Paris's bar scene has caught up with — and in places overtaken — London's. The Marais cluster (Little Red Door, Candelaria, Sherry Butt) was the catalyst; the diaspora of those bartenders has fanned out across the city in the decade since. The 10 below are where our European editor goes when she's in town. They span Marais to Pigalle, with two essential hotel-bar entries the city demands you make space for.
Part of our 50 Best Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
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The 10 best bars in Paris
01 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Concept menu · Black door
Each annual menu is built around a different theme. The black door looks unmarked; the room behind it is one of Europe's best.
Order: This year's signature menu spec
02 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Tacos out front · Speakeasy back
Walk past the taquería and through the white door at the back. Mezcal-forward, smoky. The original of its concept in Paris and still the best.
Order: Guêpe Verte (mezcal, cucumber, chilli)
03 · Paris
2nd · Sentier
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Dim · Crowded
The bar that internationalised the modern Paris cocktail scene. Tiny, loud at night, dressed up.
Order: Old Cuban or whatever's stirred
04 · Paris
10th
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Graffitied facade · French spirits only
Exterior covered in stickers. Interior celebrates only French spirits — no foreign liquor at all.
Order: A Calvados-led spec
05 · Paris
2nd · Galerie Vivienne
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Inside an arcade
Nico de Soto's room inside the Galerie Vivienne. Tropical leans, technically rigorous.
Order: London Calling (mezcal-led)
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06 · Paris
1st
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Hotel bar · Hemingway
Inside the Ritz Paris. Colin Field-era reputation still earned. The drinks are the most expensive in Paris and rarely disappoint.
Order: Serendipity (apple, calvados, champagne)
07 · Paris
1st · Place Vendôme
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Hotel bar · DJ programming
Inside Hotel Costes. The music programming is its own world — house compilations from this room defined an entire era. Cocktails are good; the room is the show.
Order: A Champagne 75, by the fire
08 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Whisky-forward
Whisky and rye-forward Marais bar. Long bar, knowledgeable bartenders, drinks that respect classics.
Order: A Boulevardier with one of their reserve ryes
09 · Paris
6th · St-Germain
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St-Germain · Sister of ECC
Sister venue to Experimental Cocktail Club, on the Left Bank. Calmer crowd, equally serious drinks.
Order: Old Fashioned variant
10 · Paris
9th · Pigalle
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Tiki · Pigalle
Pigalle tiki bar with a Polynesian-kitsch aesthetic. The rum list is one of the deepest in France.
Order: Mai Tai with their reserve rum
More Paris bars by categoryCocktail, rooftop, date night, hidden gem — the full Paris index.
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How to plan a Paris bar night
Group the 3rd arrondissement bars (Little Red Door, Candelaria, Sherry Butt) into one walk; they're within five minutes of each other. The Pigalle entries (Le Syndicat, Dirty Dick) work as a separate evening. Hotel Costes is its own thing — go for the music programming as much as for the drinks.
