Top Bars in Paris — Tested & Recommended

The drinking culture here splits along clear geographic lines. The Marais concentrates craft cocktail spots in converted medieval cellars, while Pigalle and South Pigalle — locally called SoPi — have become the cocktail cognoscenti's territory since the early 2010s. Around Oberkampf and Ménilmontant, the scene skews younger and more experimental, with natural wine bars doubling as neighborhood hangouts.

Hotel bars remain serious destinations in their own right. The gilded settings of the grands palaces on Place Vendôme and Avenue Montaigne attract as many locals as guests, particularly for after-work aperitifs. For a proper evening, start with cocktails before moving on to one of the city's best restaurants, or cap a meal with a nightcap at your hotel bar. The French approach to drinking tends toward moderation and conviviality — expect carefully made drinks, small plates to accompany them, and conversation that stretches late into the night.