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The 100 Best Places to Drink in France

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The best places to drink in France, according to the experts: The 50, The Pinnacle Guide, and The Infatuation have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. The Cambridge Public House comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Paris.

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Bar Nouveau and Danico hold the next two places. Le Fooding shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with The 50 next.

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  1. It's an English pub in the Marais that decided the pint wasn't enough, so the cocktails arrive in small etched glasses while meat pies and wood paneling keep everything honest. A stuffed animal head presides over the tables. The after-work crowd and casual gossip groups ordering half-sized drinks keep things cheerful, and it sits at #7 on Europe's 50 Best Bars, which no one seems to be discussing loudly.


  2. Rank 2. Bar Nouveau

    Art Nouveau Cocktail Bar

    Bar Nouveau is a two-level Art Nouveau cocktail bar in the Marais, tucked away from the shopping and the crowds. It's an unusually good place to be overstimulated by museums and have nobody ask you to decide anything, since the menu is short and the classics are the point. Upstairs is intimate, downstairs is a moody den, and it sits at #17 on the World's 50 Best Bars list. Go early or late if you'd like a table.


  3. Rank 3. Danico

    French Cocktail Bar

    Danico is a cocktail bar tucked inside the Italian restaurant Daroco, reached through the covered Galerie Vivienne, a former Jean Paul Gaultier shop whose staff still wear the striped shirts. The menu rotates every few months and picks one country, so you might get Japan's sake and whisky. It's on the World's 50 Best Bars list, with couples, pre-opera drinkers, and out-of-towners at the bar.


    Address
    6 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Wednesday 5 PM–2 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  4. Comptoir De Vie is a cocktail bar in Montorgueil built around a twelve-seat blue-green enamel counter, where even the washable wool coasters are French and artisanal. The drinks come paired with small plates, so dinner and a nightcap quietly merge into one long, pleasantly expensive sitting. It landed at #34 on Europe's 50 Best Bars, and the people perched at the counter tend to be asking about the grass spirit.


    Address
    22-24 Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002 Paris, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6 PM

    Wednesday 6 PM–1 AM

    Reserve
    SevenRooms
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  5. Rank 5. Apicius

    Modern French

    The bar inside this 18th-century townhouse in the 8th comes with a lawn, stone animals grazing silently outside the windows, and the ambient feeling that you've somehow left Paris entirely. That's before you've ordered anything. It's the kind of cocktail bar that arrives pre-loaded with atmosphere, tucked inside a Michelin-starred restaurant, so the drinks program has something to prove and generally acts like it knows that.


    Address
    20 rue d'Artois, Paris, Ile-de-France 75008, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Wednesday Noon–1:30 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  6. Rank 6. Cravan

    Cocktail Bar

    The Art Nouveau bones of this cocktail bar in the 16th have been hosting drinkers since forever, and the room earns that history. Named for Arthur Cravan, poet, boxer, and Oscar Wilde's nephew, it pours coffee by day and precise, classically rooted cocktails by night. The Tunnel riffs on a Negroni with a splash of dry vermouth; oysters and grilled cheese are there if you need something to slow things down.


  7. Chez Eugène is a Montmartre bistro on Place du Tertre, where caricature artists are sketching tourists a few feet from your table. The covered terrace is the seat to take, since the dining room runs a little gloomy. The wine list leans natural, favors the northern Rhône, and turns over weekly. The kitchen does best with the classics: onion soup, egg mayo, a steak frites roughly the size of a hubcap.


  8. Rank 8. Bar 1802

    Cocktail Bar

    The bar inside Hotel Monte Cristo is named for the year Alexandre Dumas was born, and the obsession runs deep: Dumas descended from Haitian rum producers, so the cocktail bar stocks somewhere around 1,600 rums, from molasses-based blends to rhums agricoles to house-spiced bottles. The Latin Quarter setting, the literary conceit, the frankly absurd rum cellar: it all holds together better than it has any right to.


    Address
    22 Rue Pascal, 75005 Paris, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 3 PM

    Wednesday 3 PM–1 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  9. Rank 9. Harry's Bar

    Cocktail Bar

    The bar itself was shipped plank by plank from Manhattan in 1911, which is either romantic or completely deranged depending on your mood. Hemingway, Bogart, and Coco Chanel all drank here, and the cocktail menu has been refined across rather a lot of decades since. It holds a spot on Europe's 50 Best Bars, though the crowd seems unbothered by the credentials and mostly just wants a Sidecar.


    Address
    5 Rue Daunou, 75002 Paris, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Wednesday Noon–2 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  10. Rank 10. Dame Jeanne

    Natural Wine Bar

    The awards


  11. Rank 10. La Cave des Affranchis

    Natural Wine Bar

    The awards


  12. Rank 10. O Vins D'Anges

    Natural Wine Bar

    The awards


  13. The bar is behind a door at the back of a taqueria on Rue de Saintonge, which is the kind of entrance that never gets old. Once through, it's a candle-lit, intentionally scuffed cocktail bar where the soundtrack runs loud enough that you're not whispering like you're supposed to. Perch at the bar to watch the bartenders work, or sink into a couch if someone hasn't beaten you to it. The Pinnacle Guide awarded it one Pin.


  14. Rank 14. Brindezingue

    Natural Wine Bar

    The awards


  15. Rank 14. Canons

    Wine Bar

    The awards


  16. Rank 14. Cave Au Vin Vivant

    Natural Wine Bar

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  20. Rank 14. Chaussette

    Wine Bar

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  21. Rank 14. Chez Armand

    Natural Wine Bar

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  23. Rank 14. Element Terre

    Kebab Shop

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  27. Rank 14. Goûte

    Wine Bar

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  28. Rank 14. Granit

    Wine Bar

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  29. Rank 14. Grenadine

    Wine Bar

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  30. Rank 14. Hélios

    Wine Bar

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  31. Rank 14. Ici Même

    Wine Bar

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  34. Rank 14. La Bamboche

    Wine Bar

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  35. Rank 14. La Cabane à Vin

    Natural Wine Bar

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  37. Rank 14. La Cave de Belleville

    Natural Wine Bar

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  39. Rank 14. La Cave du Théâtre

    Natural Wine Bar

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  40. Rank 14. La Cave Jovin

    Natural Wine Bar

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  41. Rank 14. La Dégust’ Nature

    Natural Wine Bar

    The awards


  42. Rank 14. La Méduse

    Wine Bar

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  43. Rank 14. La Naine Rouge

    Natural Wine Bar

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  44. Rank 14. La Voile à Vin

    Natural Wine Bar

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  45. Rank 14. LE 107 BIS

    Wine Bar

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  49. Rank 14. Le Quartaut

    Wine Bar

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  51. Rank 14. Les 2 Portes

    Natural Wine Bar

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  55. Rank 14. Les Jajas de Juju

    Natural Wine Bar

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  57. Rank 14. Les Vins d'Oleg

    Natural Wine Bar

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  59. Rank 14. Lou’Bar

    Natural Wine Bar

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  60. Rank 14. Midget

    Natural Wine Bar

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  61. Rank 14. Odessa Comptoir

    Natural Wine Bar

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  62. Rank 14. Only Wine

    Wine Bar

    The awards


  63. Rank 14. Pampille

    Wine Bar

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  64. Rank 14. Pépie

    Wine Bar

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  65. Rank 14. Pétillance

    Wine Bar

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  66. The awards


  67. Rank 14. Selene

    Wine Bar

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  68. Rank 14. Silo

    Wine Bar

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  69. Rank 14. Super Cools

    Wine Bar

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  70. The awards


  71. The awards


  72. Rank 14. Victor

    Beer Bar

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  74. Rank 14. Voyou

    Wine Bar

    The awards


  75. This is the hotel bar in a building that once belonged to a count and was designed to receive actual ambassadors, which explains the frescoes, the low lighting, and the velvet couches. Dress like you were expecting to be photographed. Each season the team builds drinks around a few chosen ingredients, mushroom Old Fashioned included, and cocktails run past €30, which on Place de la Concorde counts as restraint.


    Address
    10 Rue Boissy d'Anglas, 75008 Paris, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Wednesday 5 PM–1 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  76. Rank 76. Symbiose

    Cocktail Bar

    A second room hides behind an antique grandfather clock, which is either whimsical or the most Bordeaux thing imaginable, probably both. Symbiose is a cocktail bar on the Chartrons quay with its own garden supplying both ingredients and themes, and a rotating list currently running through Myths and Legends. The drinks lean boozy and the bartenders take technique seriously, with at least one Negroni finished sous-vide.


    Address
    4 quai des Chartrons, Bordeaux, New Aquitaine 33000, France · Bordeaux
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6 PM

    Wednesday 7 PM–10 PM, 6 PM–1:30 AM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  77. Rank 77. Ceto Bar

    Mediterranean

    The terrace hangs over the Mediterranean close enough that you feel slightly implicated in it. This is the bar at the Maybourne Riviera, a minimalist perch where the sea does most of the decorating and the drinks follow suit, leaning into the coastal setting rather than competing with it. Floor-to-ceiling windows mean the inside table isn't much of a consolation prize. The kind of bar where the view sets the pace and nobody seems to mind.


  78. Rank 77. Classique

    French Wine Bar


  79. Rank 77. Fréquence

    Cocktail Bar




  80. Rank 81. Loulou

    Mediterranean


    Address
    107 rue de Rivoli, Paris, Ile-de-France 75001, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens noon

    Wednesday Noon–4 PM, 7 PM–11 PM

    Reserve
    SevenRooms
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  81. The awards


  82. Rank 83. Bar-Luciole

    Cocktail Bar

    A cocktail bar sitting on the banks of the Charente river, in the middle of Cognac country, that has committed fully to the local spirit, which is either very obvious or very smart. Over 200 bottles line the shelves, and the staff treat recommendations as a calling. The cocktail list runs from classics to odder pairings, with cognac at the center of all of it, as you'd expect given the address.

    The awards


  83. Rank 83. Le Calbar

    Creative Cocktail Bar

    The bartenders here wear crisp shirts and bow ties, which is where the formality ends, as everything below the waist is boxer shorts. Le Calbar is a cocktail bar in the 12th that has carved out a niche by refusing to be precious about itself, a posture Paris does not always come naturally to. The drinks, though, are careful and creative, built around a menu of country-themed cocktails that take the concept more seriously than the dress code.

    The awards



  84. The awards



  85. Rank 89. Gentlemen 1919

    Cocktail Bar

    The awards


    Address
    11 Rue Jean Mermoz, 75008 Paris, France · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 10 AM

    Wednesday 10 AM–10 PM

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  86. Rank 89. Little Red Door

    Cocktail Bar

    No sign marks the entrance, just the red door that gives this Marais cocktail bar its name. Inside, brick walls, candles, and chairs shipped from London make the room feel assembled by someone with strong opinions and good taste. The bartenders here treat hospitality as a technical discipline, which means the drinks are precisely built and the conversation is free. Come ready to stay longer than planned.


  87. Rank 91. Café Moderne

    Cocktail Bar

    On a street better known for beer and mojitos, Café Moderne looks like an old Parisian café that briefly eloped with an American diner. The cocktail bar is a family operation, and the siblings who came up through New York bring something different from the Bastille norm. Order carefully and let them do their thing.


  88. Rank 91. Gravity Bar

    Cocktail Bar

    The ceiling ripples overhead like a frozen wooden wave, the bar curves like a boulder, and the whole room reads as a design project by someone who spent years as an artistic director before pivoting to cocktails and extreme sports. Near Canal Saint-Martin, Gravity Bar is a cocktail bar where the concept lands before you've even ordered, which is either reassuring or a challenge, depending on your mood.


  89. Rank 91. Le Bar du Bristol

    Cocktail Bar

    Panther-print sofas, a working fireplace, and chandeliers stacked like they're competing with each other set the tone in this hotel cocktail bar inside one of Paris's grand old palace hotels. The room runs unabashedly old-school, and the bartenders lean into it with serious mixing rather than nostalgia. It costs what it costs, and nobody at the deep leather sofas seems troubled by that.


  90. Rank 91. Mabel

    Cocktail Bar

    A grilled cheese counter in the 2nd arrondissement hides one of Paris's more quietly confident cocktail bars behind it. At Mabel, you sit before you order, full stop, which sounds like a minor house rule until you realize it shapes the whole evening. The long bar anchors the room, the stools are comfortable, and the bartenders work like they have somewhere to be, which is here.


  91. Le Mary Celeste is a Marais wine-and-cocktail bar where the oysters arrive faster than anyone can decide on a bottle of natural wine, and the English you hear at the next table is not an accident. It comes from the group behind Candelaria, so the small plates, deviled eggs and tartare among them, are built for passing around. It has held a spot on the Spirited Awards Top 10 Nominee list for best international restaurant bar.



  92. Address
    3 Rue Victor Massé, Paris, Île-de-France 75009, FR · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6:30 PM

    Wednesday 6:30 PM–Midnight

    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  93. Abricot is a neighborhood cocktail bar on Rue Saint-Maur that greets you with a bartender's choice shot before you've decided whether you're staying. It leans Californian, with earthy colors and lots of daylight, which is an unexpected look for Paris. The martini is tiny, the menu is entirely vegan, and the hot dogs come with fried onions. A velvet-and-pillow alcove is where friends tend to lose an evening.


    Address
    189 Rue Saint-Maur, Paris, 75010, FR · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 6 PM

    Wednesday 6 PM–Midnight

    Reserve
    Make a reservation
    Online
    WebsiteInstagram
  94. Rank 96. Au Tour Du Vin

    French Wine Bar


  95. Aux Deux Amis is a loud, crowded wine bar on Oberkampf where the yellow formica tables carry the stains of every glass poured before yours. Come at night and you'll refill so often that you'll announce on your socials you're moving to Paris. Lunch is calmer and brings a cheap prix fixe, though the ashtrays outside overflow either way. Nobody fusses over you here, and the wine does the talking.


  96. Rank 96. Bar Etna

    Pizzeria


    Address
    33 rue Mazarine, Paris, Il de France 75006, FR · Paris
    Hours

    Closed now, opens 5 PM

    Wednesday 5 PM–2 AM

    Online
    Website

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Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

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      Four fifths of the score is the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin Key outweighs a listicle. The last fifth is where it is: the ranked places to eat and things to do around it, and how safe the country is. When you sort by what's nearby, distance from you changes the order, never the score.

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        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

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          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. The places are 60% of it: the best of what's within reach, weighed by distance. The setting is the other 40%: how life goes in that country (how people rate their own lives, how long and how well they live, how safe they are) and what it's like right there (the air, and the weather). If the score looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.

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