Editorial
Paris whisky bars are 9th-arrondissement basements and Mayfair-rivalling hotel rooms.
Golden Promise hides beneath La Maison du Whisky on rue Tiquetonne, behind century-old vaults. Over 1,000 whiskies and a near-300-strong Japanese room make it the most serious malt bar in Paris, with sake and Japanese snacks alongside. Yelp and Sortiraparis both flag it. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm. Best for a measured nightcap when you want the staff to walk you up the price ladder.
The Cambridge Public House on rue de Poitou is Hyacinthe Lescoet's idea of a corner pub with World's 50 Best ambitions, currently ranked number 20. Cocktails, craft beer, natural wine and British snacks, served daily from 3pm in Le Marais. It looks like a boozer and pours like a cocktail bar. Best mid-afternoon before the crowd lands, when you can actually get a stool.
Harry's has stood on rue Daunou since 1911 and still refuses a refit, which is the point. Old waiters in white vests, a tin ceiling shipped from Manhattan, and the bar that claims to have mixed the first Bloody Mary in 1921. Open noon to 3am, closed Monday to Wednesday. Order a Bloody Mary, sit at the bar, and let the piano room downstairs do the rest.
CopperBay on rue Bouchardon has poured since 2014, bright and roomy with light wood and big front windows, a relief after the speakeasy gloom elsewhere. Pastis, classics and seafood-leaning originals, plus a newer Mediterranean outpost inside the Hotel Lancaster. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm. World's 50 Best lists it. Best early evening when you want a proper seat and a barman with time to talk.
Sherry Butt has worked rue Beautreillis in the Marais since 2012, a dim room with a serious whisky back bar behind the cocktails. Tapas to soak it up, walk-ins welcome, open from 6pm most nights. Time Out and Difford's both rate it. Best late, when the music climbs and the staff start pouring the cask-strength bottles for anyone paying attention.
Prescription Cocktail Club on rue Mazarine reopened after a theatrical refit by Dorothee Meilichzon, all draped fabric and 1930s charm on the Left Bank. The menu comes from Maxime Potfer. Open daily from 7pm, later on weekends. It earns the speakeasy billing without the smugness. Best on a weeknight before the Saint-Germain crowd fills the upstairs and the door gets choosy.
L'Entree des Artistes moved from the 11th to a former hostess bar on rue Victor Masse in Pigalle, reopening there in early 2026. Downstairs runs dark and moody, upstairs bright with tall windows. Homemade syrups and infusions drive the cocktails, with small plates to share. Restaurant Guru logs 400-plus reviews. Best Tuesday to Thursday from 7pm before the weekend rush turns it loud.
Le Calbar sits on rue de Charenton near Bastille, built by Thierry and Christophe out of fine-dining backgrounds but run without the starch. The bartenders famously work in boxer shorts, which tells you how seriously they take pomp. Premium cocktails made with real care, open Monday to Saturday from 6pm. Best for a long sit when you want a proper drink and none of the attitude.
Le Mary Celeste holds a corner of the Marais on rue Commines, an airy room from the Candelaria team known for rotating oysters and seafood small plates. Craft cocktails and natural wine round it out, open daily from 6pm. World's 50 Best Discovery lists it. Best at the start of the evening with a dozen oysters and a sharp aperitif before the corner fills up.
The bars above are where Paris actually drinks whisky, with back-bar shelves that have depth, staff who know what they are pouring, and lists that go well beyond Glenfiddich 12.
Tom Callahan covers pubs and bars across the UK and Ireland for barsforkings, with a value-conscious eye and little patience for anything overpriced or over-styled.
Golden Promise beneath La Maison du Whisky on rue Tiquetonne stocks over 1,000 whiskies, including a near-300-strong Japanese room. It is the most serious malt bar in the city.
They range. Harry's New York Bar and Le Calbar keep things fair for the quality, while Golden Promise climbs quickly once you move up the rare bottles. Ask before you order the cask-strength pours.
Harry's New York Bar on rue Daunou, open since 1911, is the easiest introduction. Sit at the bar, order a Bloody Mary, and let the piano room downstairs do the work.