France may not have gone through Prohibition like the U.S. did, but the Gallic capital has a long and storied history with clandestine establishments. Paris has been a treasure trove of illicit pleasures for centuries, with artists and writers like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Henry Miller paying homage to the city’s risqué nightclubs and opium dens. Today, Paris haunts are still unrivaled when it comes to chic, seductive ambience—and now the craft cocktail movement that started in New York has reached the City of Light, too. Hidden cocktail bars are now popping up all over the city, from Montorgueil to Pigalle, with no sign of slowing down. These 11 secret bars are worth the hunt.
Photo: Courtesy of the Experimental Group
Experimental Cocktail Club
We have Romée de Goriainoff, Olivier Bon, and Pierre-Charles Cros to thank for the revival of cocktail culture in Paris. The trio, who operate the Experimental Group, opened the Experimental Cocktail Club in 2007 and unleashed a wave of Parisian interest in craft cocktails. The tiny bar in Montorgueil features stone walls, exposed beams, and modern chandeliers, and is as chic today as ever. 37 rue Saint-Sauveur; experimentalcocktailclub.com
Photo: Courtesy of the Experimental Group
Prescription Cocktail Club
With the Prescription Cocktail Club, the Experimental Group gained more room to showcase their nightlife acumen. The bi-level lounge hidden behind an unmarked door is a more polished version of the Experimental Cocktail Club. Patterned wallpaper and upholstered wingback chairs give the space a residential vibe, while hanging lamps made from bowler hats add a bit of quirky sophistication. 23 rue Mazarine; prescriptioncocktailclub.com
Photo: Courtesy of the Experimental Group
Ballroom at the Beef Club
Savvy imbibers know that one of the city’s best dance parties is hidden below the Beef Club restaurant. The Ballroom channels Belle Époque decadence, with elaborate ceilings, red patterned wallpaper, and plush sofas. 8 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau; eccbeefclub.com
Photo: Courtesy of the Experimental Group
Night Flight
Concealed inside the Hôtel Bachaumont, Night Flight offers craft cocktails in a whimsical space inspired by Saint-Exupery. A long black marble-topped wood bar anchors the room, which is edged by plush velvet sofas and poufs. A hand-painted design on the wall’s wood panels enhances the chic ambience. 18 rue Bachaumont; hotelbachaumont.com
Photo: Pierre Lucet Penato
Moonshiner
To find this Jazz Age–inspired lounge, you have to walk through the restaurant Da Vito and enter through the wood door of the walk-in fridge. It’s worth it for the cocktails and great whiskey selection, served in a dimly lit space with exposed brick, leather chairs, and jazz playing on a gramophone. 5 rue Sedaine
Photo: Aura Constantin
Le Très Particulier
Tucked away inside the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, this gorgeous lounge is quintessentially Parisian. Wallpaper painted with tropical flora and fauna complements the plush red velvet chairs and lacquered tables. The best seats are in the enclosed garden full of trees and the glassed-in terrace with black-and-white tiled floors. 23 Avenue Junot; hotel-particulier-montmartre.com
Photo: Diane Yoon
Candelaria
Taquerias are rare in Paris, so don’t be surprised to find this one packed with people coming for a taco fix. Make your way through the restaurant and you’ll find an atmospheric cocktail bar from the team behind Glass, the city’s popular American-style beer bar. Settle into the warm, modern-rustic bar and choose from one of the tequila or cachaça cocktails. 52 rue de Saintonge; candelariaparis.com
Photo: Mohé
Little Red Door
Look for the—you guessed it—little red door to enter this chic little bar. Exposed stone and brick, an L-shaped wood bar, brown leather benches, and blue velvet barstools combine to form the kind of warm, welcoming space you want to escape to on cold and rainy days. 60 rue Charlot; lrdparis.com
Photo: Mohé
Lulu White
Run by the team behind the Little Red Door, Lulu White was inspired by 1920s New Orleans. Named for the proprietor of the brothel Mahogany Hall, who was immortalized in a song by Louis Armstrong, the bar channels the Big Easy’s debauched nightlife. An absinthe fountain sits on the bar, while patrons sip Sazeracs at the marble tables. Embossed floral wallpaper adds a unique touch. 12 rue Frochot; luluwhite.bar
Photo: Courtesy of Mezcaleria
Mezcaleria
Cross the threshold of this dimly lit den in the 1K Hotel and you’ll feel transported to Mexico City. Chairs and barstools are upholstered in colorful Mexican fabric while dark wood forms a sultry counterpoint. The hotel also has a pisco bar, in case mezcal’s not your thing. 13 Boulevard du Temple; 1k-paris.com
Photo: Vgroupe
Lavomatic
Enter through the laundromat and find the washing machine that opens onto a discreet staircase leading to the bar. Inside, the decor is bright and playful, with canary-yellow cushions, Warhol-esque Brillo box stools, patterned pillows, and hanging swings. 30 rue René Boulanger; lavomatic.paris
Source: Architectural Digest
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