Soviet Cocktail Adventures: le Molotov

4 rue du Port Mahon
75002 Paris
Tel.: 01 73 70 98 46

Russian sounds irresistibly sexy to me. I've always been fascinated by the language and its unfamiliar alphabet. I took a Russian class once, but never got much further than learning the meaning of babushka. Contrary to its appealing sound, I discovered it's not necessarily a word I want whispered in my ear. Many years ago, we went to St Petersburg for our annual NYE trip and stopped into Zov Ilicha, a Soviet-themed bar/resto jam-packed with Lenin busts, quasi-porn, and wait staff in scanty communist era inspired uniforms. I'm American and I'm old enough to remember the whole 'Tear Down the Wall' business. But even though I recall it, I'm young enough that at the time I wasn't totally clued in and found it all vaguely frightening, appealing, exciting and confusing. So I begrudgingly own up to my fascination with CCCP kitsch at various points in my life. But, as a theme, it's a bit passé now, no?

This week, Kim, Heather and I decided to lift the fanciful iron curtain that separates the recently opened le Molotov from modern day Paris and find out. Beyond the barely marked entrance and blacked-out windows, lies a small, dark and somewhat claustrophobic bar space decked out in typical retro-Ruskie decor. A steep, skinny, candlelit staircase in the corner leads to a small restaurant area where 'clandestine' law breakers are smoking in public spaces.

A Communist theme is reflected in menu procurement as well. I believe there is only one in the whole building and we had to wait for the restaurant to finish with it first. When it came, I realized why our upstairs comrades may have taken so long with it. Incredibly dim lighting combined with a handwritten (in cursive) menu in fine ballpoint pin on grid paper takes a while to see clearly. From what I could decipher, various vodka based drinks are on offer.

I tried - unsuccessfully - for a martini and ended up with a ginger, basil, vodka combo. Kim & Heather ordered white and black Russians. By then I had given up on any serious cocktail recon and I don't even ask what kind of vodka was in my mediocre mixture. Kim's white Russian, was basically undrinkable. I'm not a white Russian fan myself, but even so, I can tell on tasting one if it's decent or not. This tasted like powdered milk mixed with water and cheap coffee liqueur. (even though the bottle's on the shelf, I really don't think they're using Kahlua)

We decided to call it good after that round and asked for the bill. For drinks and service of this quality we were shocked to pay 15 Euros each.

It's no secret that I'm not averse to divey bars or sketchily run places and kind of get a certain kick out of them. But, I AM averse to paying cocktail prices way beyond what the experience merits. While the sneaky smoking area might pull in a certain clientele, the cocktails here will not. I can see it drawing a crowd of ironic hipster wanna-be's and patrons who are impressed enough by a change of pace from the common Parisian bar decor to be fooled into thinking it's something more than it is. But, for me, I'd rather have the Zov Ilicha in Russia. At least they had naughty pictures on the wall for entertainment!

(NOTE: I'm having camera issues, so recent post pics will be a bit off and on. The 1st picture used here of Molotov was on both Cityvox and Do it in Paris, so I'm not sure where to credit. And, the 2nd picture us at Zov Ilicha in St Petersburg)

Mojito Cocktail Adventures: Bacardi Mojito Lab

Bacardi Mojito Lab
28 rue Keller
75011 PARIS
Tel : (+33) 1 75 77 23 95

Forest fact: I should probably be ashamed to admit the following, but I'm kind of fascinated by living statue buskers. I always wonder what they do at the end of a shift. Do they take the metro home in full get-up? Do they sit still as a statue on the ride? It seems that I secretly like to watch these spectacles that everyone mocks. I get a kick out of mimes. I own contact juggling balls that I will learn to use some day and wow you with my skills. So, it might not surprise you to hear that I'm also a little fascinated by flair. But that's between me and YouTube....in the privacy of my own home.

However, when it comes to cocktails, I don't need or want living statues, mimes, flair or even contact juggling balls involved, so let's chat a bit about the recently opened flair-o-rific Bacardi/Laurent Greco project: the Bacardi Mojito Lab. Allen and I popped in and found that Wednesdays are "afterworks." From 19h00 to 21h00 it's 25 Euros to get in the door, which gets you two drinks and buffet table grazing.

50 Euros lighter, in we go. Hello, circa 1980's all-inclusive spring break destination dance club! Dim lighting, acid green touches, pumping dance music...you get the picture. The buffet tables were classed up (I use that lightly) with single red roses in tall vases and scattered petals. Flair videos loop on screens from wall to wall. While, I've been told flair bartending is still quite big in France, this is the first place I've actually seen it.

The food was nice little bite-sized nibblies for a buffet, but the set up was annoying. No plates, no napkins - so you either sat directly at the buffet table to pop bites in your mouth while others reached around you to grab said bites, or you reached around the people sitting at the buffet tables. For drinks, you go downstairs.

And downstairs it's all Bacardi and all mojito, mojito or mojito, but with a bit of flair. Sexy barboys toss around shakers and take your order for one of the three mojito variations on offer during the afterworks. This is also a point of contention with me because when the doorman explained the Afterwork concept at 25 Euros, I specifically asked if it applied to the whole menu - because that's what I was here to check out. He said 'yes.' But, no - you get classic, souped up or raspberry mojito. All the other gimmicky, tricked out mojitos are only on offer after the afterworks. On the normal menu, drinks range from 8 to 14 Euros and include things like cotton candy or caviar (cocktail kind, not fish kind)

In an attempt to not be a complete crank, there were a few things I liked. The staff - though a bit spacey - were friendly. I really liked the mint wall and the mint window. I think the boutique, which sells various types of mint and kaffir limes (although not the night we were there) was a fun touch. They also have a smoking room for those who don't want to brave the cold winter months (although it was closed the night we were there.)

I'm not sure what kind of a crowd they expect to draw. They're at Bastille with so many competing (and probably cheaper) bars nearby. You can't spit without hitting a bar in Paris that serve mojitos, so I'm curious as to what they think the attraction will be. I've been told this is a popup - so perhaps they're banking on their ephemeral status for interest. They also offer classes if you want to learn to flair up a mojito at home.

As for me, the only time I want a mojito is if it's being made by old and stoic Felix at dodgy local Bar Castillo de Farnes in Havana where Che and Fidel toasted the revolution (true story - there he is in he picutre). And, he definitely doesn't do flair. Otherwise, Paris, you can keep your mojito trend and I'll stick with the martini search.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: La Cigale

Cafe La Cigale
124, boulevard Rochechouart
Paris 75018
Tel: +33. 1 55 79 10 10

I love my neighborhood: a few steps to the left of my front door is the perpetually white Sacre Coeur and a few steps to the right lies the seedy strip of Pigalle. While this juxtaposition sates my craving for both typically touristy Paris as well a bit of city-underbelly, it's not the finest area for cocktailing. So, I was looking forward to trying the nearby and relatively new Café Cigale with Kim of I Heart Paris and usual Wednesday company, Matt, Vio & Mel.

I was curious to see how formidable Paris names such as Starck and Costes would handle this NoPi venture. (still not sure I'm on board with the trend of NY-style naming of Parisian neighborhoods, but anyway....) This self-proclaimed rock pub is flanked by music venue la Cigale and the lively and well-established cafe, La Fourmi.

I didn't immediately warm to the space. The high ceilings made it feel empty, the post-industrial decor made it feel cold, the chalked-up walls made it feel wannabe-edgy and the hard wooden chairs made it feel uncomfortable. I am, however, a sucker for the dining nooks along the wall, which were a warm respite in an otherwise, hard and cool environment.

Café Cigale is unwilling to stray off menu for drinks, leaving clients with a choice of 13 or so mainly vodka based house creations at 10 to 12 Euros each. Without my option of the usual martini, I took one of two gin-based drinks on offer, the Mr (rum, raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants and ginger ale.) While I can see how it would appeal to a certain crowd, it lacked the finesse of a finely tuned cocktail. These drinks will appeal to a crowd that likes their mixed drinks fruit forward and spirit subtle (and if that's your stick - and I won't hold it against you if it is- go give 'em a sip) Mel had an Amour (vodka, ginger, apple juice and red fruits) which came with the shaker alongside for top ups.

They seem to excel at those little touches meant to impress. I followed my Mr with a rum and coke which was delivered 'deconstructed' with the coke in a pretty glass pitcher. Amongst us we only tried a few of the cocktails and agreed that they were only impressive in terms of size and strength by Paris standards. Spirits seems to be limited with 1 - 3 choices in each category (e.g. Gordon's and Tanqueray Gin) No one ventured the eponymous Cigale with energy drink as one of the ingredients. (energy drink cocktail….sigh....)

One sure thing they have going on is the large terrace. Maybe the best way to enjoy this space is to hit it in sunny weather for a beer and a bite from their small but nice-looking brunch, light snack or full course menu.

We, on the other hand, decided to move on to SoPi for beer and wine consumption at the nearby Sans Souci where a heaving mass of regulars spills out onto the streets and doesn’t bother with cocktails at this neighborhood bar lacking airs and pretention. And, that’s basically the type of bar that I find works in my neighborhood: laid-back locals. Yet I won’t give up the search for excellent cocktails on my doorstep!

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures Part II: Sir Winston

Sir Winston
5, Rue de Presbourg
75016 Paris
Tel: + 33 (0)1 40 67 17 37

Sir Churchill was no teetotaller. Stories circulate of his martini recipe involving cold gin and a mere bow towards France. After our mediocre drink at Mon Hotel, we made the short walk over to this big and busy bar- named after the man - to find out how they handle their martinis.

“The Winston” goes beyond English pub decor taking things to a Colonial Indo-Brit level with ample, cozy armchairs and sofas, exotic touches and intricate wood work accents. The two levels and outside tables are generally packed with a solid crowd looking to chat, socialize and escape the higher priced fare generally on offer in this area.

My martini (listed on the menu) was a cold stirred Bombay Sapphire & Martini Dry and a couple of olives. While these two are not my top choice ingredients for a martini, it seems par for the course in a bar of this nature with a less cocktail demanding crowd.

The menu is large and offers a selection of specialties, martini cocktails, champagne cocktails and cointreau cocktails. Although I wasn’t so crazy about the “Do You Mojito?” (basically a mojito spiked with Red Bull and Absinthe). In general, for what they are doing, they’re doing a fine job of it. They’re offering better than average cocktails for Paris with sufficient and appropriate use of ice and a selection stretching beyond the usual mojito menu. And just steps away from the Arc de Triomphe where you often pay a lot more for a lot worse, at 10 to 12 Euros a cocktail the price is right.

They’re open every day and stay open late. The menu has plenty to offer beyond cocktails with an extensive selection of whiskies, soft drinks, tea and food.

No, I won’t make it a regular cocktail destination. But neither will I turn up my nose when someone suggests stopping in. Basically, wanna-be Buddha Bar clients might like the laid back, chill-out vibe here with lower prices and less pretension.

Wednesday Cocktail Adventure Part I: Mon Bar

Mon Bar at Mon Hotel
1-3, Rue d'Argentine
75016 Paris
Tel : 01 45 02 76 76

Mon Bar is definitely not mon bar preferé.

Recently my good friend, Cliodhna, was here on a quick visit over from Abu Dhabi. Since Abu Dhabi isn’t exactly rife with cocktail bars, I was hoping we’d hit a really good one for her on a Wednesday Cocktail Adventures. My hopes lasted only until I my martini was delivered.

I entered Mon Bar through the discrete entrance of the not-so-surprisingly named 4 star boutique Mon Hotel. I immediately liked the soft decor in deep purples, plums and browns, ornate but modern chandeliers and the romantic pictures. I didn’t so much like the large screen TV on the wall showing sports.

Their menu is divided into ‘classics’ including martinis, manhattans and sex on the beaches (which will soon be buried at this year’s Tales of the Cocktails) and ‘less classics’, which includes their riff on a French kiss and a treacle, also recently spotted on the Cafe Chic menu. They’ve got a small collection of bottles behind the bar with a gin selection including Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick’s and Tanqueray.

There are no cocktails prices on the menu, but at the bottom of it a small line proclaims “For lovers, room: 100” When I asked the barman what that meant, he said it was left over from Valentines. If that’s really true, that’s a good deal and I wonder if that means for the whole night or by the hour?! (Bear in mind, rooms run between 300 to 600 Euros a night here) The small menu did list champagne prices at 6 - 14 Euros by the glass and a handful of snack to order like Mon Hamburger or nems.

The barman prepared a stirred Bombay Sapphire/Noilly Prat martini. When placed before me, I realized he must have squeezed a whole lot of lemon juice into it as was cloudy with lots of lemon bits insouciantly floating about without a care for my personal taste. Cliodhna got a Manhattan which she said was ‘fine.’ (What a damning adjective that can be) In search of something positive to say, she did comment that the coke she ordered while waiting for me was delivered with lots of ice!

Matt and Violaine arrived and were told there was no fresh fruit or bottled fruit juices in the house (except for apparently the lemon that went into my martini) which limited their choices somewhat. When pressed further on what he could make, he admitted that he was not actually a bartender. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I think hotels that consider themselves upper market, should always have a real bartender behind the bar. At least when that happened at Hotel de l’Abbaye, they politely & apologetically steered us away from the cocktails.

Matt and Violaine opted for a small glass of wine instead while waiting for us to finish our drinks to leave and try elsewhere. Then we waited, alone, in the bar for our bill. Waited and waited and waited so long that Matt had the opportunity to step behind the bar to pose for a pic.

Even though I liked the space, I won’t head back to Mon Bar for cocktails at 14 Euros. But if you do, do yourself a favor and order a nice champagne and tell them for me one more time: nice hotels should always have real bartenders on staff if they plan on serving decent cocktails!

Wednesday Cocktail Adventures: E7

E7
Hotel Edouard

39, av de l’Opéra

75002 PARIS

Tél: +33 (0)1 42 61 56 90

I'm behind in my blogging. And, I didn't even know where to begin again until someone asked me for bandaid. Looking through my handbag in search of one, I noticed what a mess it was & decided to clean it out right then. I dumped its contents and surveyed the result. Those of you who know me well will, of course, think it was full lots of practical, useful things like hand sanitizer, chap stick, dental floss and little packets of tissues, right? (Ha. ha.) No. It was my phone, an (empty) wallet, breath mints and....a handful of business cards from bars, a few dozen cards from various wine & spirits industry folks, a couple of invitations to drink & cocktails thingies, an envelope stuffed with postcards featuring recipes for limited edition Beefeater Summer gin and a stack of napkins covered with notes about drinking. Yes, people, that boozey bag debris tells you WHY I'm behind. Sometimes my social life gets in the way of blogging about... my social life!

One of aforementioned cards belonged to Régis Célabe, head barman at the E7 bar in the Hotel Edouard which I visited a few weeks back. With well-respected Sandrine Houdré-Grégoire (formerly of Murano) at the helm as Beverage Manager, the E7 has been on my list of spots to try for awhile. I liked Régis. He seems an amiable guy who not only knows what he's doing but enjoys being behind the bar. I wouldn't want to let my positive personal feelings about someone color my review. Fortunately I need not worry about having to knock the friendly Mr Célabe or his smooth running bar in this somewhat quiet and stylishly modern hotel where cocktails ring in at around 18 Euros.

That evening's bartender, Nicolas, stirred me a lovely Geranium/NP martini with a twist, which was served with barsnacks of nut and jellied candies. This may be the first Paris bar I've seen that stocks Geranium. Matt and Violaine arrived and ordered a first round of...something that unfortunately I can't remember. And, see, dear readers, this is why you should get your blog posts done in a timely manner. For the second round Nicolas mixed up a few surprises. I got a simple but sexy looking ginger-infused vodka, St Germain, lemon juice & tonic garnished with sparkly gold flakes and a hefty ice stick. While we know it's not usually my first choice in spirits, I'll take your wrath on this one, vodka-haters, and fully own up to enjoying Nicolas' twinkly cocktail. Violaine also got a vodka based concoction that involved lemongrass and ginger liqueur, bean & rose mousse and some form of green peas.

The place was rather empty save a few older anglophone tourists. Régis tells me that they have monthly 'after works' which would bump up the interest level for drinks at this price. Régis brought out a bottle of their Licit absinthe to offer a taste. On a side (but potentially interesting) note, he'll be mixing up special cocktails with this Absinthe at the next Blablabla & Co's "Cook Me Drink Me" I would definitely hit this event if I were in town - so if you're interested in cool people and fun drinks, check them out.

In short the E7 is putting admirable thought into their drinks and making sure the bar is stocked with some interesting product. And, apologies again for my lag time and lack of detail. But you can blame some of it on the following friends and folks who kept me busy over the last few weeks: Cocktails Spirits, Paris by Mouth, La Cuisine de Paris & GVine. I can enthusiastically plug all of them without feeling like a sellout because if you like yummy consumables and don't already know who they are, you are missing out!

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!