From corner cafes to high-end wine bars, Paris has no shortage of great spots to partake in the grape. But for cocktail lovers things have always been a little more challenging. 

In recent decades, choices have been scarce and those wanting something a bit stiffer would have had to head to Hemingway bar at the Ritz for a budget-busting drink or an obligatory Bloody Mary at Harry’s. 

The Mojito is the go-to mixed drink in Paris bars, and it’s rarely a well-made one. In a country with such a strong gastronomic identity, cocktails were severely lacking.

Finally in 2007, things began to look up with the opening of the Experimental Cocktail Club. And it didn’t take long for the city’s trendsetters to develop a taste for well-crafted tipples and kick off a new craze for cocktails. The city’s cocktail cred got a further boost with the introduction of the Cocktail Spirits salon, now in its seventh year and attracting industry folk from near and far to check out the latest fads in French bars.

Following in the Experimental’s footsteps, a new breed of bar began showing up on the city’s scene and incorporating prevalent trends such as cocktail ageing, cocktails on tap and bottled cocktails. Even better, in some cases they put their own spin on sippables with a focus on forgotten French ingredients.  

The Experimental group has subsequently put its French touch on the international scene by exporting its own brand of bar from the beaches of Ibiza to cocktail capitals such as New York and London.  

And, with a handful of new local venues slated to open soon from credible names and with a focus on French cocktails, Paris’ influence on the international cocktail scene is set to grow.

My top 10 picks for Paris’s best bars:

Little Red Door, 60 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris

The Little Red Door has seen a lot of success since opening with a hat-trick of great drinks, attentive service and seductive decor. But what sets it apart is a willingness to push further with an ambitious mission to create a state of “complete surrender, enthusiasm, enjoyment and creativity” in its guests.

Here, skilled staff handle classics with ease, but really excel at creating innovative cocktails from a range of specialised spirits that introduce customers to new and unique flavours. 

In developing its seasonal menu, it has worked with some of the city’s best talent as well as previously with an ‘aromaticien’ to achieve an ideal balance of flavours for each drink. 

The bar has collaborated with a team trained by legendary chef Paul Bocuse to create a food menu designed to complement the drinks with tasty tidbits such as the duck-topped waffle with shallot confit. 

The LRD regularly hosts masterclasses and industry events as well as an impressive list of guest bartenders from the likes of the American bar of the Savoy to the Zetter Townhouse.  

Le Forum, 4 Boulevard Malesherbes, 75008 Paris

The Forum has the two crucial elements necessary for a great bar – quality ingredients and capable staff who know what to do with them. Not only do they pride themselves on a fine selection of whiskies, but they handle both classic cocktails and house creations with aplomb. 

Many of their drinks can be enjoyed outside of the bar if you pick up a copy of the newly released book Cocktails by le Forum.

But the Forum also has a little extra something that sets it apart from so many bars – history and consistency. 

It has been in business for nearly a century, more than 80 years of which have been under the same family. You don’t stay in business successfully for decades without developing an impressive level of professionalism. 

While you might hit an off-day in some of the upstart bars, the Forum delivers the same high level of service more consistently than just about any other place. 

And for that you can only say: “Respect.”

Expérimental Cocktail Club, 37 Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002 Paris

The ECC team has been incredibly successful in reviving cocktail culture in France as well as exporting its own take on it elsewhere.  

And, while any of its local locales are worth a visit, it’s the original that’s become a destination for curious cocktillians to see where things kicked off for both Paris cocktail culture and the ECC empire.

While it has served as the training ground for some of the city’s best talent, who have since gone on to open their own bars, it hasn’t dropped its game with the competition. It still employs some of the city’s top staff, turns out damn fine drinks and commands a loyal following who come early evenings for a quiet cocktail or later on the weekends for a party vibe.

Le Coq, 12 rue du ChAteAu d’eAu, 75010 Paris

When a pair of power players in the French drinks scene team up with Tony Conigliaro of 69 Colebrooke Row, the result is an off-the-beaten-path cocktail bar that draws an industry crowd curious to experience whatever this heavy hitting team has cooked up.

While Tony C has since returned to his uK projects, Thierry Daniel and Eric Fossard remain involved and maintain a focus on quality and creativity that keeps the cocktail crowd coming and earned them a Tales of the Cocktail nomination for World’s Best New Cocktail Bar in 2013.

The ambience is low key cool with a rock ’n’ roll vibe that takes backstage to the drinks.

Le Coq celebrates its origins with a focus on French ingredients and adheres to its exploratory, experimental and educational spirit with a consumer lab and cocktail courses launching soon.

Lockwood, 73 Rue d’Aboukir, 75002 Paris

The brothers behind this venture (Thomas, Olivier and Christophe Lehoux) have pooled their collective experience – from famed club Silencio to Ten Belles to bars abroad – to create something exciting.  

Theirs is a three-pronged approach: exceptional coffee, easy aperitifs, craft cocktails. All day long, customers come in search of serious caffeine until the early evening hours when pre-dinner drinks are more in order.

Upstairs the décor is industrial chic but casual and the aperitif menu offers up lighter fare with typical choices such as Aperol Spirtz. Towards 8pm the downstairs bar opens with a heavier hitting menu of classics and cocktail creations that sexy habitués drink in candlelit corners of the stone-walled rooms.  

In warmer weather months, they hold monthly Summer Sales on Sundays where vendors come to sell the likes of vintage clothes while DJs keep the downstairs crowd swaying. 

Don’t just take our word for it: they just took the Most Influential French Bar 2014 award at the Cocktails Spirits salon.

Dirty Dick, 10 Rue Frochot, 75009 Paris

This lively tiki joint regularly tops the city’s best bars lists. Located in what was previously a seedy girlie bar, Dirty Dick has taken over the venue, kept the name and developed a larger-than-life reputation.  

There is more to this place than mighty fine drinks and a grand selection of rum. Owner Scotty Schuder’s outgoing personality and easy-going attitude make him a favourite behind the bar and pull in plenty of fun-loving patrons to sip high-octane concoctions from kitsch mugs or shiny conch shells.

The décor works a South Seas style with the usual bamboo touches, blowfish, and a bikini-babe mural. Two massive totems were especially carved for the space. Drink prices vary according to potency, which ranges from light and easy to you’ll-hate-yourself-in-the-morning.  

In short, this is where loyal locals bump elbows with cocktail geeks and curious tourists for a helluva good time.

Red House, 1B Rue de la Forge Royale, 75011 Paris

There was a time when customers believed great cocktails were only to be had at the city’s hush-hush and speakeasy-inspired bars with their crushed velour upholstery and ceiling tin tiles.  

Then Red House screeched into the scene with a friendly ‘yeehaw’ to shake things up with a lighter, looser and insanely genuine attitude. No one knows how to have a better time than owner Joe Boley and his kick-ass crew.

This is an establishment that puts out fine drinks without airs and graces. The music occasionally blares, the pinball machine always glows, and the people often dance – all in the presence of a large set of longhorns that rest above the bar.  

Whether it’s taco night, themed brunches, Halloween, or just one of the best happy hours in town, there’s always a party at Red House.  

Sherry Butt, 20 Rue Beautreillis, 75004 Paris

As part of the second generation of cocktail bars to spring up in the capital, the young and dynamic team behind the Sherry Butt has put a lot of soul into its creation. And it shows. 

With an exceptional menu of drinks that display a skill for balance and creativity, it’s hard to go wrong here. Not surprisingly given the name, in addition to cocktails the bar also offers more than 100 whisky choices and some interesting flights. Given the quality, it’s no surprise it took last year’s Cocktails Spirits award for Best French Cocktail Bar.

Located on a quiet street in a hip ’hood, it’s an easy walk to many of the city’s other notable bars. But why would you leave? The space is stylish, comfortable and roomy enough to settle into their sofas and enjoy a few drinks with friends. And a nice food menu makes it even easier to stay for a few more.

La Conserverie, 37 bis rue du Sentier, 75002 Paris

La Conserverie has always been pleasantly discreet and under the radar. Yet it still manages to attract some of the city’s most exceptional bar talent as well as a loyal crowd of regulars. 

The menu focuses on seasonal ingredients and offers house creations as well as classics. The scene is perfect for lounge lovers with its ambient lighting, sexy sofas, high ceilings and industrial shabby chic touches. And, while this team recently opened a second spot, UC -61, which is also worth a visit, it’s La Conserverie that’s put in the time and effort and proved its staying power so wins a spot on the top 10.  

Candelaria, 52 rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris

From the day it opened, Candelaria has been a darling of the Parisian bar scene. Sure, many people are drawn by the unmarked door hidden at the back of a busy taqueria. But, it’s the quality of the drinks that sets it apart, earning multiple nominations for Spirited Awards at Tales of the Cocktail and proving it’s got the chops to play with the big boys internationally.

The standard menu is a sure bet, but cocktail geeks who want to customise their own Martini or enjoy the perfect Pegu Club can ask for the reserve menu for dozens of choices.

The driving force behind Candelaria is the dynamic trio of owners – Josh Fontaine, Adam Tsou and Carina Soto Velasquez Tsou – who cultivate a top notch team that shares their creative vision and allows them to come up with and execute original concepts both in terms of drinks and decor. Refreshingly, all three of their exceedingly popular bars (Candelaria, Glass and Mary Celeste) exhibit very different and distinct personalities and styles.