Where to Drink: Paris, France 🇫🇷

This is probably going to sound weird but I forgot that Paris was pretty. I know that's Paris' whole brand (pretty, and maybe rude?) but it slipped my mind.

After CDMX and London, it also feels small, cozy, and doable. Everything is 15 minutes away instead of 40, and that made it very easy to work my way through the list of cocktail bars I've had my eye on.

Paris is not a cocktail city in the way that London or even most big US cities are, but it's still got plenty of good spots worth trying.

Great Cocktail Bars in Paris

Le Syndicat

Where to try French spirits

If you sat down and tried to imagine a modern but casual cocktail bar in Paris, you’d probably come pretty close to Le Syndicat.

It’s very hip, with dim lighting and a cave-like atmosphere, but it’s also casual and unpretentious. The bartenders are wearing t-shirts, the drink ingredients are easy to wrap your head around, and it’s not hard to find a seat.

The thing that makes Le Syndicat stand out is their commitment to only serving French spirits. This means their back bar is likely to have a few bottles you’ve never seen before, and you get to try classic riffs like a “Marguerite” made without tequila.

If you’re interested in trying some new-to-you spirits, this should be your first stop!

Little Red Door

Where to go for a date night

Despite the fact that I go to a lot of them, the bars on the World’s Best list are rarely my favorite. And, yet, Little Red Door is a mainstay on the list and it was probably my favorite bar in the city.

They just do everything right. The menu was a cool concept, the drinks were both creative and delicious (a rare combo!), and the service was personable.

As an added bonus, their bar is actually comfortable to sit at. If I hadn’t had a whole list of bars I wanted to try, I would’ve sat there all night, working my way through their menu.

Danico

Where to try high-concept cocktails

For the true cocktail nerds among us! Danico is a speakeasy in the back of an Italian restaurant, and their rotating menu is often travel inspired.

The one on offer when I visited was rooted in Indian cuisine and culture. Not only was the menu itself a work of art—with beautiful ingredients and context about the ingredients—but there were some truly wild flavor combos. (Like a martini inspired by butter chicken. 👀)

Everything I tried managed to work despite being a little out there, but my favorite was the espresso martini made with rum, pandan, and masala chai. I’m still dreaming about it!

Frequence

Where to go for last call

Frequence is a Japanese-inspired cocktail bar with good small plates, highballs, and cocktails. They have a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays but it’s the style of vinyl bars in Japan, so it’s pretty chill and didn’t prevent my friend and I from talking.

The drinks were not particularly memorable, but in the way that just meant they were simple and crushable. Especially if you like highballs!

It’s also open later than most so it’s a great place to go for one last drink at the end of the night.

Combat Belleville

Where to go for neighborhood vibes

This little bar is on a hill full of Asian restaurants, and small businesses serving locals instead of tourists. The area feels vibrant, and it's worth exploring!

It’s not the kind of bar that you go to just for the cocktails (unless you’re me), but because you’re already in the neighborhood or craving something different. The menu is simple, but well executed and the vibes are great. They also serve vegetarian small plates, alongside natural wine and local beers.

And, if you’re smart enough to go for happy hour between Sun-Tue, you can order mini cocktails and chips for just 9 euros. They also have outdoor seating if you visit in the summer!

Looking for more recs?

I've included my annotated Google Map below.

This has all the deets for the bars above, plus a few more. And a handful of things to eat and do between drinks!

🗺️ Paris Google Map