Friday Five

Every Friday I turn 52martinis over to five other savvy drinkers for their opinions on the best cocktails in Paris. This week some of my favorite friends, fellow cocktaillians and foodies give up the goods.

Impeccably gracious Colin Field, the man behind the world-renowned Hemingway Bar of the Ritz, says “My favourite bar at the moment would be the bar of the Regina hotel with Christian and Jerome holding the Fort. The hotel is very old world which I love and the bar is positively 1900's. The feeling is very cosy and the cocktails - not to mention the company - is and are fantastic.”

Fab foodie, world traveler, cocktail enthusiast, LUPEC Seattle founder and one of my very favorite drinking partners, Wendy Miller says: “Paris used to be quite a wasteland for cocktails but over the last few years it's grown up nicely. And although I enjoy quite a few of the lounges in the city, I really love Prescription. Whether ordering a gin gin mule or a classic martini, the drinks are well made, the atmosphere is comfy, they use nice glassware & the prices are great! Can't wait to sit at the bar there again soon.”

Half of the stellar Liquid Liquid team, which organizes Cocktails Spirit, and simply one of the one of the most in-the-know (and nicest!) people in Paris when it comes to cocktails, Thierry Daniel says: (NOTE to readers: translation coming shortly on this, but I'm rushing out the door and didn't want to hold up the posting!) A l'heure de l'apéritif en ce début de période hivernale, j'aime ouvrir mes papilles au Forum avec un Black Sazerac. Joseph Biolatto et son équipe exécutent les drinks d’une manière quasi instinctive qui se révèlent pour autant d’un parfait équilibre. Après le dîner je file me réfugier au bar de l'un des hôtels les plus mythiques et intimes de Paris, l'Hôtel rue des beaux arts à Saint-Germain. Derrière le bar, Carlos Madriz a tiré cette adresse vers les repères de la mixologie à l'image de son Strawberry Wilde. Ensuite, j'aime retrouver des amis au troisième bar des trois garçons, le Prescription Cocktail Club pour siroter un Florida Taragon jusqu'au bout de la nuit.

Adorable foodie, Clotilde Dusoulier author of both Chocolate & Zucchini and Clotilde's Edible Adventure in Paris as well as a contributor to ELLE à table says: My favorite cocktail spot in Paris remains the Experimental Cocktail Club because it's small, it's cosy if you can score one of the little tables in the back, and I like their Strawberry Alarm Clock, a sweet and sour cocktail made with organic strawberries and organic vodka."

The dangerously charming Philip Duff, “Your Man In Amsterdam,” saloonkeeper, cocktail chap, drinks guy, presenter, writer but definitely no model...says: "My favorite cocktail bar in Paris is Bar Le Forum on the Boulevard des Malesherbes because it's classic without being boring, modern without being noisy or packed, and you can drink there in the afternoons as well!"

Friday Five

Every Friday, I turn 52martinis over to other in-the-know Paris imbibers and get their take on the city's best cocktails. Usually I feature five different people, but this week Pascal Iakovou, Editor in Chief of the über-fashionable Luxsure Magazine, gave me so many good cocktail spots, I'm giving him the whole Friday Five to himself!


For cocktail innovation and service: Try Le Starcky (champagne and mint) or the Millenium (a subtle melange of rosé Champagne, rose liqueur and orange essance) at the Bar 228 of Le Meurice.

Want something else original with killer service: Sample the Wasabi Martini (vodka, wasabi, lime juice and sugar cane syrup) at the Westin Hotel Bar.

Simply because it's a must: a Bellini at Barlotti.

For privacy and discretion: Sip a Manhattan at le Cercle.

And, because it's sexy: Order a Cointreaupolitan at Secret Square.

Thanks, Pascal!

Watch this space....I've already got the goods from savvy sippers for next week's Friday Five!