Snow Globe Cocktail Adventures: Hilton Bubble Bar

Hilton Arc de Triomphe Bubble Bar
51 rue de Courcelles
75008 Paris

For some festive fun, the Hilton Arc de Triomphe has installed a Tattinger sponsored ephemeral champagne bar in their courtyard. From 1 December to 15 January guests can enjoy swank sipping inside a snow globe.

In this unseasonably warm winter, faux snow and Christmas trees add a welcome holiday feel. Within, it's a white, light, bright winter wonderland. Fake fur throws cover ample sofas and warming rugs are tucked beneath each table in case you need something extra cozy under which to snuggle.

For this type of operation, I appreciate the simplicity of the one and only drinking option: Champagne. There are three choices: Tattinger Brut Reserve (20 Euros), Tattinger Rose (21 Euros) or Tattinger Brut Millesime (28 Euros). For a few Euros extra, add on the "bulle fraicheur" (barsnack in a ball.) On my visit the bulle was a bread stick wrapped in a thin slice of duck breast on a generous mound of mascarpone dip.

The space holds a maximum of 35 guests at a time and has a no-reservations policy. Going at opening (18h00) means you'll enjoy the place in relative peace. Later it gets livelier with larger groups - and more fun with sound. The acoustics of the bubble are those of a whispering gallery: every conversation is amplified and sounds moves about the space in strange ways. Friendly doormen carefully monitor entries and exits via the two door system to make sure one door remains closed at all times. Apparently if both doors are open at once, the dome deflates!

So, if you need a holiday spirit hit, this is it.

Big Buddha Cocktail Adventures: Buddha Bar

Buddha Bar

8/12 rue Boissy d'Anglas

75008 Paris

Tel: 33 1 53 05 90 00

It's time to address the big Buddha in the room. For a good part of the past decade the Buddha bar has barely bleeped my radar. I considered it a past its sell-by date hub for expense account-wielding wanna-be hipsters more interested in where they are drinking than what (with a bit of electro mood music in the background.) However, over the past couple of years, I began to suspect that just maybe the Buddha was going to have a renewal of cocktail cred. Cocktail acquaintances were mentioning the Buddha Bar, they showed up at the Bar Rouge at this year's Cocktails Spirit and I heard talk of talent behind the bar. I thought, maybe I should give this place another look.

So I dragged one of my besties, Wendy, along to try it. She's a girl with whom I've clinked many a glass and who deserves some cocktail cred of her own, having recently written the Seattle Cocktail Culture iPhone application and heading up the Seattle LUPEC chapter. She was with us ten years ago - probably the last time I had gone to the Buddha - when we were denied entry because someone in our party was in trainers. So, she seemed a good - albeit not totally convinced - person to go with.

Buddha belongs to the George V Eatertainment Group, along with other hyper-designed Paris venues like Barlotti, Barrio Latino and Bound. All of their ventures are bold, conceptual spaces that can only be kitted out like that with loads of cash. And, for me, that pays off with the Buddha. I am admittedly smitten with the decor, which many might consider a bit out-of-date in a been-there-done-that kind of way. My attraction has to do with the (hyperbolically) world's largest Buddha that literally fills the room. That Buddha is fantastically huge. I am both fascinated and frightened by the big Buddha.

We arrived on a Monday in August, an ordinarily quiet month for Paris, but the bar was bursting. Notwithstanding the heaving crowds, the cute, qipao-attired waitress seated and served us very quickly. My Martini was fine, but Wendy found her Last Word too tart. Nice job that the waitress came through the throngs to ask me if I wanted an olive or twist before placing the final order with the bar. The place was so busy I couldn't see the bar, bartenders or booze, and had nothing to observe but the menu. Amongst copious sake choices, the menu offers a couple of pages of 17+ E cocktails and my observations on each section are such:

Tiki: You don't see a lot of Paris bars doing a range of tiki, including some of the more convivial options like the group-intended (200 Euros!) 3 litre Tresor Secret du Temple.

Classics: I'm kind of perplexed by their choice of these four: Icebreaker (?), Pineapple Julep, Last Word, Pisco Sour.

Modern Classics: a mix of some sure-fire Stoli-based sellers, alongside a few more interesting and unusual choices, involving eucalyptus-infused shochu. There could be something interesting here.

World BB creations: various drinks, including one "by Marie Claire" which I don't really understand the reasoning behind.

Voyage in Asia: all involving either shochu, some form of sake or Japanese whisky. Makes sense given the venue.

Goody! three creations from cocktail and spirits notables, which could be considered more challenging than usual for Paris palettes with spicy chili infusions or bitter campari.

Shooters: Three choices. The standard tequila and vodka shots, as well as one diluted with a cordial. Meh.

So, in general it's a menu with both a few redeemable cocktails qualities as well as obvious profitable choices. I can't really knock a business for trying to make cash - you gotta bankroll those ginormous Buddhas somehow. Plus perhaps we would have stayed to explore the more interesting potentials, but it was so incredibly hot that I could hardly finish my first drink. And at those prices, with those massive crowds, I'd say a bit of aircon is in order.

So Buddha Bar: has-been or come-back? Anybody's guess. It will remain in limbo-land for me until I get back in to explore the bar action more seriously. And, given the crowds, I'm not sure that's going to happen anytime soon. So, got an opinion on the Buddha? Feel free to share. I've been getting mails from Buddha-curious readers who want to know.

Drugstore Cocktail Adventures: Drugstore Publicis

Drugstore Publicis

133 avenue des Champs-Elysées

75008 Paris

This ain't your granny's drugstore. The shiny Drugstore Publicis sits in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe and serves as a one-stop upscale shop for books, food (both sit down and to go), drinks, cigarettes, movies, magazines and more. I’ve passed this place countless times and never been moved to try any of its offerings, assuming – given the locale - it would be overpriced and pretentious. Recently, Kim and I found ourselves stumped for a nightcap spot in the area and stopped onto their airy terrace expecting nothing more than a mediocre drink and a bit of girlie gossip.

Once we looked at the menu, we realized that this might be an unexpected hidden cocktail gem. First off, they have a long list of martinis on offer – including a classic dry. Cocktails, at 14 Euros each, fall under several categories: shorts, longs, champagne based, and after or before dinners. Alongside the typical bloody mary’s and ti punch, some in particular that caught my eye as more unusual for Paris were the negroni, Pimm’s cups, mint juleps and a pink gin, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen on a Paris cocktail menu. Finally, their list of 15 different gins (including a genever and without a Gordon’s in sight) sealed the deal and we decamped from the terrace and headed in for a front row seat at the bar.

While the outdoor area is nice, in a rather nondescript way, the inside is brightly lit, clean and modern with its sleek white counter tops, neon light touches and flashing screens. Surprisingly it feels slightly dated even though it was remodeled not long ago. But I’m cool to ironically do the 80’s deal if it comes with a good drink. And, it did.

My Bombay Sapphire (although not my preferred it is the house gin) martini was stirred and served in a chilled glass with an olive. More attention to cocktail detail followed. Kim’s French martini came with freshly crushed pineapple, all glasses were chilled and double straining was happening. As we watched them make others’ drinks it was clear that a lot of consideration was going into each one. Although one thing I'm unsure on is that he uses a milkshake blender instead of shaking. I think this might work well for certain cocktails to really whip them up to a froth, but for others, I'm not sure it's appropriate.

We were both taken by the approachable barman who chatted with us without being overly intrusive. In between building drinks, he refilled our water glasses and offered up bowls of salty crisps.

The clientele is a mixed bag of tourists taking in a rowdy meal, awkward dates sharing fishbowl-sized Movenpick ice cream dishes and even more awkward business associates (?) who stare blankly into the center of the room neither speaking to each other nor appearing to enjoy themselves as their large servings of ice-cream melt away. But, to offset the somewhat odd vibe, they had yet more surprises in store for us. They are open 365 days a year. So, if you need a cocktail on Christmas day, this is your stop. And, unlike so many bars in this area, they have a happy hour. From 6 to 8, cocktails are a reasonable 9 Euros. Glasses of wine range from 6 to 13 Euros, which is also a decent pricetag for the Champs.

However, I’d personally save the wine sipping for the terrace since the place isn’t busting with dimly lit vino-inspiring ambience. But mostly, I’d either hit this place for a nooner cocktail or keep it up my sleeve as an unexpectedly good spot for a happy hour cocktail after a day of shopping (or more realistically, in this area, window-shopping). So, I was wrong. It’s not just about watery, overpriced Champs-Elysees tourist trap cocktails here. They’re actually putting some TLC into their drinks and at a pocket-friendly price. And, I’m okay with being wrong.... because it’s a lot easier to eat crow when you can wash it down with a decent drink.

One-handed Cocktail Adventures: le 47 at Chateau Fontenac

54 rue Pierre Charron
75008 Paris
01 53 23 13 13

One of fun things about writing a booze-related blog is meeting lots of interesting people. Visiting imbibers usually end up joining me for a drink or two, which is how I found myself at Curio Parlor with Chris of SpiritsReview. Afterwards, Chris and his wife invited me to tag along for drinks at le 47.

You don't hear a lot of cocktail buzz around this discrete little bar of the 4 star hotel Chateau Frontenac near the Champs. The bar itself (overseen by the exuberant Ugo Frabetti) is rather tiny, the decor is upscale cozy with plush arm chairs grouped around low tables and ambiently dim lighting from tasteful chandeliers.

My impression (read: wild ass guess made by someone who has never worked in a hotel) is that running a cocktail bar in a hotel is more challenging than running a dedicated cocktail bar, due to having to work within the constraints of the whims, restraints and direction of hotel management whose primary interest may not be craft cocktails. But, Ugo manages this little bar with flair. The selection - though small - is good with a respectable 8 choices of gin. (Beefeeter, Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Hayman's Old Tom, Gvine, Hendrick's, Beefeater 24, and Tanqueray 10.)

Cocktails range from 16 - 20 Euros, with a choice of champagne, short and long drinks. The heavily pushed Cognac Summit is present, but you'll also find more unusual choices for a Paris bar such as the Pimm's cup, Tommy's Margarita or a Ramos Gin Fizz, one of the drinks our party ordered.

Because the Ramos Gin Fizz requires eggs and there were none behind the bar and the kitchen was closed, Ugo offered to "climb into" the closed room service somehow to procure the needed ingredient. We waited for sometime, until he returned: egg in one hand, other hand held gingerly against his chest and a curious expression. Apparently, during the egg-hunt Ugo broke his hand (in two places we found out later) and had to close the bar for the night to newcomers.

But for us, he was still determined make sure we got to sample the cocktails we'd been waiting so long for by now. He poured me a nice glass of champagne to sip while waiting for him to stir up some drinks and the evening degenerated into a fun and entertaining time of joking with Ugo, watching him direct hotel staff, Chris joining in a bit behind the bar and various different drinks to sample. And, when it finally did arrive, my Beefeater 24/Noilly Prat martini was excellent (and just perfectly cold!).

This address is not the latest hot spot or a see-and-be-seen scene. It's a refined and quiet bar for a relaxing drink off the heavily-trodden cocktail path from a barman with the winning combination of knowledge, enthusiasm and great customer service. But if you want to go see Ugo, you'll have to wait a month until he comes back from the medical leave for his cocktail-related injury.

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.

Upate: le Forvm

Le Forvm

4 Blvd

Males-

herbes

75008

Paris

Tel: +33

(0)1 42 65

37 86

How can you resist those boys?!

This little bit of blog love is overdue. I reviewed the Forvm quite some time ago and wasn’t non-plussed, but didn’t give it the ravest of reviews either. Over the past year, I’ve been in and out of there and am seriously enjoying it these days in terms of excellent cocktails.

First let’s get the superficial out of the way: they’ve revamped their décor. And, yes, I know that décor has nothing to do with drinks, but I’m digging the new style. It’s a bit fresher but still retains an old-school twist. They ditched the ugly carpet and kept the cool juke boxes.

Joseph, Xavier, Jerome and the rest of this tight team are knocking out some superlative drinks. Within the past few months, they ‘ve put out a new menu that, I believe, appeals to the fashion crowd they seem to be drawing as well as the serious cocktail drinkers. But, they have no problem going off-menu as well. Cocktail prices range from 14 to 25 Euros (with the Tommy’s margarita topping the charts at the 25 Euros mark)

They’re (rightfully) proud of the selection of spirits behind the bar – including Plymouth Navy Strength for those who want a little extra oompf to their martini. They offer an impressive selection of whiskies. I’ve randomly run into a fair number of meetup members who I took there on monthly cocktail meetup – which tells me that people are liking what they do.

Joseph gave an excellent presentation at this year’s Cocktails Spirit in Paris and if you missed that you can watch him play with a bit of fire with a Blue Blazer here. [insert usual disclaimer about not trying this one at home] And, while I haven’t checked into it (but might well soon) le Forvm organizes a Saturday afternoon “Bar School” for the cocktail curious.

This isn’t the place to hit if you just want to knock back anything. Quite simply, the Forvm is a spot for people who are seriously interested in cocktails to stop for a mature, sophisticated sip or two.

Fashion Cocktail Adventure: Hotel de Crillon Vogue Bar

Hotel de Crillon Vogue Fashion Bar
10 Place de la Concorde
75008 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 15 39

I first got word of the temporary Vogue/Crillon bar collaboration via tweet from I heart Paris who always has good info on fun fashion and other cool stuff in Paris. During fashion week one of the bars at the upscale Crillon was made over with fuzzy black Vogue emblazoned pillows, cocktail menus resembling fashion magazines, a makeup station and a clientele of models and photographers. Since my usual London cocktail testing partner, Caitlin, and NYC foodie/cocktail friend, Mel, were both in town it seemed a perfect place for a luxurious ladies' drink.

So, after a coffee at Cafe Marly and before a meal at Aki, we stopped in for a predinner cocktail. Caitlin and I had spent the afternoon touring Paris food and perfume shops and were dressed for daytime walking, not swanky evening activities. Slightly embarrassed, I asked the concierge if we could go in as we were. No problem. We wandered down the hall and popped into the small, dim, cozy space with a glitzy bar and snuggled up on the soft sofas to peruse the menu. A ginormous 3 tier offering of pretzels, nuts and chips was delivered by black-clad servers in almost comically large red bow ties.

They gave us the 'fashion' menus and then, for some reason, took them away and gave us the regular ones, assuring us they offered more choice. Perhaps we weren't dressed well enough after all! But, a glance at the clientele reassured me. Everyone was casual, predominately in jeans with a few trainers here and there. Saturday was the last night of the Vogue bar and perhaps it was already demodé. The makeup station was gone and I didn't spot any industry looking types.

The menu offers a few pages of drinks with "longs", "shorts" and "martinis" all at 22 Euros and champagne cocktails at 24 Euros. The 'martini' list begins with an apple martini and carries onward with six other martini choices, minus a classic dry martini and mainly based on vodka.

Caitlin took the Elderflower Collins (Hendricks, St Germain, lemon and club soda) while Mel took the (I think?) Rose de Crillon. Each cocktail was pretty and nicely made - no big surprises and no big disappointments. I asked what gin they use in the martinis and got a long list of the usual suspects, so I specified Beefeater 24 with a zest. My martini was plenty cold and nicely done - with the exception of coming with olives, despite my request. And, I think that's a pretty big mistake to make when a basic martini costs a shocking 29 Euros. (I totally ate all the pretzels!)

The overall ambiance is pleasant and refined. Mel noted she thought the music (5 year old Hotel Costes playlist) was a bit out of date. The drinks are well-made and standard for a hotel of this calibre. However, if I were to go back, it surely wouldn't be for a martini. Perhaps this is a better stop for a simple glass of wine or even afternoon tea.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: Cafe Chic

Cafe Chic
126 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honore
75008 Paris
Tel: 01 45 63 69 69


I love learning new words. So I was quite pleased when Justine joined me for martinis last night - both for the nice company and the term she introduced me to: "Clip Bar." Apparently, a clip bar is an establishment into which sexy ladies might lure unsuspecting gentlemen for pocket-picking purposes. I'm not sure if that's an exact definition since I can't find anything online, but I'm sticking with it because it's just the kind of fun and sordid bit of information that I like. And, Justine's likening of Cafe Chic to a clip bar isn't far off considering it used to be a 'gentlemen's club.' (update note: since i posted @maximbarrault tweeted me this wiki page on it.)

There is definitely a subtle faux-classy-strip-club vibe to this place. I entered the busy, low-lit bar and restaurant that may have been classier in days gone by but seems a bit tatty now. Plenty of comfortable vinyl seats (perfect for lap dances?) are grouped into more intimate hubs. I took a seat at the counter and examined the stock and menu. Cafe Chic is another bar with a Demarle connection so I expected to be impressed. There's a good number of bottles on the shelf, with a large selection of gin by Paris standards (including Beefeater 24, Martin Millers, Hendricks, Tanqueray 10, etc). The vodka is their biggest offering with plenty of "standard", "premium", "super premium" and "special" brands on the menu. Spirits can be had by the bottle, as well, if you want to shell out 200 Euros for Grey Goose.

The menu features 16 classic cocktails at 14€, which aren't necessarily all classics, but well-known. Additionally they offer "Mixology Cocktails," "Signature Cocktails" and "Fresh Fruit cocktails" going for 16 to 18€. My martini from the classics was stirred Bombay Sapphire served with a twist and a barely there hint of vermouth. The glass was cool but not exceptionally cold. The martini was good enough. It really wasn't bad. But, I seriously took umbrage at its price! 14€!? Who do you think you are? I can get better, cheaper, elsewhere. Warning: I might be overreacting. I'm having insomnia these days so I think a general fatigue is making me more edgy and critical than usual.

Justine ordered a cucumber martini, which she enjoyed but would have preferred it less sweet. Matt has declared the Sidecar his current favorite cocktail and ordered one, which wasn't listed on the menu. The barman handled it well. Matt asked for the second sidecar to ease up on the citrus, but I think that's a matter of his personal preference and not a reflection on the barman. Violaine took a luxury mojito, which was also good, but nothing really differentiated it from a regular mojito for me. Cafe Chic also has a cocktail called "Treacle" Treacle is a word that for some reason I mis-associate with certain savory foods that I don't want in my mouth if I know what makes them up. Like, I always think of haggis or tripe when I hear treacle. But actually treacle is just a sugar syrup. Or a cocktail generally comprising rum, apple juice, sugar & Angostura bitters.

Throughout all this, I was starving, so fortunately, they brought out some ceramic bowls of Doritos and salsa dip (from a jar). Also, then I kind of lost my appetite when i noticed the couple sharing our table space were having a serious making out session. (yikes! i really do seem to be turning into a cranky bitch!) Anyway....this underscored Justine's further observation that it seems like a bar where you bring your secretary (the one you're having an affair with!)

So what have we got here? Some decent booze behind the bar, a few bottles of bitters and barstaff that generally seem to know what they are doing all wrapped up in an old school seedy-come-classy decor. And, I could actually get behind that faded-naughty-glam aspect of the bar. But, it's just not enough to pull me back for the cocktails. I know where to get better. But, i do have to admit: in terms of overall Paris cocktail bars, they're really not doing a bad job.

Note: my camera is off for repairs, so we're working with iPhone pics - sorry about the less than stellar quality but thanks, Vio, for taking them!