Tiki Lounge is kitted out with all the appropriate decor details: masks and carvings, creaky rattan furniture, and ceramic mugs. Blowfish lamps hang from the ceiling alongside glass floats. On the night of my visit, a few customers sat at the small thatched bar chatting with the friendly owners while south seas sounding music – with a bit of Tom Waits thrown into the mix – played in the background.

Thanks to the tiki theme, the menu diverges from the usual multiple vodka-based choices and features mainly rum. While they do offer a few things like caipis, mojitos and cosmos, the nine tiki options are front and center. All but two are rum-based, with the exceptions being a Waikiki Breeze with tequila and an Eastern Sour with whisky.Most of their classic tiki cocktails like the Mai Tai, Missionary’s Downfall and Pina Colada mainly adhere to simplified standard recipes. Drink prices are 8 Euros and drop to 5.5 Euros during the 6 – 8:30 PM happy hour.

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26 bis, rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 75011

The menu features a selection of cocktails in the mid-teens price range, including standards like the obligatory cosmo and house creations that feature a lot of fresh fruit and flavored syrups. Some are divided into ‘for him’ and those ‘for her.’ My martini was competently made, yet slightly warm, and came with simple savory cracker bites. I followed up with a margarita, which if memory serves, was nice enough. The spirits selection is somewhat small but with a few nice choices. While I take issue with the vodka-heavy selection, I have no real gripe with the way the drinks are made.

14 rue St. Sauveur, 75002

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I don’t know if it’s intentional, but the Gin Bar’s featured gin, G’Vine, reflects the décor with its green and grey tinged bottles of G’Vine Floraison and Nouassin. Oversized bottles of both sit center stage on the back bar and empties decorate various corners. A closer look at the other bottles at the bar indicates a definite bent towards the juniper with 20+ brands on offer. They’ve got the usual suspects (Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Bombay), the latest darlings (Monkey 47, Gin Mare) as well as one I don’t know (Topfergeist Peket.) Is that a gin or genever? The bottle looks like genever, but when I look it up it says gin.

Cocktail prices range from 14 to 16 Euros. The standard cocktail menu features four classics based on a range of spirits and a suggested alternative for each. The classic dry martini has a recommended variation of the cucumber gin martini (Hendrick’s, cucumber juice and lemon juice). I think this is a fun idea but I only got it from paying close attention to the cocktail list. I wonder if the regular costumer would even notice and might need more of a “If you like this, try this…” approach on the menu.

55-57 Avenue Raymond Poincare, 75016
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A, L and N, though, have been going to clubs in Paris since they were about 16. They come home at four, five or six in the morning reeking of cigarettes, tired and happy. N hangs out with an international crowd, often no two people of the same nationality in the group, and always seems to see Lindsay Lohan or people of that ilk at the next table. A and L have been several times to a girls-only club night where the pretty girls (ugly girls are refused entry) are offered free dinners, free drinks, a male-stripper show, and free makeup lessons. (Interesting that girls’ reaction to male strippers seems universally to be laughter.) Shortly before midnight, the club opens the doors to the guys… who have to pay at least 30 euros to get in. According to A, they skew quite a bit older than the girls, and look very rich.

“And … there are all these drunk, beautiful girls!” said A. She likes to go because it’s a free, amusing evening once in a while. She always comes home shortly after the guys arrive. (“They’re thirty years old!”)

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If Le Bar Du Plaza Athenee looks familiar it’s because it featured on the final episode of Sex and the City. Of all the hotels in Paris, this contains one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower and Carrie was lucky enough to benefit from this backdrop by staying in the hotel’s Eiffel Tower Suite. These incredible views of Paris’s most famous monument extend to the bar and Sex and the City addicts will be pleased to know that bartenders here can make a mean Cosmopolitan. Those that are neither keen on Cosmos or Carrie shouldn’t be discouraged. The cocktails are varied and creative – with black Cosmopolitans and Mojitos offering up a unique spin on the original recipe. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights after 11pm, the bar changes from a calm blue to a rock-ready red and electronic rock music pumps out of the speakers.

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Once we looked at the menu, we realized that this might be an unexpected hidden cocktail gem. First off, they have a long list of martinis on offer – including a classic dry. Cocktails, at 14 Euros each, fall under several categories: shorts, longs, champagne-based, and after- or befor-dinners. Alongside the typical Bloody Marys and ti punch, some in particular that caught my eye as more unusual for Paris were the negroni, Pimm’s cups, mint juleps and a pink gin, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen on a Paris cocktail menu. Finally, their list of 15 different gins (including a genever and without a Gordon’s in sight) sealed the deal and we decamped from the terrace and headed in for a front row seat at the bar.

While the outdoor area is nice, in a rather nondescript way, the inside is brightly lit, clean and modern with its sleek white counter tops, neon light touches and flashing screens. Surprisingly it feels slightly dated even though it was remodeled not long ago. But I’m cool to ironically do the 80’s deal if it comes with a good drink. And, it did.
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Two specific cocktails were planned for the event, so I forwent my usual martini order and let Stephane (who previously has worked such big names as Pershing Hall, le Meurice, and Plaza Athenee ) mix me up The Club (42 Below vodka, lime, Fever Tree ginger beer and Angostura bitters) With its vodka base, this wouldn’t be a typical order for me, but it does highlight something they’re doing right: fresh and well chosen, good quality ingredients. [I'm a fan of Fever Tree] Downstairs, Stephane Verga of la Maison du Whisky was mixing up a St Germain cocktail (St Germain,  Bottle Green cordial & champagne) which is an interesting choice considering St Germain is not in any of their cocktails listed on the menu. But, I’m a St Germain fan as well, so I shan’t complain.

Reasonably priced at 10 Euros a drink, their regular cocktail menu features 14 choices based on a range of spirits, only three of which are vodka based, which is a good sign that they are avoiding the lazy route of a mainly vodka menu. I predict that their more easily accessible options like the Red Mojito or the Berrie Breeze will be their biggest sellers – which is a shame because they’ve got some respectably better options on offer like manhattans, old fashioneds or a white lady with egg white.
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With red velour stools, dark leather sofas, nightly jazz and a discreet fumoir, the Speakeasy attempts to transport clients back in time to the smoky, jazz-filled Chicagoan dens of iniquity of the twenties. The menu features over 20 cocktails, including the usuals like margaritas and mojitos and more unique house creations at 14 euros each. Nothing looked exceptional and some were hovering suspiciously close to spodie territory such as the Gin Imperial (Bombay, Malibu, grenadine, pineapple juice, mandarin imperial, raspberry juice and tonic water.) Although what was exceptional for this generally expensive area was a happy hour (17h30 – 19h30, all cocktails 8 euros).

I was very early and set off solo for my first drink. Cheerful besuited staff set out dishes of chips and jarred salsa. I don’t like jarred salsa. It simply does’t taste good. I ate some anyway and washed it down with the glass of ice water the barman had thoughtfully put in front of me. I’ve been living here long enough to know better. It wasn’t water. This was my martini: sweet vermouth over ice with a big lemon chunk in it. I think he may have dropped in a few drops of gin because I had asked for a dry gin martini. It’s is a shame because there are more than a few gins I would happily put in my mouth from those listed on their menu (Gordon’s, Tanqueray, Beefeater, Tanqueray 10, Bombay Sapphire, Pink 47 and Hendricks.) However there is one gin they list which has me a baffled. I have never heard or (and find no information on) “Cavendish” which they also have listed on the menu as a gin.
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