Cocktail bars in Paris with dazzling interiors

Paris has earned its reputation as the world’s most romantic city, with its grand boulevards, intimate courtyards and candlelit cafes providing a backdrop for countless love stories. Romance spills into the city’s drinking rooms, where the art of atmosphere is as carefully considered as the cocktails being shaken behind the bar.

Behind discreet doors and ornate façades, a new generation of bars is reimagining the French capital’s mixology landscape, sitting alongside storied institutions that command as much attention as the hottest landmarks. Both pair standout drinks with interiors to match – lacquered counters, jewel-box lounges, marble bars, low-lit rooms made for settling in. With an extensive lineup to choose from, we’ve handpicked the top bars worth knowing about.

The best cocktail bars in Paris right now

Experimental Cocktail Club, Opéra

This understated drinking den helped shape Paris’s modern cocktail culture when it opened in 2007, and was the original address of the head-turning hotel group Experimental. Trot through the cobbled streets of Montorgueil to an unmarked door on Rue Saint-Sauveur, where a knock and a nod from the doorman usher you through curtains into the underground bar. Inside, tweed banquettes and burnt-terracotta velvet cushions sit beneath fluted wall panels and marbled-glass globe pendants. Mirrored tables add glamour, while soulful sounds give way to house as the evening wears on. Cocktails are as assured as the setting, with fresh fruit juices, spices and audacious flavour combinations. Try the La Maison du Glass: Glasshouse whisky, Suze, yellow Chartreuse, lime, egg white and cardamom bitters. experimentalgroup.com/paris

Bar Hemingway, Place Vendôme

The Ritz’s legendary cocktail bar has welcomed a star-studded crowd over the last century, with regulars including Coco Chanel, F Scott Fitzgerald, Charlie Chaplin, Elton John and Kate Moss. Walnut-panelled walls are lined with vintage magazine covers, while tufted emerald-green chairs, patterned carpets and brass accents make the room intimate. Hemingway-esque curiosities are scattered throughout, from handwritten letters and memorabilia to a typewriter guests can use to leave messages for future visitors. Come at 8pm, snag a counter seat and order the dry martini – one of Hemingway’s signatures; rumour has it he ordered 51 of them after the hotel’s liberation during the second world war. For something lighter, try The Serendipity – mint, apple juice and champagne – created by the longtime head bartender Colin Field. ritzparis.com/bar-hemingway

Harry’s New York Bar, Opéra

Blazing red neon lettering and a dark wood façade have fixed this Paris institution on Rue Daunou since 1911. The American jockey Tod Sloan imported a Manhattan bar and had it reassembled here; the Scottish bartender Harry MacElhone later took over, inventing the White Lady and Bloody Mary and drawing writers and artists. Harry’s interiors are as storied as its history: a mahogany counter, etched mirror backbar, wood-panelled walls and a ceiling clad with American university flags and emblems. The ground floor mixes bar-counter and conversational seating; downstairs, the piano bar is more seductive, with red velvet and live music from 10pm. harrysbar.com

Little Red Door, Le Marais

Le Marais is the coolest neighbourhood in Paris right now, with specialty coffee roasters, galleries, hip concept stores and an infectious creative energy. Little Red Door has been at the heart of its creative scene since opening in 2012, with its pioneering farm-to-glass approach helping make it a regular fixture on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. Enter through the red door and arrive in a space that feels like your coolest friend’s living room – exposed brick walls, velvet seating, eclectic furnishings and low-lighting, all complemented by a shoulder-rolling jazz soundtrack. Boundary-pushing menus are playfully presented with illustrated designs showing inventive concoctions built from unexpected ingredients. Creations include Carbone: beetroot, black garlic and smoked gin with Dartigalongue Un-Oaked Armagnac. lrdparis.com

Bar Nouveau, Le Marais

Remy Savage is the mastermind behind some of the world’s most talked-about bars, including Mexico City’s Casi Casi and London’s A Bar with Shapes For a Name – addresses united by an immersive, sensory approach in which storytelling drives the flavours. Bar Nouveau is a highlight in his portfolio, with Art Nouveau-inspired details including mosaic floors, antique glassware, mirrored ceilings and a curlicued marble bar framed by flower-shaped pendant lights. The dinky 12-seat space is walk-in only, so opt for a mid-afternoon visit to secure a spot. The menu counts six drinks; try the Nouveau Bellini, with sparkling rhubarb wine, white peach purée, crème de violette and crème de pêche. It’s a pre-dinner spot, with Marais to explore afterwards. barnouveau.fr

Danico, Bourse

French mixologist Nico de Soto first made his name in New York with Mace in Greenwich Village, before bringing his globe-trotting approach to Paris with Danico, a cocktail bar tucked behind sibling Italian restaurant Daroco. The speakeasy-style space is theatrical: bentwood stools wrap around a monochrome, chevron-clad bar, while glass-bead pendants glitter above shelves of bottles. Eat pizza and pasta next door, then slip through to Danico for drinks. Snacks include Italian cheeses and freshly baked focaccia, for grazing alongside cocktails inspired by de Soto and his team’s travels. daroco.com

Le Mary Celeste, Le Marais

Anchoring the sleepy crossroads of Rue Commines and Rue Froissart, Le Mary Celeste spills onto the pavement, its navy awning, neon script sign and stained-glass windows glimpsing the counter seats inside. The minimalist interiors, by maritime designers David Rager and Cheri Messerli, centre on a striking hexagonal bar framed by exposed brick, coiled rope columns and ceramic lighting. Loved-up couples perch on bar stools as travellers sway to soulful tunes spun on vintage turntables. Cocktails lean into fermented flavours and bitter-forward infusions, with in-house syrups and cordials. From peanut-butter and bourbon to vanilla gin, expect sweet and savoury notes in equal measure. Oysters are a must, with mackerel, pork-and-prawn ravioli and habanero-mango onion rings alongside. lemaryceleste.com

Hiru, Montmartre

Brightening a quiet street behind Montmartre Hill, Hiru’s floor-to-ceiling windows reveal the soothing glow and natural tones inside. This Basque-inspired tapas and cocktail bar takes its cues from 1980s modernism: raw materials, a stainless-steel bar, dark wood panelling and terracotta leather stools by Parisian designer Pierre Lacroix. The drawcard here is the warm amber uplighting that creates a cocoon-like feel, reflected in the mirrored shelving stacked with backlit bottles. The cocktail list roams far, with the Postcard from Marrakech a standout: carrot juice, cumin syrup, coriander and vodka. Tapas run to classics, seasonal bites and cheeses – order the slow-cooked Iberian pork and beef tataki tacos. hiruparismontmartre.com

Cravan, Saint-Germain

Spread across four floors of a 17th-century building on Boulevard Saint-Germain, Cravan comprises three bars, a bookshop and a rooftop reserved for those in the know. Created by the mixologist Franck Audoux with interiors by the designer Ramy Fischler, it is a playful homage to its namesake, the poet and boxer Arthur Cravan. The ground-level Petit Cravan channels Belle Époque Paris with tiled floors, period mouldings and a glass ceiling, while upstairs a marble bar and forest-green carpet create a more electric mood. The drinks follow suit, menus shifting in character as you move through the building, balancing classic recipes with experimental infusions. Browse the Rizzoli bookshop before ducking into the adjacent candlelit salon: red velvet walls, roaring fireplaces and an intimate bar where you might spot a famous face nursing a drink. cravanparis.com

ROOF at Hôtel Madame Rêve, Louvre

This swish 82-key hotel occupies the former offices of Paris’ postal service in the central 1st arrondissement, a skip away from Palais Royal and Louvre. Fly past the wellness floor and two restaurants to ROOF, a wraparound bar lined with mustard-yellow loungers and barrel stools beneath a retractable canopy. It’s a stellar date night spot with brass lanterns and candlelight casting a warm shimmer across the terrace, while showstopping views of the Parisian skyline impress. Order the Spicy Mango – a punchy mix of tequila, mango purée, lemon juice and chilli – and work your way through the small plates menu, with crab tacos, chicken gyozas and lobster rolls among the highlights. Despite its central location, cherry trees, fragrant herbs and lush Mediterranean planting give the terrace the feel of a private garden. madamereve.com