Rooftop Cocktail Adventures: le 7th

le 7th, Terrass Hotel

12-14 rue Joseph-de-Maistre
75018 Paris
Tél. : +33 1.46.06.72.85

I think it's important to (at least try to) be aware of our faults and to correct them. One of my current personal fault projects: I'm a little bit of a grudge holder. So, when the restaurant atop the Terrass Hotel started fluctuating too much in service and quality for the price, I stopped indulging in their rooftop dining and mentally crossed them off my list of possible eats. That doesn't mean I wasn't longing for a bit of terrace time with them, but I was loath to pay full whack for a meal or talk my way into one of the very few spots for a drink to get it. And, then like an ex strolling back into my life with promise of change, they came up with their latest summer scheme.

No longer are reservations or long meal commitments necessary to enjoy the expansive view. The Terrass Hotel was now teasing me back with its latest rooftop transformation: le 7th. All summer, the rooftop terrace serves exclusively as a no reservations cocktail bar and lounge with the option of finger foods, burgers, salads and pasta should you feel peckish. Maybe we could get back together after all? I met up there with Wednesday regulars Matt, Vio and Mel as well as visiting style-meister cocktillians (and more) Howie and Tawny, to find out.

Once I made it past the multiple lobby staff and onto the roof, I immediately remembered what brought us together in the first place. The view is special. The faux-grass green matting gives the impression of stepping onto a healthy (but well manicured) lawn and the space is open, airy and relaxed. And, clearly this place has caught more than just my eye. The night of our reunion was a busy one with an abundance of the suit and earpiece crowd.

The drinks menu features 17 classics such as martini, manhattan and negroni and 9 house creations including three mojito riffs, all at 14 Euros each. My usual first order was a disappointment of proportions. While, I like a bit of vermouth in my martini, this was too much. Of the three gins on offer (Bombay, Gordon's and Tanqueray) my guess is they're using Gordon's for the martinis. Opinions varied on the other drinks. In the surprisingly good category were the gin fizz, manhattan and strawberry basil mojito. The caipi was another overly sweet disappointment and the planter's punch tasted of spiked juicebox.

Like many places, pretty garnishes can initially distract from the actual quality of the drink. The attention to visual details and fluctuation in cocktail quality says to me that there are some good intentions behind the bar, but maybe a lack of range and/or knowledge when it comes to serious cocktail skills. Warm weather clients looking for a bit of summer fun without high end cocktail expectations, will enjoy perching above Paris with something cold in hand. But, I would personally love to see a bit more consistency and attention to some of the mixers.

A flute of Lanson Black Label champagne goes for 15 (white) or 16 (Rose), and wines by the glass at 5 to 7 Euros seem a steal when you take into account the view. But, if you want to stick with the cocktails, I'd recommend either a Basil Strawberry Mojito when warm summer evenings call for something with plenty of refreshing crushed ice or a Manhattan once the temp drops with the setting sun.

Opinions on service fluctuated as well. I found the servers helpful in getting us all situated around the table with everyone arriving at different times and attentive about taking orders. However, there were a couple of glitches with Matt's final beer order and everyone found the pseudo-seriousness of the downstairs staff a bit daunting. Fluctuations aside, we had - as usual - a great time together testing and tasting. And, while I snapped the usual pics, Howie captured the moments on paper.

So, Hotel Terrace, I'm no longer holding a grudge. You seem to be making an effort to change. And, while I don't know what our future together holds, I could maybe be down with a summer fling.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: Le Lucien of Hotel Fouquet

Le Lucien Bar, Fouquet Hotel
46 avenue George V
75008 Paris
01 40 69 60 00

The Bedazzler is a "cheap-ass rhinestone-studding tool favored by art teachers and over-excitable soccer moms everywhere, the biggest piece of crap sold on late-night TV since the Thighmaster, the reason women own shirts with glittery kitty-cats on them." Oh how I wish I had come up with that totally apt description myself (even though, secretly, I'd like to own one.) So, the Bedazzler is the first thing I thought of when I came face to face with the lifesize panther standing guard at the entrance to Fouquet Hotel's Bar Le Lucien:

This five star hotel at the very tip of the fancy "Triangle d'Or" is a (sometimes forced) melange of classic and modern design both inside and out. Once past the Swarovski encrusted kitty, we were able to better appreciate the mix of old-school style and trendy swank. Tasteful bookshelves line the walls and welcoming oversized, overstuffed chairs fill a room punctuated by modern ostentasia like the huge, blinged-out, lit-up Grey Goose bottle in a display case. The gorgeous terrace continues the theme of old+new a bit more successfully. Perhaps this bipolar decorating scheme reflects their (trademarked!?) concept of "Dignified Luxury"© which is a philosophy of providing luxury surroundings while remaining environmentally responsible. (Two extremes which I do give them big props for attempting to reconcile)

The cocktail menu begins with a page of bubbly-inspired choices, followed by a page of Grey Goose vodka cocktails, a page of Bombay Sapphire gin cocktails, and finally a page of various rhum, tequila and whiskey based cocktails. Each category contains four or five established cocktails (Singapore sling, cosmo, etc) and four or so house creations. A cocktail will set you back 24 Euros. The gin choice is a scant Hendricks, Tanqueray 10 and Bombay Sapphire. [and they are clearly pushing the Bombay and Grey Goose with whom they must have some kind of partnership] Barsnacks of garlic nuts, olives, crackers, hummus-filled pastries and smoked salmon with quinao were more impressive in abundance and presentation, than flavor.

My Tanqueray 10/Noilly Prat martini came, stirred, cold and with the requested twist. I don't love Tanqueray 10 in my martinis, but acknowledge that my tastes change over time so gave it another try. The drink was well-made. (I still would have preferred a different gin, but that's my choice) I followed up with a So Easy...F (champagne with a cognac tea liqueur). Matt and Violaine's drinks included the Bombay Fouquet (Gin, sweet vermouth, fresh basil, lemon juice, raspberry puree and passion fruit juice) and the Bombay Marrakech (Gin infused with Moroccan spices, fresh orange juice, grenadine, pineapple juice and fig jam).

The service was flawless and the staff seems to have a solid grasp of the cocktail menu - having both a real familiarity with the drinks and being able to suggest based on tastes. They're using some interesting and unusual ingredients (eucalyptus water, fresh wasabi, egg whites, jasmine syrup) and beautiful garnishes (many of which are meant to be consumed to add to the experience of the drink). They're even doing Cointreau Caviar.

Yet, while the drinks were excellent by Parisian standards, I still can't bring myself to give them a fully enthusiastic two thumbs up. I can't help but thinking the drinks could use a slight bit of tweaking (less citrus twist in my So Easy...F, more basil in Matt's Bombay Marrakech.) to bring them to perfection. I get the impression that it is first and foremost a 5 star hotel and secondly a cocktail bar. And that, I believe, is the problem with a lot of upscale hotel bars: they're damn good & you're often bedazzled by the accessories and service, but they could be better for the price.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: Hotel Raphael

Bar Anglais at Hotel Raphael
17 Avenue Kléber
75116 Paris
01 53 64 32 00


I am not a snob. I just really enjoy what I enjoy. And, I really enjoy combo of a killer terrace view and a tasty, satisfying cocktail. Hearing I could get both these at the Hotel Raphael I convinced my cocktail crew to head over there and shell out for high priced drinks. Sadly, when we arrived, they informed us that the terrace bar was closed for a private party and steered us towards the downstairs Bar Anglais. This bar looked inviting as well, but with the dark wood and heavy thick curtains it seems more suited for sipping body-warming intoxicants on cool winter nights.

Onto the ordering. At 23 Euros, I didn't think it was unusual to ask the server what kind of gin they use. I did, however, think it unusual that he would offer me a choice of unimpressive Gordon's or Talisker (!?). Confused, I asked him if I could see the bottle of "Talisker Gin" and followed him up to the bar. As I suspected, there is no Talisker Gin behind the bar, but, as I explained to him, it's whisky.

I ended up with a Tanqueray martini, which neither thrilled nor disgusted me. The proportion of gin to vermouth was acceptable and it came with a lemon twist. It was served in a non-chilled glass that was part of a Cointreau freebie promotional give-away. I've had better martinis for half the price at the Experimental, Curio, Mama Shelter, and the Why bar. So, here, I expect an attention to detail that merits the twice-as-high price. And, that doesn't mean a cheapy glass that's telling me to "Be Cointreau-lisious!" A similarly priced and much better martini at the George V comes with the extras that help justify the cost: special twists, beautiful glassware with impressive spoon rests and exceptional service. The only extras that came to our table here were some round cracker-type barsnacks and small pizza bites. (which, to be fair, were tasty)

I've waxed on in the past about the price at hotel bars partly being high to keep out the hoi polloi. So, did we feel like we were among the most elite and refined of the city? No. We were sitting across from a cleavage-tastic woman with a gropy old man who were putting on a suckface and grab show worthy of the back seat of a football player's car on homecoming, while a group of scruffy teenage boys in baggy pants roamed the hallway.

Now, I should have just stopped here, but Matt arrived and ordered a side car (a bit light on the cointreau, but okay) and we were still waiting for Violaine. Their menu featured a handful of house creations, none of which looked interesting. However, with the unknown (to me) ingredient of Pisang Ambon in the Raphealite, I thought perhaps this was the one. I went up to the bartender and asked what this was. I was told that they did not know and they believed it to be either some kind of fruit juice or something "herbal". Now given that the bottle had to be within arm's reach from them, I'm unimpressed - and shocked - that they didn't take it off the shelf and show it to me. Instead, they asked me "Why do you want to know? Do you want to order that cocktail?" I answered "Well, I don't want to order it until I know what it is." Unapologetically, she said "Sorry, I don't know what that ingrediant is." Forget it. I'll just take a glass of red wine.

I returned to the table and waited for both Violaine and my wine. The server came back and asked me what I'd like. I, again, ordered a glass of red wine. Awhile later she came back with a glass of white wine. Once more, I told her I had ordered red. Violaine had just arrived and offered to take the white. With no appreciation for our saving of her foible, she left, presumably to get my red wine. I saw her taking out several orders and finally 35 minutes and 3 requests later, I got my glass of 11 Euros red wine.

Now, just to make things clear. Not only do I have no desire to be a snob, I couldn't afford to be one if I wanted to. I have nothing in particular against tacky glassware, shmarmy sugar daddy dates, or sloppily dressed teens. I just don't want to pay 23 Euros to see all these things while I'm drinking an unimpressive cocktail accompanied by bad service. I care what I spend my money on. And, apparently, I'm just the kind of client that the Bar Anglais doesn't feel the need to bother with.

Ciel de Paris (Tour Montparnasse)

Ciel de Paris (Tour Montparnasse)
33, avenue du Maine
75015 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 64 77 64

"They should fix this place up" Rupa decided over martinis at the Ciel de Paris. Seeing the scuffed bar and chairs, dated decor and dingy carpet, I agreed. But, the thing is, they don't have to. Where else in Paris do you get this view over drinks? Once the sun goes down, the wear and tear is no longer apparent and you can just enjoy watching the city beneath you twinkle.

Last Tuesday, the two of us had met on the 56th floor of the Tour Montparnasse for the last night of her Parisian visit. Not being bound my usual Wednesday rules, I could have ordered anything, but took a martini anyway. I was not asked "shaken or stirred", "lemon twist or olive" but instead "ice or no ice?" I choose "no ice". I watched, from a distance, as the bartender made my drink at the nearby piano bar. What I got was a chilled glass, a good pour of Gordon's, a whisper of Nouilly Pratt, stirred long enough to make it nice and cool. It was accompanied by a small dish of toasts and tapanade. My 15 Euros martini was perfectly acceptable, but I've had better at lower prices. Rupa joined me and ordered a martini as well. She specifically asked for olives - which they were out of - so got a lemon twist, which turned out to be a lime twist. As I watched them prepare hers I noticed they used Bombay instead of Gordon's.

The staff, in general, were accommodating and friendly, with the exception of one young bartender, who although he professionally tried to hide his apparent disinterest in being there, clearly wanted to be somewhere else - but maybe he was just having a bad day. The ceiling of the bar/restaurant is covered with tiny points of light creating a starry sky effect and, following this theme, their drinks menu offers a range of astronomically named specialty cocktails (The staff, in general, were accommodating and friendly, with the exception of one young bartender, who although he professionally tried to hide his apparent disinterest in being there, clearly wanted to be somewhere else - but maybe he was just having a bad day. The ceiling of the bar/restaurant is covered with tiny points of light creating a starry sky effect and, following this theme, their drinks menu offers a range of astronomically named specialty cocktails (Eclipse, Jupiter, Orian, etc.) at 16 Euros each. They were all heavy on fruit juice, of which raspberry, orange and grapefruit were fresh - the rest of the larger selection, bottled. Although I didn't try one of these, they seemed to be a popular choice as the majority of the cocktails I saw being made were these fancy and brightly colored concoctions. Many people were opting for non-alcoholic options of soft drinks and juices, which ranged from 8.50 to 9.50 Euros. Otherwise, the clientele seemed to be sticking strictly with champagne or wine. And, that's probably what I'll do on my next visit. While my martini wasn't bad, this just isn't a cocktail destination for me.