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Parisian bar culture has transformed dramatically over the years. Once dominated by charming but predictable cafés and a fleeting speakeasy obsession where every bar seemed cloaked in faux secrecy, the city’s drinking scene has mellowed into something more refined. Today, cocktails are no longer a frenzied centerpiece but an effortless part of an evening out, seamlessly integrated into a broader, more relaxed culture. Wine bars remain staples, yet their modern counterparts share the stage with thoughtfully curated cocktail spots and intimate hotel lounges. The Parisian drinking experience has shifted from spectacle to subtlety—elevated, yet unhurried. Here’s a selection of 13 bars to try, from private, pocket-sized places to true speakeasies hidden from view, gloriously luxurious lounges to those championing the values they believe in.
1. Bar Nouveau
In a très petit Art Nouveau-inspired space tucked away in the Marais, Bar Nouveau is quietly turning cocktail culture on its head, stripping mixology of the high-tech gadgets that have become trendy in recent years. Co-owners Remy Savage, Marc Puzzuoli, Sara Moudoulaud, and Hadrien Moudoulaud bring an impressive collective résumé, with experience at some of the hottest Parisian boîtes: Little Red Door, Artesian, Le Syndicat, La Commune, Le Mary Celeste, Swift, and more. Undeniable cocktail aficionados, the team elevates classic drinks that were never broken—for example, adding a red wine float to a Bloody Mary, or whipping a Ramos Gin Fizz so creamy it’s served with a spoon. The menu showcases six signature cocktails, each crafted with artistic touches—like the "Gustav," an agave-based drink adorned with flower petals and gold leaf, inspired by the most famous work of the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. Bar Nouveau, 5 rue Des Haudriettes, 75003
Great for: A cheek-to-cheek date in a space that feels like it could only exist in Paris.
2. Fréquence
At Fréquence, a sceney bar in the 11th arrondissement (district) mixing cocktails and vinyls, the drink list is as freewheeling as the nightly playlist. “We’ve always tried to be as free as possible concerning the recipes,” co-owner Baptiste Radufe tells The MICHELIN Guide. “We don’t plan menu changes. When we feel like it and ingredients are available, we make a new cocktail.” The result is a continually evolving menu of eight or so drinks, with certain classics always on standby—like their sous-vide Negroni, pre-batched and chilled for precise, consistent sipping. The team occasionally partners with their favorite spirit brands, like Nikka Whisky. Their recent collaboration resulted in highly sippable concoctions like the Katsu Highball, with umeshu, whisky, and a housemade soda. “It’s crisp, balanced, and fresh,” says Radufe—a perfect mix. Fréquence, 20 rue Keller, 75011
Great for: 'Girls' Night', or any night you want to sip a great cocktail and sway to good beats.
3. Ritz Bar at the Ritz Paris Hotel
When the Ritz Bar reopened in 2021 with a sleek, contemporary design, Director Romain de Courcy introduced a bold new cocktail program rooted in biodynamic principles, drawing inspiration from the influence of celestial bodies on plant growth. The menu reflects the rhythms of the stars and seasons, showcasing the essence of flowers, fruits, leaves, and roots. Take the jasmine cocktail: eau de vie, jasmine sambac water, Chinese jasmine infusion, essences of jasmine sambac, and jasmine grandiflorum—it doesn’t get any purer. While its sister bar, Hemingway, exudes classic, wood-paneled charm, the Ritz Bar offers a moody, opulent vibe. The pre-batched cocktails ensure consistency, marrying precision with the palace hotel’s trademark lux experience. Ritz Bar at the Ritz Paris Hotel, 38 rue Cambon, 75001Great for: Taking out-of-towners for an imaginative cocktail in the swankiest of Paris settings.
4. Sister Midnight
In the heart of Pigalle, Sister Midnight is an inclusive cocktail bar with a glam, 70s Bowie-Berlin soul, from Jen Riley and Joseph Boley, the duo behind Red House in the 11th district of Paris. The cocktails are scrupulously stirred (or shaken) and the decor is maximalist—a leopard print banquette pops against aquamarine flock wallpaper and a plush red velvet curtain that leads to the makeshift backstage. Customers can expect excellent drinks with original, seasonal touches—like Hocus Pocus featuring salted butter fat-washed gin, chai spices, and a citrus splash—alongside intimate performances from local drag performers and burlesque starlets. Sister Midnight, 4 rue Viollet-le-Duc, 75009
Great for: Bachelorette parties or Ru Paul's 'Drag Race' fans or cocktail aficionados—there's something for everyone.
5. Classique
At Classique, also in Pigalle, the illuminated green cross on the building façade nods to the venue’s past life as a pharmacy. The space pays homage to tradition, with a long apothecary-style white marble bar and bistro-inspired Venetian red checkered tiles, while offering drinks for modern tastes. Titled “Cépage,” or grape variety, the beverage menu features natural wines and cocktails mixed with varietals and aperitifs or spirits, all inspired by the seasons—for example, a Viognier Gimlet with coconut-infused orange wine, Italian aperitivo, and parsley oil. It would be a mistake to skip the food menu, with dishes like briny oysters and a meaty crab roll on soft, buttery brioche. Classique, 1bis rue Lallier, 75009
Great for: Catching up with a friend over gentle drinks and delicious small plates any night of the week.
6. Le Delano, Maison Delano Hotel
When Maison Delano opened in Paris in 2023, after extensive renovations of an 18th-century manor in the 8th arrondissement, it combined the original Delano Miami’s energy with the French art of hospitality. Its bar, Le Delano, reflects that blend. The Art Deco-inspired design features velvet clamshell seating and intimate marble cocktail tables, all bathed in warm terra cotta tones. The cocktail menu showcases fine French spirits and liqueurs paired with seasonal produce, plus an impressive wine selection—ideal for anything from a quiet tête-à-tête to a wild night out. Le Delano at Maison Delano, 4 rue d'Anjou, 75008Great for: Nights you want to kick off with a chic cocktail—and leave the ending up to chance.
7. Bonnie Bar, SO/ Paris Hotel
At Bonnie, signature cocktails start at 20 euros, but the unparalleled views are on the house. Perched on the 16th floor of the SO/Paris hotel, just off the Seine, floor-to-ceiling windows offer a rare perspective of the city of light. Sip a Jimmy Two Times, with Noble Coyote Espadin mezcal, Lustau Amontillado sherry wine, Chateau de Breuil calvados, and Adriatico amaretto —an original creation that riffs on a margarita while skewing slightly toward a Manhattan—or a Virgine Bonnie, a zero-proof Bloody Mary, and let your eyes wander from landmark to iconic landmark: the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Panthéon, and even the hills of Belleville. Bonnie Bar at SO/ Paris Hotel, 10 rue Agrippa d'Aubigné, 75004Great for: Celeb-spotting and toasting to a celebratory evening, with Paris as your backdrop.
8. Bar Joséphine, Lutetia Hotel
Nestled between Le Bon Marché and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Lutetia has had an eventful life. From its opening in 1910, the hotel welcomed cultural elite, including Picasso, André Gide and General de Gaulle, before being requisitioned during the Second World War. Refurbished by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 2018, Bar Joséphine has retained its Art Deco look and its Années Folles spirit. The menu is inspired by the personality and life of Joséphine Baker, who once called the hotel home. In one of the most beautiful rooms on the Left Bank, sip a J'ai Deux Amours—vodka served with smoked essence and clarified mango—or You're Driving Me Crazy, with gin with apricot, plum vinegar, chamomile and Chartreuse. Bar Joséphine at the Lutetia Hotel, 45 Bd Raspail, 75006
Great for: A Left Bank rendezvous—business or pleasure—with a flawless, stiff drink.
9. Combat
On the hills of the trendy Belleville neighborhood, this laid back bar is one of Paris' most innovative cocktail venues. Founded by Margot Lecarpentier—a star of the shaker—Combat offers a menu that's as diverse as it is surprising, evolving depending on the seasons and the mixologist's inspiration. Try a cocktail made with absinthe, coconut cream, fromage blanc and lemon, or an elixir flavored with CBD. These illustrate Combat's aim of pioneering a free and decidedly feminist brand, casting off the clichés of mixology. Combat, 63 rue de Belleville, 75019Great for: Starting—or ending—a delicious night sipping and snacking through the hills of Belleville.
10. Les Ambassadeurs, Hotel de Crillon
On Place de la Concorde, opposite the Luxor Obelisk planted in front of the Tuileries Gardens, the Hôtel de Crillon—a Paris institution and celeb headquarters during Fashion Week—is home to an exceptional bar, Les Ambassadeurs. The décor is the epitome of 18th-century French elegance, with soaring ceilings, marble surfaces, gilded mirrors—perfect to see and be seen. The drinks, created by the luxury hotel's in-house mixologists, are as seductive as the backdrop. Take the Sloe Berry, a refreshing reinterpretation of a gin fizz, or the Olive, the house's own dirty martini. If you're interested in alcohol-free options, almost every cocktail has a zero-proof version. Les Ambassadeurs, at Hotel de Crillon,10 Place de la Concorde, 75008
Great for: When you're in the mood to glam up, sip a seasonal cocktail, and soak in live music at a legendary Parisian address.
11. Candelaria
Since opening in 2011 in the Marais, Candelaria has established itself as a benchmark in the world of cocktails in Paris. To enter the bar proper, patrons pass behind the taqueria, which serves flavor-packed tacos and quesadillas, and through a side door into an moody space with white stone walls and low lighting, the extensive spirit collection decorating the wall behind the bar. House classics are thoughtfully mixed, from the Guêpe Verte ("Green Wasp")—tequila with chilli, cucumber and coriander—to the Spano—pisco with elderflower and fermented grapes. Don't hesitate to order one of the menu's refreshing mocktails. Candeleria, 52 rue de Saintonge, 75003
Great for: Group dinners with loads of shareable plates and great bevs to go with.
12. Harry’s Bar
Established near Opéra in 1911, this American bar was moved wholesale from New York to Paris when prohibition laws came into force in the US. Its sudden arrival in the French capital was an introduction for many Parisians to the art of the cocktail: it's considered one of the precursors to mixology in France. The bar was later taken over by Harry MacElhone, a Scotsman who gave his name to the establishment, which quickly attracted many whisky lovers. Spend an evening in this legendary venue and try their Bloody Mary (vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, tabasco, salt and pepper), a cocktail invented right here in 1921, or the Side Car (cognac, triple sec and lemon juice). Harry's Bar, 5 rue Daunou, 75002Great for: Your first Tinder date in a low-stakes, collegiate atmosphere with solid New York hot dogs.
13. Le Marta, Fouquet's Barrière Brasserie and Hotel
Cloaked behind layers of velvet curtains and panels, Marta's a space reserved for those in the know—and a favorite for celebrities like the American-Canadian rapper Drake, who once booked it out entirely. Slotted in on the ground floor of the legendary Fouquet’s brasserie and hotel on the Champs-Élysées, Marta is decked out entirely in flower-print fabric, from the sofas to the frilly lamps; even the staff uniforms match the décor. Here, signature cocktails and rare spirits are served with small bites, set to the rhythm of Electro-House beats played by live DJs in the evenings. In the summer, there's an outdoor bar on the upper floors of the hotel. Marta at Hôtel Barrière Fouquet's Paris,46 avenue George V, 75008
Great for: Rubbing shoulders with an eclectic crowd of in-the-know Parisians, international jet-setters, and celebrities seeking a glamorous yet discreet spot to sip at.
Hero Image: © Ritz Bar
