Over the years, trying new cocktail bars in Paris and going back to the ones we love has become one of our favorite date night activities. We’re always curious to see what’s new, whether it’s a creative cocktail menu, an unusual ingredient, or a tiny bar tucked away somewhere we’ve walked past a dozen times without noticing.
It helps that my husband, Laurent, is a rum and spirits expert with years of experience as a journalist, author, podcaster, and jury member for several French spirits awards. So when we go out for cocktails, we tend to take the drinks pretty seriously!
And after years of exploring the cocktail bars in Paris together, we definitely have our favorites.
Danico has long been the bar we measure others against, but we’ve also found tiny speakeasies, excellent rum focused bars, affordable happy hour spots, and a few newer discoveries that genuinely surprised us.
Because a great cocktail bar isn’t just about the drink, I’ve included what makes each place worth visiting and who I think will enjoy it most, whether you’re planning a date night, looking for somewhere you can actually have a conversation, or want to try some of the most creative cocktails in Paris.
These are the cocktail bars in Paris we’ve personally enjoyed and would recommend for your next night out.
Our Favorite Cocktail Bars in Paris
From creative speakeasies to relaxed neighborhood spots, each of these bars offers something different. Here are our favorites and what makes each one worth visiting.
#1 Danico
➤ 6 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris
No question, Danico is the cocktail bar we return to most. It is the one we measure all the others against, and we keep coming back whenever we want to see what they have created next.
When we first started coming here, I played it safe with fruity, light and sweet drinks. But the mixtures at Danico are so well balanced that, slowly but surely, I started trusting them enough to order the weirdest options on the menu.
A Martini with blue cheese distillate? Bring it on. Cornichon and mustard? Yes, please. Leche de tigre and ceviche infusions? Why not?
Even my cocktail cautious mom loved her drink here, which says a lot about what Danico does so well. The cocktails can sound completely bizarre on paper, but they rarely feel weird just for the sake of being weird. Somehow, the flavors come together.
Tucked behind the Italian restaurant Daroco in Galerie Vivienne, Danico changes its cocktail menu every six months, with each edition inspired by a different theme. Past menus have taken us to Mexico, Japan, and Bali, which means there is always something completely new to try when we return.
Tip: Danico does not take reservations. When you arrive, tell the staff at the entrance that you are heading to Danico. Otherwise, you might end up waiting for a table at Daroco instead.
Danico also ranked #30 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2026. list.
#2 Arbane
➤ 10 Rue Guénégaud, 75006 Paris
One of the few cocktail bars in Saint Germain that actually holds its own against the Right Bank. And that’s not something I say lightly.
Arbane is one of those bars you could walk straight past if you didn’t know it was there, and honestly, that’s part of the charm. It’s not a speakeasy, but it has that same discreet feel without any of the theatrics.
We had a really good experience here. It’s a small space, with just a few seats at the bar and quieter corners where you can actually have a conversation.
One of my favorite cocktails was the Figlet, made with Arbane’s own fig distillate, Timur pepper, and lime. I loved that they create their own distillates, giving the drinks flavors you are not going to find on every other cocktail menu in Paris.
We also shared a few plates, and the Gouda with truffle was surprisingly good. And that’s coming from someone who normally doesn’t even like truffles.
I’d especially pick Arbane for a relaxed date night or an after work apéro with friends when you want good cocktails and somewhere you can actually hear each other. There’s another very good reason to come early: happy hour.
From 6 to 8 pm, every cocktail is €10. For cocktails of this quality in Saint Germain, that’s hard to beat.
#3 Le Bar 1802
➤ 22 Rue Pascal, 75005 Paris
1802 is one of Laurent’s absolute favorites, which says a lot considering he is a rum expert and has tasted his way through more rums than anyone could ever keep track of. Well, he can. He has an Excel file, but that’s a different story.
Le Bar 1802, located on the ground floor of Hotel Monte Cristo, is entirely dedicated to rum. But you do not have to be a rum expert to enjoy it.
We come here just as happily for cocktails, and the menu changes frequently, so there is usually something new to discover when we return.
Their cocktail menus are always built around an original concept. One edition, for example, took inspiration from different materials, with cocktails based on wood, steel, stone, and even plastic. It is the kind of place where the concept gives you a reason to try something you might not normally order.
But if you love rum, this is where 1802 really stands apart. You can skip the cocktail menu entirely and ask for a tasting instead. With such a huge collection and a team that genuinely knows rum, they can guide you through different styles and origins rather than leaving you to choose blindly from more than 1,000 bottles.
For me, 1802 works especially well when one person wants a great cocktail and the other wants to geek out over rum. In our case, you can probably guess who is who.
Tip: If you want to make a full evening of it, we also really like Le Grand Dictionnaire across the street. It is part of the same establishment and is a great option for dinner before or after drinks.
#4 The Cambridge Public House
➤ 8 Rue de Poitou, 75003 Paris
We had popped into The Cambridge Public House before, but it wasn’t until October 2025 that we really sat down and explored the cocktail menu. And that visit completely changed my opinion of it.
If Danico is our benchmark, Cambridge is the first cocktail bar that has truly challenged it.
One of my favorite things here is the mini cocktails. There are usually three on the menu, and they are all good, but do not let the size fool you. They are strong!
My favorite is the Delicate Nirvana. And because the minis are small enough to leave room for one more, I usually finish with a Midnight Driver. It has become my little Cambridge routine.
The minis are also a great way to try several of their creations without committing to multiple full sized cocktails. Honestly, I wish more cocktail bars did this.
True to its name, Cambridge combines the feel of a lively British pub with the creativity of a serious cocktail bar. There are sausage rolls and other UK inspired snacks, a proper beer selection, and a lively atmosphere that can get a little loud as the evening goes on.
I would especially recommend Cambridge if you are curious about more adventurous cocktails but want to taste several rather than betting everything on one unusual choice. The mini cocktails make experimenting much easier on both your wallet and your alcohol tolerance.
Cambridge is now firmly in my top three cocktail bars in Paris. Considering how long Danico has held the top spot for us, I don’t say that lightly.
Cambridge also ranked #20 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2026.
#5 Bar Nouveau
➤ 5 Rue des Haudriettes, 75003 Paris
I first heard about Bar Nouveau from a bartender in London a few months before we visited. And when a bartender recommends another cocktail bar, I tend to pay attention. It went straight onto my list, but it wasn’t until October 2025 that we finally made it there.
Bar Nouveau feels completely different from most of the other bars on this list. It is tiny, minimalist, and quietly beautiful, with Art Nouveau details, no flashy decor, and no traditional back bar filled with bottles.
But what I remember just as much as the cocktails is how genuinely welcoming the service was. Our waiter asked our names when we arrived, and about 20 minutes later, he still remembered them. It was such a small thing, but it made the whole experience feel immediately more personal.
The cocktail menu is short, with clever twists on classics. Our favorite was the Ramos, made with whiskey and yoghurt. It was exactly the kind of combination that made me stop when I read the menu. It sounds strange, but it completely works.
Now ranked #17 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2026, Bar Nouveau is definitely worth a stop, but I would plan it as part of your evening rather than settle in for the night. The bar is tiny, with mostly bar stools and standing room, so it is not my pick for an intimate date where you want to sit and talk for hours.
Instead, come for one or two cocktails before dinner or make it the first stop on a night of bar hopping in the Marais. Between the unusual drinks, warm welcome, and small space, that is where I think Bar Nouveau works best.
#6 Superfine Bar
➤ 8 Pass. Josset, 75011 Paris
Superfine Bar surprised me in the best possible way.
First, the space. It is large by Paris standards, with an oval bar sitting right in the middle of the room. The layout makes the whole place feel open and social, and because you are seated around the bar, you are always facing the bartenders rather than staring at a wall of bottles.
It makes watching them work part of the experience.
Then came the menu, and for a moment, Laurent and I genuinely thought we had the wrong place.
We had just come from dinner, and all we could see were brunches, appetizers, and main dishes. Had we accidentally walked into a restaurant? We were already preparing ourselves for that slightly awkward moment of having to turn around and leave.
It was all cocktails.
The entire menu is organized like a meal, with drinks divided into brunch, appetizers, and mains. What a cool idea. It completely changes the way you browse a cocktail menu and makes choosing a drink part of the fun.
I went straight for brunch, obviously, and ordered the P&B Milkshake with bourbon, peanut butter, banana, and smoked whipped cream. It was delicious, like the grown up version of a childhood favorite, only with bourbon and a smoky twist.
Superfine is the bar I would pick when you want something playful and social rather than an intimate cocktail experience. The central bar makes the space feel lively, and the menu gives you something to talk about before you have even ordered your first drink.
#7 Neroli
➤ 3 Rue Saint-Bernard, 75011 Paris
Neroli is one of my favorite options when I want good cocktails and an actual dinner without having to change places halfway through the evening.
The space has a bit of an Italian trattoria feel, with a large communal table in the middle that works particularly well for groups. We did what we usually do, though, and grabbed seats at the bar.
I had a Gin Smash with Chartreuse Jaune and loved it. Fresh, herbal, and well balanced. The cocktails may be what brought us here, but the food is not an afterthought.
This isn’t snack food designed to keep you going between drinks. These are proper dishes, and the octopus we had was excellent. You can come hungry, order dinner, have a couple of genuinely good cocktails, and stay in the same place for the entire evening.
That is exactly who I would recommend Neroli to: anyone who wants great cocktails and a proper dinner in one place. Come during happy hour, when cocktails are €10 from 6 to 8 pm, then stay for dinner and make an evening of it.
#8 Candelaria
➤ 52 rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris
I love a good speakeasy. There is something fun about finding a hidden door and feeling like you have discovered a place you were not quite supposed to know about.
But truth be told, many of the speakeasy bars I have tried in Paris are more memorable for the experience of finding them than for the cocktails themselves. They are fun, but the drinks are not always exceptional enough to earn a place on this list.
Candelaria is one of the exceptions for me.
From the outside, it looks like a tiny taco restaurant, and technically, that is exactly what it is. But walk through the restaurant and you will find the entrance to the cocktail bar hidden at the back. If this is your first speakeasy, you might have a brief moment of wondering whether you are actually supposed to keep walking. You are.
The bar itself is quite small, so space is limited, but that only adds to the tucked away feeling once you are inside.
Candelaria has a strong focus on tequila and mezcal, which admittedly makes me fairly easy to win over because, over the years, I have learned to love mezcal. You can explore agave spirits through the cocktail menu or taste different tequilas and mezcals on their own.
But don’t worry if agave spirits are not your thing. The cocktail menu goes beyond tequila and mezcal, so you will still have plenty to choose from.
I would choose Candelaria if you want the fun of a proper speakeasy experience but still care about what is in your glass, especially if you already love agave spirits or want to explore them beyond a basic Margarita.
#9 Mr. Antoine
➤ 17 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris
One of our newest discoveries, Mr. Antoine is a little off the usual cocktail bar trail in the 11th, but absolutely worth it.
Run by Julie and Vincent, this is one of those places where you quickly realize how much thought has gone into every little detail. The coasters are sewn by Julie herself, and all the glasses have been collected from flea markets.
I loved that no two things felt quite the same. Everything had been chosen with intention, giving the bar a personal touch that you simply cannot create by ordering everything new from a catalogue.
My favorite was the Flying Pig, a playful take on the Manhattan. And I should probably mention that I am not even a Manhattan fan.
Instead of one cocktail, you get three small versions, each made with the same ingredients but in different proportions. You taste them one after another and experience how changing the balance between the ingredients completely transforms the drink. I absolutely loved it. It was clever without feeling like a gimmick, and exactly the kind of cocktail experience I remember long after leaving a bar.
That attention to detail goes beyond the cocktails. Mr. Antoine also serves small plates and beer, with a focus on local producers and local breweries. It is a small detail, but one I really appreciated because the idea of supporting local producers feels woven into the whole place rather than added as an afterthought.
I would make the trip to Mr. Antoine if you enjoy cocktails where the concept is as interesting as the drink itself. It is especially worth seeking out if you have already visited the better known cocktail bars in central Paris and want to discover somewhere newer that feels genuinely personal.
#10 Little Red Door
➤ 60 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris
Little Red Door and I had a complicated start.
A few years ago, it was one of the most talked about cocktail bars in Paris, and Laurent already loved it. So when I finally went, my expectations were high. But the timing was unfortunate. The bar was going through a period of change, and the cocktails were fine, but underwhelming. I left thinking it simply wasn’t worth the hype.
Then things changed again, and we decided to give it another chance. Wow. I am very glad we did.
The Little Red Door we experienced this time felt completely different. The cocktails were creative, beautifully balanced, and full of the kind of thoughtful details that make me excited about a bar.
Even the menu is an experience. It is designed like a little tree, with individual leather leaves revealing the cocktails. The concept continues into the drinks themselves, with a focus on ingredients sourced from France.
That attention to sourcing goes right down to the glassware. Many of the cocktails are served in pieces made by Parisian ceramic artisans, another small detail that made the whole experience feel carefully considered rather than simply styled to look impressive.
But what impressed me most was how completely the bar changed my mind. I had already written Little Red Door off once, and I probably would not have returned if Laurent had not wanted to give it another try. Now, I would happily go back.
I would recommend Little Red Door if you enjoy creative cocktails where the ingredients, presentation, and concept all tell the same story. And if you visited a few years ago and came away underwhelmed like I did, it might be time to give it another chance.
Wrapping Up: Our Favorite Cocktail Bars in Paris
Et voilà, our favorite cocktail bars in Paris. The one I would choose depends entirely on the kind of evening I have in mind, which is exactly why I find it so difficult to name just one favorite.
If I had to narrow it down to three, I would choose Danico as our overall benchmark, Cambridge when I want to experiment with adventurous cocktails in a lively pub atmosphere, and Neroli when I want great cocktails and dinner without changing places.
But some of my favorite discoveries have been the bars I almost overlooked or initially underestimated.
So if there is one rule I have learned from exploring Paris’s cocktail scene with Laurent, it is to stay curious and occasionally order the drink that sounds a little too weird. It might just become your new favorite.
If you’re planning your nights in Paris, you might also like these guides:
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FAQ Cocktail Bars in Paris
Do you need reservations for cocktail bars in Paris?
Most cocktail bars in Paris work on a walk-in basis, but a few, like the Cambridge Public House accept reservations. For popular spots such as Danico or Candelaria, arrive early to avoid queues.
Is there a dress code for Paris cocktail bars?
Not really. Paris bars are stylish but relaxed. Think neat casual: a good shirt, nice shoes, and something you’d feel comfortable wearing at a dinner in the Marais.
Personally, we always wear sneakers 🙂
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