated, cosy bar with a deliberate “welcoming British club style”, but with a nod to 18th century France.
Signature sip: Any of the classics – from Martinis to Negronis and Old Fashioneds.
Who to know: Head barman William Oliveri, who has been with the hotel since 1978.
Hotel Le Meurice, 228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
6. Le Bar Botaniste at the Shangri-La
This “nature-inspired” bar at the Shangri-La honours the hotel’s original resident – Prince Roland Bonaparte – who was famous for assembling the world’s largest private plant collection. The grandnephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, Roland’s collection is no longer housed at the hotel, but its Botaniste Bar maintains its links to the hotel’s most famous resident with a selection of cocktails created from a vast selection of botanical spirits.
Signature sip: The 1896 – Champagne, Cognac Martell, liqueur de gingembre, écorce d’orange
Who to know: Head bartender Christophe Leger
The Shangri-La, 10 avenue d’Iéna, Paris, 75116
7. Le Bar 8 at the Mandarin Oriental
A sophisticated cocktail bar that serves street food and pizza, Le Bar 8 is a modern bar is located within the Mandarin Oriental. Its centrepiece is its dramatic marble bar, surrounded by tables that are dotted with tiny lights and wood walls “inlaid with Lalique crystals like delicate raindrops”. It serves a “street food” menu between 12 and 6pm and a selection of gourmet tapas from 6pm, alongside a wide selection of cocktails, including the Maya – a mix of homemade spiced honey, apricot, white cream of cacao and Champagne.
Signature sip: J’aime Paris 3.0 – pear, vanilla liquor, bitter rhubarb, Champagne
Mandarin Oriental Paris – 251 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, 75001
8. Bar La Vue at the Hyatt Regency
Another sky-high cocktail bar, Bar La Vue is located on the 34th floor of the Hyatt Regency, and suitably boasts panoramic views across the city. Its interior is of a warming red hue, with a subtle hint to the 1980s, with an intricate glass chandelier lining the length of the bar. Expect to pay a premium for the spectacular views, with cocktails starting at €25. DJs rock up to the venue on Thursdays, Friday and Saturdays.
Signature sip: Le Pantheon – Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Mangalore liquor, Frangelico liquor, honey and bitter peach
Hyatt Regency, 34th Floor, 3, Place du Général Kœnig, 75017
9. Hotel Costes
Long-time haunt for cocktail-loving trendsetters, the bar at Hotel Costes is an opulent enclave known to attract the celebrity set, including the Beckhams and Kylie Minogue, apparently. The bar is open from 5pm to 2am, with DJ sets from 9pm to midnight everyday, and from 7pm to 3am Thursday to Saturday.
Signature sip: Cocktail 239 – vodka, fresh raspberry, lime, ginger
239-241 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001
10. COMING SOON – The Hoxton Paris
Completing a sextet of hotels that already includes locations in London, New York and Amsterdam, hip hoteliers The Hoxton will arrive in Paris in 2017. The chain’s fourth hotel in Europe, the hotel will be located in the city’s 2nd arrondissement in a 16th Century building, designed by a counsellor to King Louis XIV, Etienne Rivie.
Writing on a teaser page for the hotel prior to its grand unveiling, the team have said that the 172-room hotel will be “dressed up with local panache” and have a restaurant, a speakeasy, and a “café-cum-tabac”.
We have our eye on that speakeasy. Watch this space!