Mini-Shout Out: Park Hyatt Vendome

Park Hyatt Vendome
5 Rue de la Paix
75002 Paris
01 58 71 12 34

This will be a quickie! A few weeks back, Kate came up from Geneva and we treated ourselves to a fancy, spendy afternoon drink (well, two) at the Park Hyatt Vendome. Several people have recommended that I visit this Park Hyatt and I can see why. The staff are topnotch, the selection behind the bar impressive, the garnishes, ingredients and little extras are well thought out. There's an extreme and impressive attention to detail here.

My Beefeater 24/NP martini was excellent. I've lost my notes on this visit, which partly explains my delay in writing it. But, Kate's cocktail was a sort of berry themed fizz. The barman took the time to stagger the ice and the fresh berries in the cocktail, so it was as pretty as it was tasty. Little trays of olives, cashews and macadamia nuts came with our drinks. Gleaming silver bar tools were lined up on the bar, along with fresh fruit and a nice selection of bitters. Their menu seems to be divided into a handful of house creations (which are riffs on classics), mojitos, daiquiris, martinis and classics. Prices were approximately 25 Euros.

While we sipped our 2nd drinks Evgeni Plushenko showed up with a lady friend and they drank mock-tails for a brief photo shoot at the bar. I'd be happy to go back and spend some time on the small sweet courtyard terrace as well. They also offer a cocktail class (for around a hefty 140 Euros) which I'm impressed enough by their drinks to sign up for. Overall, I love what they're doing behind the bar here - but it ain't cheap!