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!

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: La Villa

La Villa
37 avenue de Friedland
75008 Paris
Tel: 01 82 28 75 08

I'm spending some holiday time this year in warm Caribbean climes where I'll be partaking in some rum-intaking. Happily some of my favorite drinking partners - Matt, Violaine, Wendy & Dayne - are joining me on vacation. But before leaving for nicer weather, Matt, Violaine and I slipped in one last Wednesday Cocktail Adventure for 2009 at the newly opened La Villa.

Just steps from the Arc de Triomphe, the latest Demarle venture strikes me as a bit ambitious with its uber-sleek bar design, impressive restaurant space, sharply dressed barmen and Champs Elysees prices. A pretty blond hostess greets and guides you to the warmly lit bar lined with Smirnoff Black vodka bottles. (presumably a sponsor)

Not surprisingly for 23 Dec, the place was quiet. However, Fabien, the pleasant young man behind the bar, said they'd been doing good business since their opening about a week prior.

In view of Demarle's other cocktail bars, I found the drinks menu here a bit of a let-down with its five Smirnoff Black vodka inspired drinks at 16 Euros and five uninspired classics (mojito, cosmo, caipi, bourbon sour & French martini) at 14 Euros. But I wasn't let down by Fabien's martini making skills. He chilled up a glass and filled it with a nice proportion of stirred Tanqueray/Martini Dry and topped it off with a twist. A bowl of crunchy kettle chips was served with the drinks.

Matt ordered a side car which was good, but a bit light on the cointreau for my taste. Violaine went for the Black Apple (Smirnoff Black, apple juice, black berry cordial) While it's not one I would have ordered, it wasn't bad & I loved the color.

Alongside the ten cocktails, you'll find a champagne offering with Moet at 14 Euros a glass and various options by bottle of three very recognizably good brands: Veuve, Moet and Dom. I wonder if this is telling of their target clientele: the young and ostentatiously beautiful high-end spenders with plenty of pocket money for obviously (most important) well-known bubbly.

For my second drink, Fabien mixed up a cool little number consisting of basil, Hendricks, cucumber, grapefruit bitters and falernum and meanwhile explained their plans to amp up the cocktail menu in the new year. The bar stock is relatively small, but there are a few things which aren't found in standard Parisian cocktails bars (aperol, St Germaine, wide range of bitters) alongside a decent gin selection for Paris (Hendricks, Martin Millers, Tanqueray, Tanqueray 10). The staff seems to know what they're doing and aren't thrown by classic off-menu requests. So I'm crossing my fingers that they do indeed venture into more exciting cocktail territory.

They've got plenty of space to squeeze in the cocktail lovers with the stool seating along the lengthy (faux?) marble bar, plushly modern adjoining room and sizeable, clinically white main street terrace. When I stepped outside to see the terrace, the doorman gave me a similar "we've got bigger and better plans for the new year run down" and explained that they were putting in heating lamps and plants around the terrace to serve as a buffer from the busy street.

And that seems to sum up La Villa for the moment. There's more work to do, but it's a good start. So, I hope they do follow through and it just keeps getting better. And, with the end of my 2009 blogging, that's what I'm wishing for my readers as well: a 2010 that gets off to a good start & just keeps getting better. Happy Holidays everyone!

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure: le Secret

Le Secret
16 avenue de Friedland
Paris 75008
Tel:01-53- 53-02-02

I think Aveze tastes a bit like dirty grass (in a good way). Now, I'm not a professional bartender - rather a professional customer - and I'm feeling pretty carefree today, so I'm going to let myself slide with that personal but not entirely accurate description.

But, if you were a professional bartender and I showed up on the other side of the counter with a bottle of Aveze and asked you to help me figure out how to serve it a half hour from now to people who might not like the bitter taste of this atypical french aperitif, what would you do? Well, if you were Greg at Le Secret, you'd take the bottle, taste it, test it and try and come up with something tasty. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Last night I stopped by this relatively new bar just off the Champs Elysees. As some of you know, this is not my preferred part of the city. But, this little find might motivate me to get there more often. I enjoyed le Magnifique, so I didn't really doubt I was going to find things that pleased at another of Olivier Demarle's establishments.

This cozy, intimate and discreet bar is staffed by knowledgeable and friendly servers who deliver excellent service without some of the off-putting obsequiousness I sometimes find in this overpriced area of Paris. Lights and music are dim and additional tables are nestled into the second floor loft above the bar. The sophisticated loungey decor and ambiance makes it feel like a bar for interesting & mysterious, cocktail drinking adults.

A row of several bottled bitters stood at attention as I ordered a martini made with Beefeater 24. Some of my friends aren't very enthusiastic about Beefeater's latest product, but I'm finding myself kind of liking it. Greg made up a proper martini in a chilled glass with a twist and served it to me alongside a bowl of nice potato chips.

I have a tendency to get overly enthusiastic about places I really like, so I am going to point out one small flaw with my martini: I think it might have been stirred too long or too vigorously. There were (just a few) very tiny ice chips in it & it was not hot at all. At 45%abv, Beefeater 24 is approaching Tanquery 10 or Bombay Sapphire strength, which is sometimes too hot for my taste. But, I do like a little kick, and I didn't get the strength I was expecting out of this martini. The vermouth was minimal, so I assume there was a lot of dilution from the ice going on here. That criticism aside, having watched him make several other drinks & interact with customers, I think Greg's outstanding bar skills make this a place worthy of a visit (or several.)

Matt was thrilled with his side car & Violaine took one of the house creations that was also winner. We tried Matt's pretty much perfect old fashioned. I ordered a 7 sins sour (the only drink on the menu that lists its ingredients only as 'le secret') was intriguingly delicious. If asked nicely, Greg will probably tell you what goes into this tasty combo.

The prices - a bit on the steep side - range from 14 - 16 Euros for a cocktail and drinks are categorized as Feminine, Masculine and Plurals - each with about 7 or so cocktails. The girls must drink more vodka because the majority of their drinks were made with it. The boys get a more interesting selection of drinks based on aperol, rye, jack daniels & gin. The third category was a good mix and is where my 7 sins sour fell.

Yes, Greg knows his stuff & is personable as well. I can only assume the rest of the staff members - having come from some nice Paris cocktail destinations in their own right - are on par with Greg. In short: this bar is making some fine cocktails! And, while we all know I've got a cocktail crush on the ECC boys, it's really nice to see someone else in town involved in some worthy pursuits. I was also very interested in the food menu which includes some basic but appealing bar comfort food like club sandwiches, cheeseburgers and nems at around 18 to 20 Euros.

When I was leaving to go to some friends' for dinner, I asked Greg what he suggested for the Aveze. He made up a couple of fun cocktails that worked with it. Unfortunately, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand to recreate them once at their place, so we all drank our "dirty grass"aperos with a bit of soda...and fortunately there was champagne on hand for those who needed a chaser.

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.