Paris's cocktail scene caught up with London's in the 2010s and now competes seriously. Little Red Door has been a top-five global fixture; Candelaria pioneered the modern Paris speakeasy. The 10 below are the rooms where serious cocktail technique lives — concentrated in the Marais and around the 9th-10th. Most reward reservation.
Part of our 50 Best Cocktail 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 cocktail bars in Paris
01 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Concept menu · Black door
Each annual menu rebuilds around a different theme. The black door is unmarked. Top-five global fixture.
Order: This year's signature menu spec
02 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Tacos out front · Speakeasy back
Through the taquería, behind the white door. Mezcal-forward, smoky, precise.
Order: Guêpe Verte
03 · Paris
2nd
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Dim · Crowded
The bar that internationalised Paris cocktailing. Tiny, dressed up, loud at peak.
Order: Old Cuban
04 · Paris
10th
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French spirits only
Exterior covered in stickers. Interior celebrates only French spirits — no foreign liquor.
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-leaning, technically rigorous.
Order: London Calling
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06 · Paris
1st
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Hotel bar · Hemingway
Inside the Ritz Paris. The most expensive cocktails in Paris and rarely disappointing.
Order: Serendipity
07 · Paris
6th · St-Germain
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Three rooms · Hotel
Franck Audoux's Saint-Germain hotel-bar concept. Three drinking rooms, classics-led menu, exceptional cocktail-and-cheese pairings.
Order: A French 75 + a goat cheese plate
08 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Whisky-forward
Marais whisky-and-rye bar. Long bar, knowledgeable bartenders, drinks that respect classics.
Order: A Boulevardier with their reserve rye
09 · Paris
6th
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St-Germain · Sister of ECC
Sister to ECC, on the Left Bank. Calmer crowd, equally serious drinks.
Order: Old Fashioned variant
10 · Paris
3rd · Marais
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Modern · Counter
Recent Marais counter cocktail bar. Younger crowd, modern French-spirit-forward menu, growing reputation.
Order: Whatever's seasonal with French amaro
More Paris cocktail barsThe full Paris cocktail-bar index by arrondissement.
See the full list
How Paris cocktailing finds its identity
Paris cocktail bars take fewer cues from London now and more from their own French traditions — the rise of bars like Le Syndicat (French spirits only) and Cravan reflects a confidence about the city's own cocktail vocabulary. The 10 above show both sides: Marais speakeasies, modernist labs, and one essential hotel bar.
