Cocktail Clubs in Paris for Slow Enjoyment

Losing track of the hours, the glasses, the words, the kisses we would have liked to give, and the gentle touches of our fingertips on plush sofas. Letting fingers and senses glide over the infinite, sensual drink lists, enticing even from the touch or by reading the name of a cocktail and its special ingredients. Slowly or daringly bringing lips to the rim of a frosted tumbler as the atmosphere heats up and the heart races with joie (de vivre). In that illuminated microcosm that is life in Paris, where among Opera-view suites, crowded streets, round-table bistros for two, we discovered a bouquet of places to pause time and quicken our heartbeats. These are drink spots with the Eiffel Tower in front of us like a big screen, themed cocktail bars in constant metamorphosis, speakeasies that open doors to the future of nightlife in Paris even if it feels like living in an Oscar-winning film set in the 1920s. The photo-narrative response on what to do in Paris after 6 PM is up to you.

Boeuf sur le Toit (34 rue du Colisée). We could start but also stop right here by saying that Jean Cocteau was the owner of this place. But we will continue by saying that Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Francis Picabia, Picasso, Erik Satie, Charles Trenet, and Léo Ferré often graced the tables of Boeuf sur le Toit, a bar, brasserie, and music hall opened in 1922. The name is inspired by the French saying "faire un boeuf" meaning to improvise, as jam sessions of artists and musicians have always been a part of the history of this magical place, which now hosts dreamlike piano bars, jazz concerts, and cocoon live music, to be enjoyed between a plate of escargot à la Bourgogne, seafood, or a confit lamb rack. P.S. There is a touch of Alexis Mabille in many of the new furnishings and decor in pure Art Deco style. "It's impossible to step into the Boeuf without being enveloped by the intense vibrations that still linger forever within these walls," the French designer recounted.

Mikado Dancing (55 Blvd Marguerite de Rochechouart). Imagine this scene: Paris (of course), the late 1920s, we find ourselves at the foot of Montmartre, in the -1 of one of the oldest hotels in the city (the Rochechouart), between bohemian and nineteenth-century styles, a door opens, and the anti-prohibition of the Roaring Twenties is served. Mikado Dancing is a music bar where anything can happen. And by anything, we mean also taking an elevator to the roof to view the Pigalle neighborhood from a unique perspective, or being surrounded by a small crowd of people of all ages dancing the Charleston or swing, adorned in feathers or dressed head to toe in silk, and the next day finding them in jeans and blazers at the latest art opening or perched on the Canal Saint Martin. But while it's night, let's live it. Let's dance the tango for the first time in our lives, which maybe won't be the last. Sentimental, lustful, no one can stop "le Mikado"; not even the war could.

Skybar Paris (19 Rue du Commandant René Mouchotte). Let's say it right away, this is the highest outdoor cocktail bar in Paris. Its terrace is located on the 32nd floor of the Pullman Montparnasse hotel and it takes just as many seconds in the elevator to reach it. The view of the City of Light is breathtaking, much like dancing until dawn following the DJ sets that fill its rooms. The cocktail menu is a journey around the world and back. Have you ever tried a drink infused with banana, Irish gin, aloe vera, almond, and clarified milk?

Forest (11 avenue du Président Wilson). A literal step away from the Musée d'Art Moderne, the "festaurant"-restaurant + forest as its godfather, the genius chef with a natural devotion/emotion Julien Sebagg, dubbed it-arises. If the interiors resemble metropolitan woodlands (everything is furnished with recycled or made-in-France materials), the outdoor seating is a heart-stopping sight with a view of the Eiffel Tower. Between natural wines and dishes that are small works of art to share-your table will be overwhelmed with tastes that invite hands to meet over portions or fingers dabbed with labneh and hummus puffs-the chef prodigy's idea lab (unbiased advice: follow him on Instagram...) is a factory of pleasure, bite by bite.

Serpent à Plumes (24 Pl. des Vosges). "We are not a masterclass cocktail bar, we are a museum" is the manifesto of Serpent à Plume, a speakeasy that only appears when the sun sets beneath Place des Vosges. And indeed, this place that stands in the oldest square in Paris could indeed be a museum... of nightlife. Defined by towers of vinyls and crystals, sprawling velvet in the form of long sofas, and little shows of elegant cheekiness among low tables and high volumes. Put on some lipstick and descend the stairs of Serpent à Plume...

Prescription Cocktail Club (23 Rue Mazarine). One of the most iconic cocktail bars in Paris on the left bank. Continuously evolving, Le Prescription is a labyrinth of mirrored walls, staircases adorned in bygone trims, gourmet hideaways, and dynamic counters. At this moment (yes, it can change at any time) this it-place of Parisian nightlife is inspired by the mysteries of the cosmos. Try a tarot & tequila workshop, an Ayurvedic chocolate tasting, card reading, or the entire drink list starting from Flores Sagradas, based on blue lotus, rose, wormwood, almond cream, vermouth, and vodka infused with bergamot and lemon. Or from Lucid Dreams, with sandalwood, cat's claw, wine, mezcal, lime juice, and ginger beer.