The hotels below are part of the MICHELIN Guide hotel selection. Each of the 5,000+ hotels in the selection has been chosen by our experts for its extraordinary style, service and personality – and each can be booked on the MICHELIN Guide website and app.
Bar Joséphine, Lutetia, 6th Arr.
Set on the Left Bank, between Le Bon Marché and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the Lutetia has had an eventful life. Opened in 1910, the hotel welcomed a host of celebrities including Picasso, André Gide and General de Gaulle, before being requisitioned by the Nazis during the Second World War. Refurbished by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte in 2018, the elegant 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 lived in the hotel with her children. You can try J'ai Deux Amours – vodka served with smoked essence and clarified mango – or You're Driving Me Crazy – gin with apricot, plum vinegar, chamomile and Chartreuse.
Bar Hemingway, Ritz Paris, 1st Arr.
Inside the Ritz, on Place Vendôme, this legendary bar has been frequented by famous cocktail lovers throughout its history. So it's hardly surprising that it was named after Ernest Hemingway, who was a regular here when it was still called Le Petit Bar. The establishment's famous barman Colin Field may recently have left, but fortunately his classic creations live on, such as the Serendipity – a blend of Calvados, apple juice, mint and Champagne. Other signatures include the Dry Martini. The soft chairs, cosy carpets underfoot and warm embrace of its wood panelling invite you to linger in this intimate bar with just 25 seats.Little Red Door, 60, rue Charlot, 75003 Paris
In the heart of the Marais, hidden behind – you guessed it – a mysterious little red door, this bar is universally acclaimed for its uncommonly delicate cocktails. French spirits and ingredients from artisanal distilleries and organic farms are their components of choice for conjuring up certified farm-to-glass creations. For example, it's hard to resist the house whisky sour, boosted with hops from the Paris region and cider from the Dupont estate. You'll also appreciate the intimate, contemporary speakeasy-style atmosphere with subdued lighting – sit at the bar, which is conducive to chatting with fellow drinkers, or, if you are on a date, nab one of the little nooks where you can whisper sweet nothings to each other.
Combat, 63, rue de Belleville, 75019 Paris
Clinging to the hills of the cosmopolitan Belleville neighbourhood, this compact bar with a relaxed atmosphere is one of Paris's most innovative cocktail venues. Founded by Margot Lecarpentier – a new star of the shaker, whom you may also have encountered at the Bar des Ombres – Combat brandishes a menu that is as diverse as it is surprising, changing with the seasons and the inspiration of the Head Bartender. There are some real novelties to be had, such as a cocktail made with absinthe, coconut cream, fromage blanc and lemon, as well as elixirs delicately flavoured with CBD. These illustrate Combat's aim of pioneering a very free and deliberately feminist brand of mixology, casting off the clichés of the genre.
Roxo Bar, Les Bains, 3rd Arr.
A mythical party venue in the 1980s, the former Bains Douches nightclub has since been converted into a chic hotel. It is still an excellent place to sip an inspired cocktail however, in an atmosphere that oscillates between serene and feverish. As you enter the bar, your eyes will be drawn to the stunning purple ('roxo' in Portuguese), egg-shaped ceiling, shown off to its best advantage by the black and white chequered floor. As for the drinks, mixologists kitted out in leather aprons deliver subtle creations, some inspired by the Les Bains Guerbois fragrance range, created in homage to the thermal baths that were housed here in the 19th century. Tart and thirst quenching, the Roxo Gin Tonic is spiced up with Timut pepper; or perhaps you'll prefer the flavours of a Stockholm Syndrome, one of their signatures.
La Candelaria, 52, rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris
Since opening in 2011 in the Marais, La Candelaria has established itself as a benchmark in the world of cocktails in Paris and beyond. To enter the bar proper, you go behind the taqueria, which serves tacos and quesadillas, and through a side door into an inviting space with white stone walls and low lighting, where an extensive collection of spirits is displayed behind a large bar. All the house classics are there for the drinking, 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 mocktails, which are particularly convincing.
Les Ambassadeurs, Hôtel de Crillon, 8th Ar.
Standing on Place de la Concorde and facing off with the Luxor Obelisk, the prestigious Hôtel de Crillon is home to an exceptional bar, Les Ambassadeurs. The impressive décor is typical of 18th century France and the epitome of elegance with its profusion of marble, gilding and huge mirrors that allow you to see without being seen. The drinks, created by this luxury hotel's mixologists, are just as seductive as the backdrop – the Sloe Berry, for example, is a refreshing reinterpretation of a gin fizz, while the Olive is the house's own dirty martini. The good news for non-drinkers is that there are also alcohol-free versions of almost every cocktail.
Harry’s Bar, 5, rue Daunou, 75002 Paris
Established near Opéra in 1911, this American bar is unusual in that it 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: as such, it can be 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).
Hero Image: Bar Hemingway © Ritz Paris
