Paris: Pubs & Gastropubs

Behind a small red door in the Marais sits one of the most awarded bars in the world, listed for over a decade on the World's 50 Best and No.1 in 2022. Menus rotate seasonally around concepts such as sustainability and terroir. The candlelit room stays intimate and the team welcoming.

Tucked inside the Ritz on Place Vendôme, this wood-panelled bar trades on its Hemingway lore and the craft of its long-serving head bartender. Drinks arrive with a fresh rose and precise classics dominate the list. The room is small, formal and quiet. It suits a special occasion rather than a casual round.

Behind a plain taqueria in the northern Marais hides a candlelit cocktail bar. Order tacos at the front counter, then ask for the back room and its agave-led drinks. Mezcal and tequila anchor the list, with a hip-hop soundtrack. The small space fills fast on weekend nights.

A founder of the modern Paris cocktail wave, this bar near rue Montorgueil opened in 2007 and shaped the speakeasy revival. A narrow, dimly lit room serves precise classics and house creations to a stylish late crowd. The list changes with the seasons. It gets busy and loud after midnight.

Behind a graffiti-covered front near the Faubourg Saint-Denis, this speakeasy pours cocktails made only with French spirits. Cognac, armagnac, calvados and chartreuse feature across an inventive list. A hip-hop soundtrack and dark room set a relaxed mood. The all-French premise makes it a distinctive Paris stop.

Open near the Opéra since 1911, this bar is credited with the Bloody Mary and the French 75. Dark wood, college pennants and a downstairs piano room fix its old-world feel. Bartenders in white jackets pour classics with little fuss. It draws a mix of regulars and visitors on a history trail.