Traditional Cocktal Adventures: le Meurice

Le Meurice
228 rue de Rivoli
Paris 75001
Tel: +33 1 44 58 10 10

While spontaneity is good, I also have a thing for establishing tradition (most of mine involve food, drink or travel.) For example, for the past several years, Kate comes up from Geneva for our annual Easter weekend visit. The itinerary always includes: indulgent restaurant meals, cocktail explorations, pampering pedicures, downtime with popcorn and scary movies, and a typical Easter Sunday lunch. Last year we added a new tradition to these long weekends: a swish pre-Easter lunch cocktail. For this one I thought: what better place to practice a new tradition than at a long-standing Paris institution? So, Kate and I stopped into the beautiful Bar 228 of the 200+ year old le Meurice Hotel.

My last visit to the elegantly posh Meurice was a few years back for dinner with my good friends, Wendy and Dayne. But, this was my first visit to the bar area and - as might be expected at noon on Easter Sunday - we had the place to ourselves. Warm tones, dark wood accents, deep leather chairs, lovely lamps, and a hushed atmosphere recall a lux library worthy of elbow patches, cigars and cognac. But, there's also a clean, updated feel (perhaps thanks to the Starck revamp in 2007?) that saves it from too-stuffy territory.

Barstaff maintain the same level of polished, professional, perfected service found throughout the rest of the hotel and bring out bowls of nuts, olives and creamy, garlicky dip with delicate bread sticks while guests peruse the extensive cocktail menu. Clientele can choose from dozens of long and short classics, champagne cocktails and a smaller selection of house creations ranging in price from 24 - 28 Euros. Of particular note is the warm cocktail selection which seems especially appropriate in this cozy environment just perfect for escape from biting winter nights.

I was initially confused by my martini and couldn't guess which of their brands (Gordon's, Tanqueray, Tanqueray Ten, Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, Hendrick's and Magellan) was used. I was getting conflicting messages from the flavor and what I perceived as a higher ABV than I would have expected. It happens that le Meurice serves their martinis the same way as a few other old school Parisian establishments: poured directly from a freezer-chilled bottle of gin rather than stirred or shaken with ice. According to the barman this ensured that "nothing was lost" and it also ensured that my Bombay Sapphire martini tasted stronger than it normally would to me. I personally feel that a bit of dilution is a good thing. Kate's choice was a house creation with red fruit, that was refreshing and fruity without being too sweet.

Le Meurice is more than just the cocktails. It's an entire experience. And if this is the kind of experience that does it for you stop in early evening when you can enjoy it with the light sounds of live jazz in the background. Or take it a step further with the 228 Nocturnes when the head sommelier takes participants through an "apéritif dînatoire"with a wine tasting paired with canapés. (90€)

While the high-end hotel bars of Georges V, Royal Monceau or Park Hyatt might be better prepared for my personal cocktail preferences, there is no denying that le Meurice is a class act. This establishment excels in all the elegant extras one should expect from a five star. So I may not stop back in for a martini but I will definitely stop back in for a bit of traditionally posh pampering and further research.

Mini-Shoutout: Ferdi

Ferdi
32, Rue du Mont-Thabor
75001 Paris
Tel : 01 42 60 82 52

This year I was rather lucky & had a weeks long drawn out birthday with many mini-gettogethers & surprises. A few weeks after the actual day, fellow food-loving friends, Fred & Lauren, invited me to dinner at Pinxo for more belated celebration. While there are a good number of spendy bars to stop in for a pre-dinner sip in this area, I was trying to find something more reasonable in price range. Fortunately Fred had the foresight to make ressies for an apero at Ferdi.

Ferdi is a buzzing, cozy tapas joint with a long and varied menu & favored by fasionistas and fasionista wanna-bes. I love their fun & whimsical decor with the Playmobil figurines lining the walls. And, I'm impressed that they can turn out such a range of nosh yet still maintain a certain quality level. But, can they knock out a decent cocktail as well? I'd say yes.

I had a very satisfying stirred Tanqueray martini, served in a chilled glass and topped with an olive. Nicky gave her margarita a thumbs up. Of the 16 or so choices on their cocktail menu there are few big surprises. You can get your cosmos, mojitos and caipis. But two of the choices stand out as a bit more interesting. First: a Pisco Sour. With the exception of some of my preferred stops, I don't find a lot of bars in Paris featuring egg white cocktails. Another option you don't find just anywhere: a bullshot. Coincidentally, I was just tweet-encouraged by someone yesterday to finally get around to giving one of these a try. So, perhaps I'll head back soon to do so. Drinks are a reasonable 10 to 12 Euros here - with one exception: the Grey Goose martini at a silly 16 Euros.

I like Ferdi's combination of fun food, playful decor and decent prices. And, for a place that's not exclusively a cocktail bar I think they are conscious in their cocktail mixing and a reasonable alternative in a area where pricier cocktails are the norm. And, I'll take that as a final little happy birthday surprise to myself.

Random Cocktail Adventure: Baboto CLOSED

HOLD ON....BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT GOING HERE, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS BAR IS NOW CLOSED!

Baboto
12/14, Rue de la Ferronnerie
75001 Paris

Between NYE travels and my recent Seattle/San Francisco trip, I’ve had a slow start to my 2010 blogging. But, I'm back and looking forward to finding some excellent cocktails this year as well as tackling some more productive and worthwhile resolutions (but that serious stuff is for a different blog.)

Upon my return from Cuba, things kicked back into high gear right away with one of my monthly cocktail meetups the following night. I don't blog on my meetups because I don't usually take members to untested cocktail spots. But this months' choice was an exception so I am exceptionally blogging about it. In a bit of a rush to post a location for January's meetup before I left for holiday, I did a bit of internet searching and found Baboto. It looked kind of swank & the prices and size seemed right, so I blindly chose it for the meetup.

This restaurant/lounge/tea house/cocktail bar combo self-confidently hangs on the outer fringe of a hectic little zone south of the Pompidou that’s already bursting with bars. The whole thing seems smaller and a bit less swank in real life. The glowing bar is lined with stools as is the mirrored wall facing it. Beyond the bar is a restaurant of a certain trendy genre (i.e. the kind I don't fully trust on a food level) and a veranda. The young, amiable Luis greeted me from behind the bar over loud pop music. He was unaware of my previously made reservations for 20 to 30 people, but he had no problem with it.

The happy hour (18:00 to 21:00) menu features several basics (mojitos, cosmos, etc) at 5 Euros. Their non-happy hour menu is a little more interesting. I also noted that they sell booze by the bottle, with a Gordons(!) ringing in at a steep 95 Euros. And, I’m usually a bit iffy about a bar that sells anything but wine by the bottle. I asked if they could do a standard gin martini with dry vermouth and got an enthusiastic yes. What followed was a shaken, half sweet vermouth and half Bombay Sapphire combo topped with a star fruit and wielding the hefty black, plastic straw.

I tried a few other drinks off the standard cocktail menu including the MO5 (7 year Havana Club rum, champagne, angostura bitters, amaretto & fresh strawberries) which was the least sweet and most refreshing of the lot. Since there was a large group of us, I got to see and sample a wider range of drinks. Most were okay, but some were overly cutesy or too blue for my taste. In general the group seemed content with their drinks – especially those off the happy hour menu as opposed to the 10 Euros regular menu cocktails.

A few of us ordered the 5 Euros tapas platters for something a bit more substantial to nibble on than just their nicely roasted peanuts that came with our drinks. Square black slate plates arrived topped with a variety goodies such as deep fried calamari, shrimp, and toasts with a sort of tapanade. Although initially I hadn’t held high hopes for the food, I was pleasantly surprised and think it might have been the best deal of the evening.

In general, the place is trying: The ice situation is good (lots of it, decent crusher). The non-happy hour menu has some interesting choices. But, they just aren’t in the same league as my preferred cocktail stops.

When I actually started this post, it was January and I was hitting a lot of the sales, so I was thinking of things in shopping terms: If high-end bars like the George V are the expensive designer shops along the Champs and craft cocktail bars like the Experimental are the more edgy, hip and interesting boutiques, then Baboto is H&M when they pull in a designer collection. It’s shiny but still a bit cheap.

DIY Edition: Cocktail Class with Colin Field of Bar Hemingway, Ritz

Bar Hemingway, Ritz/Escoffier School
15 Place Vendome
Paris
Tel: +33 1 43 16 30 30

There is no such thing as a perfect cocktail. This comes from the man who many would argue makes exactly that. But Colin Field, Head Bartender at the Bar Hemingway for the past 16 years, believes that to be great, a cocktail must be viewed within an entire context of who’s drinking it, why and where.

In the past, I’ve intentionally avoided Papa Hemingway’s old haunt for Wednesday Cocktail Adventures. Having been there before, I didn’t doubt that the cocktails would be perfectly executed. But, for me, the 30 Euros price tag is near impossible to justify – even given the coddling and historical elegance of the Ritz.

Of course, I visit a lot of bars for 52 Martinis. But, I also indulge in more liver-friendly research through books, magazines and chats with plenty of knowledgeable industry people. In this vein, I decided a cocktail class with Mr. Field, himself could be highly educational. Courses are offered in either French or English and go from 15h00 to 16h30 on Saturdays. (cost: 100 Euros)

Our group of 12 sat in the bar while Colin shared his cocktail philosophy, stories and samples. This is a man who has a lot of thoughts and theories on drinking. This is also a man who invites overused adjectives: stylish, impeccable, personable, professional. You simply have to respect anyone that elevates their chosen profession to such a level. The hour and a half course stretched closer to two hours as we broke into groups for an exercise – which included sampling the finished product.

Initially, I wasn’t certain that I could learn much in such a short period of time. I can now confidently say that anyone with a serious interest in cocktails will appreciate an afternoon spent in the company this exceedingly charming bartender. By 16h00 I was revamping some of my own thoughts on cocktails and revising my budget to include more drinks at the Ritz.

If you’re hoping to learn how to make a mojiti or toss shakers, this is not for you. But, if you want to better understand what makes cocktails interesting, personal and palatable, don’t hesitate to sign up. By the time I left – Ritz martini glass and certificate in hand – I was thinking: there may not be a perfect cocktail, but there just might be a perfect bartender.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: Le Magnifique

Le Magnifique

25, Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris
Tel: 01 40 60 70 80

Ages ago I went to NYC with a friend and we went to some new in spot - the kind of club where you stand outside and the doorman picks and chooses among the hopefuls, granting access to the lucky few. I won't say just how many ages ago that was, but it's been a very long time since I've stood outside a door waiting for someone else to decide if I was cool enough to give them money. When we buzzed at the locked door of le Magnifique and were told by the doorman that we could not come in, it momentarily took me back to those times. Fortunately they were not being intentionally exclusive. They changed their opening time from 7pm to 8pm, but didn't update their website. So, an hour later, we had no problem gaining entry through the imposing big black door (still locked during opening hours) of this self-proclaimed Cocktail Club and Sushi Bar.

I don't necessarily think of sushi bars and cocktails as going hand in hand (well, except for that one night in Japan....) However, with a cocktail menu created with input from Colin Field of Hemingway Bar fame, you know from the git-go that someone had some serious cocktail ambition. The menu is vast, including a section of classics at 16 Euros and a section of Colin Field inspired drinks at 20 Euros.

My Hendrick's martini was spot on. The gin selection comprises Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks, Martin Miller's (which I've not seen in Paris!), Bulldog and Tanqueray 10. Nicky's Serindipity (Calvados, mint, apple juice, champagne) was refreshing. Wendy, visiting from Seattle, had a Merinquin Fiz (if I remember correctly?) which was topped off with thick egg whites and sprinkled with poppy seeds. A suspiciously hard-shake sounding 'ticka-ticka-ticka" emanated from the bar area behind us. And, our server he told me they try and keep an eye on seasonal ingredients for the cocktails, which hopefully means fresher and better drinks.

Delicate looking glassware twinkles in the candlelight and dark corners and closed doors flirt suggestively with patrons leaving them to wonder just what this saucy little drinkery might offer. The extremely dim lighting, viewing box at the door, and the overall decor give this relatively large space a serious speakeasy feel. However, gaining entrance is easier than for elusive speakeasys. By simply filling out a form online you can become a "member" of le Magnifique. (which is not necessary to drop by, but apparently puts you on a mailing list for new information about the bar)

Another thing I noticed is that for such a large space, they've got the music at just the right level so that it doesn't overpower conversations at your own table, but blocks out the buzz of those around you. I expected something more along the lines of a Costes like playlist, but instead the night we were there, solid classics were playing (think U2). Once a member via the online registration, you can listen to their playlist for yourself on Deezer.

A few final things of note: they have a fumoir (smoking area), which you find rarely now that France has gone no smoking and the service was pleasant and accommodating. However, we did wish they would have put out a few little bar snacks to nibble while sipping on 20 Euros cocktails!

Le Magnifique is a large and minimalistically plush hideaway for modern day hepcats with dosh to spare. Fortunately, while it seems to take its drinks seriously, it doesn't take itself too seriously just yet. The only drawback here is that there's nothing less expensive on the menu for those who might want to check out the space without spending. With softs at 10 Euros and a simple glass of wine at 16 Euros, coming here is a commitment. But as long as they maintain the laid-back attitude of this week's visit and 'exclusivity' remains tongue in cheek, it's a committment I'm willing to make from time to time.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: Le Comptoir

Le Comptoir
37, Rue Berger, 75001 Paris
Tel : 01 40 26 26 66

How do you spell "myeh"? You know the sound you make when something neither really strongly displeases nor pleases you, just leaves you feel rather "whatever" about something? Meh? Myeah? Mmmhhugh? I think you get where I'm going. I'm feeling rather "myeh" about this week's Cocktail Adventure.

A few years back I spent a month in Marrakesh. After adventurous evenings exploring the delicious but sometimes suspicious looking street stalls in the main town square for food and freshly squeezed orange juice, my girlfriend and I enjoyed a different kind of experience at a large bar/restaurant called Le Comptoir. Complete with belly dancers, low tables, cushions on the floor, back rooms and fun drinks, we enjoyed this little excursion. While it was definitely "less authentic" than our street vendors, the mood of escape-to-something-exotic was a pleasant little respite. Their card indicated locations in both Marrakesh and Paris. So for several years, in the back of my mind, I've been thinking I need to get to the Paris location to see how it compares.

I finally got there. It turns out that while they still share a website (according to the barman, although I'm unable to find it), the owners of the original two establishments have stayed in Marrakesh, and sold the Paris branch. Sadly, I didn't get the same rush of luscious, romantic escape. Le Comptoir is nicely decorated, but it feels a bit like the Pier 1 Imports version of Arabian Nights. Their nice sized terrace was mainly taken up for dining and reserved tables.

The cocktail menu offered many choices at 10.50 Euros, including a dry martini and some other 20 or so "classics" (some of which were and some weren't). They have a decent selection of champagne cocktails (one of which absconds with the name Pink Lady) and some house creations.

Fortunately, we stopped in during the 17h00 to 20h00 happy hour when cocktails are 6.50 Euros, allowing us to sample without overspending. The martinis were fine. Nice proportion of gin/vermouth, served in a warm glass with an olive. Minimal bar snacks of marinated olives came to the table. I've had better. I've had worse. It didn't seriously damage my pocketbook but I wouldn't run back for another.

This Wednesday brought another sizable group, so between us we tried several of the specialty drinks. I ordered the Barby Girl (tequila, Malibu, strawberry juice, creme de coco & lime) which tasted about as unappetizing as it sounds (hey, don't look at me like that....I thought maybe I'd be pleasantly surprised!) Elspeth tried the Tofee Tout Fou (dark rhum, caramel & Perrier) which was the overall favorite of the group, but still not a real winner. A few mojitos were passed around to try, which were decent (Paris seems to have an okay grasp on making mojitos since pretty much every bar makes them) and a few other questionable selections from the house creations menu were passable. Many of the drinks were heavily decorated with little chapeau's of sugar dusted mint sprigs or sugary marsh mellow fruit blobs on a stick. [I'll keep my snide comments about that to myself for today]

Overall, it's not that it's a bad place, but the cocktails aren't really up to snuff. It's worth noting that they do get high marks on many online guide and reviews. But, for me...myeh. I guess, sometimes, you shouldn't try and recapture that holiday feeling.

Wedensday Night Cocktail Adventures: Why Paris

Why Paris

60, Rue Jean Jacques Rousseau

75001 Paris
Tel : 01 40 26 47 63

I'm going to try and not let this post morph into a modern day Abbot and Costello sketch - but with a name like "Why" you see how I might go there.

My first impression of this smallish spot is that the dark walls contrast with the stark white tables and chairs to give it a warm but modern ambiance. The background music, while not overwhelmingly loud, was fun and funky - with Boogieman and the nearly forgotten 80's single Din Da Da making me dance around in my chair just a little bit as I perused the list of cocktails on offer.

I was immediately impressed by the menu which featured a good number of standards such as Manhattans, ti punch and bourbon sours, some new and interesting creations such as the bubble gum, bee sting and Why Paris Chocolate (all of which were a hit with those who favored sweeter drinks) and the unusual: "cocktail destructurés". Owner and bartender, Christophe, previously worked at le Forum, so he already had a pretty good arsenal of cocktail making skills before branching out on his own. My Bombay martini was stirred, served up in a chilled glass with a twist and tasted like it was made with love and care (I was given a choice of gins when I ordered, but took the house). With six of us packed around a couple of four tops, we had the opportunity to sample several drinks. Everyone was generally happy with their choices and for the second round I moved onto the deconstructed cocktails.

The Somerset was a measure of tequila with a bit of lime served up on the rocks in a martini glass accompanied by a puree of tomato and avocado. To consume this uniquely presented little concoction, you take a spoon full of the puree and follow it with a sip of the tequila. While I wouldn't order one after another of these, I did get a kick out of the presentation and enjoyed the one I had. While I was disappointed with the 'gimmicky' drinks i had at the Plaza Athenee some time ago, I felt none of that here. With these drinks - though in a similar vein - i felt like Christophe has much more of a genuine interest in creating and sharing something special with his clients and at a much more reasonable price of around 12 Euros. Violaine followed up with the deconstructed Planteur consisting of pineapple slices, jellied angostura orange and rum and a mini planteurs.

A few of us girls ended up lingering longer than usual, and after awhile Christophe brought over a small minty drink. While I never think a barman 'owes' customers a drink, i think it's a nice touch when they bring something around on the house after a few rounds. One of the reasons we may have stayed longer than usual were the tasty bar snacks. No mere olives or pretzels, the Why brings out a nice tray of bread, salsa and rillette de veau. While the salsa was so so (I'm pretty picky about my salsa and could tell this came from a jar) the rillette was the star. Tasty and substantial, it allowed the group to while away a bit more time without having to rush off to get something in our tummies.

Why prices are completely reasonable for the quality at 10 to 12 Euros. However, what I noticed particularly catching patrons and passerby's eye were the mojitos and caipirihnias at 6 Euros on offer at the moment. And, the few outside tables seem a good place to sample one of these during the summer months while people watching.

So, overall, for the Why bar, I give a very enthusiastic "Why not!?"

Wednesday Night Cocktail Adventure: Le Baiser Salé

Le Baiser Salé
58, rue des Lombards
75001 Paris
Tél : 01 42 33 37 71

I love a good dive bar. I don't know if le Baiser Salé would really be considered one, but the night I went there it had a few of the key elements that make a place divey for me: mediocre to crappy drinks, a strange mixture of clients (including the obligatory unsavory ones) and dark a ambiance punctuated with red lights.

Le Baiser Salé is located in a little pocket of Paris close to the Pompidou that is busting with bars, cafes and pedestrians. Predominantly a jazz club, it's held its own here for over 20 years offering up concerts, including evenings with a Cuban, African or Antillean twist to the music. A good number of predominate names have passed through here. However, I wasn't there to listen to jazz, so I remained in the small downstairs bar for drinks.

With no vermouth in the bar, a martini was out of the question. Instead I ordered (a bit unusual for me) a Bloody Mary. I got a smallish glass of vodka and tomato juice with a bottle of Tabasco and shaker of celery salt on the side. All in all, it was a lame Bloody Mary. I made my second round bartender's choice and received some kind of vodka and orange soda concoction. The barman was very excited about it, so I take it it's a big seller here. Matthieu had a bit of a cold and asked the barman to recommend something to help him feel less under the weather. He got a glass of Clément rhum agricole neat.

While I wasn't impressed with the drinks, the bartender was nice enough and enthusiastically brought out several different rhum agricoles for Matt to try after he commented on his drink. I like the island bar set up and the fact that place stays open until 6am. The prices are a bit steep for such below par drinks at somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 - 12 Euros. But overall, I enjoyed the somewhat seedy feel of the place. I'll not be returning for cocktails, but it's an interesting stop for something easy like a beer or coffee.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: Au Caveau Montpensier

Au Caveau Montpensier
15-17 rue de Montpensier
75001 Paris
Tel: 01.42.60.12.89


I'm so easy. Give me a nice bartender with a cute Scottish accent, a handful of fun cocktails, and pleasant, friendly service and I'm much less critical. While not on par with a couple of craft bars in Paris, it's a damn good spot to stop for a cocktail.

Au Caveau Montpensier (affiliated with Suba tapas bar in New York) is tucked off on a bit of a side street with a clean, simple entrance. You descend a few steps into the small stone-wall room where you find one high table and a few barstools pressed up against the minimal bar. (You may have to step over a large, friendly dog while entering.) Off to the side is a larger room, with several tables and cozy cushions. On this visit and a subsequent one, I stayed at the bar, but this second room has a laid-back and comfortable feel which would make it a fun place to meet a handful of friends early in the evening for a quiet cocktail before the nighttime crowds converge there.

Upon my arrival, I asked Robert, the bartender, for a martini (specifying a good measure of vermouth.) I got Bombay Sapphire with a good splash of Nouilly Pratt shaken slowly a few times with a lemon twist. A couple of things I would have preferred: If the glass had been chilled first and if I'd been given a choice of shaken vs. stirred. (and had it either more vigorously shaken or stirred). However, Robert seemed genuinely concerned about whether or not I liked my martini & I have no doubt that had I specified these two things he would have done them.

With the arrival of Matt and Violaine, more drinks were ordered and between us, we sampled nearly all they offer on their specialty cocktail menu. And, I think this is the way to order: off the specialty menu. I had the strawberry-chili margarita, which was refreshing, not too sweet and with a good chili bite. (this reminded me a bit of the very tasty Experimental Bar's Death & Co Fresa Brava with - among other things - strawberry juice and jalapeno infused tequila) Other drinks ordered at our table included the Martini Framboise (our least favorite of the specialty cocktails), Tamarind & Cucumber (a favorite of mine, but less pleasing to the rest of the crowd who didn't like cucumber as much) & the Ginger Smash Mojito (also a favorite of the group).

Based on the bottles behind the bar, the selection of various liquors isn't huge. However, in addition, to the typical Bombay Sapphire and Tanqueray, they also have Bulldog gin, which is a little more unusual for most of the bars I've been to around here.

While a few in my group were not wowed by the place (wanting either the impressive delivery of liquid nitrous inspired drinks at La Famille or the funky, loungey ambience of the Experimental), considering the location, the friendly service and the drinks, I would definitely stop back in (and did) for a very fairly priced cocktail (10 Euros) off their specialty menu.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: le Fumoir

For searching convenience, I've cut and pasted my earlier entries from eGullet before my blog existed, so there are no photos for these first few:

le Fumoir
6, Rue de l'Amiral Coligny
75001 Paris

Everyone seems to love le Fumoir . But, as my second try for Wednesday Night Cocktail Adventures, it didn’t knock out the Experimental Cocktail Club as my favorite so far.

When I walked in on Wednesday, I remembered why everyone likes it so much – it’s got great atmosphere. There’s a big, welcoming bar greeting you as soon as you walk in and tables, booths and couchy-things scattered about. The restaurant area further back looks comfy, fun and smells good. If you get the nice spot with the red (fake leather?) sofa you can relax and feel like you’re in a place where you should get good cocktails and good conversation. You’ve already got a good start for cocktails in Paris when “a martini” on the drinks menu means a classic martini (with their 3 variations) instead of a glass of sweet vermouth over ice. (note: I’m not disparaging sweet vermouth over ice as a common French apero - but this search is about finding a typical gin/vermouth martini)

While as I said, I don’t believe in testing my bartender and expecting him to know just what I want, I also don’t want to be that annoying jerk at crowded bar who is constantly telling him what to do. And (being happy hour!) the bar was crowded. So, I just ordered a standard martini. I was surprised when it arrived within minutes (making me wonder if it had been sitting at the bar already? Prepoured?) it was too crowded for such speedy service. The martini (served with olives) was pretty good – nice proportion of gin/vermouth (which was specified with their three classic martini choices) although not as chilled as I would like. I asked what gin they used – it was the house, which is Gordons.

I followed my martini with an old fashioned. Then, (ignoring my two drink plan) followed that with a side car. However, the fact that I still felt pretty decent (read: sober) after three drinks, made me wonder how watered down the second & third drinks may have been. The old fashioned was good. But, the sidecar wasn’t really that great – lots of citrus mixer in it. (I drink a lot of sidecars…so the difference may not be so apparent to someone who doesn’t like them as much) But, considering that, I still enjoyed the cocktails there – especially at the 6.50 Euros happy hour price. For anyone who just generally likes cocktails (but isn’t a high maintenance cocktail aficionado) it’s a good spot to stop for a drink. Non-happy hour prices were about double, and I have a feeling that outside of the that time, you might get more of an opportunity to let the bartender make you exactly what you want (and they have the appropriate spirits and equipment to do so, so I wouldn’t write it off as a nice cocktail bar!) And, I have to say: what we got, was well-made, it’s just that they didn’t do it exactly as I would have. Also of note, the service was very good (they were helpful about moving chairs and tables around to accommodate us, answering questions, speedy orders)

My fellow-testers ordered several different drinks as well, but the only thing I really noted was that the margarita was pretty decent and the Green Dancer (I think that was the name) was too minty for my taste. (and just for someone else’s perspective – besides mine - they all really enjoyed it)