THE PARIS LETTER: The Experimental Cocktail Club

Boy, I have been boozing it up this month. All that free babysitting provided by my visiting mom has allowed me to continue my search for the perfect Paris martini, and this time Matt joined in the fun.

From the Time Out France review, since our cameras wouldn't work in the dark

Do you ever wish you could bring the feel of Williamsburg, Brooklyn to your Paris life? If you're visiting from the US, probably not, but Matt and I sometimes long for a Paris/New York mashup, and we've definitely found it in this cocktail bar, The Experimental Cocktail Club.

Located just north of Les Halles, in an area of narrow cobblestone streets that always makes me feel like I'm walking through medieval Paris, The Experimental Cocktail Club is appropriately discreet but thankfully has no secret entrance, just a black facade with some subtle lettering. Once you enter, its a a great combination of New York speakeasy - complete with a piano in the  corner - and Parisian charm, chandeliers and exposed beams on the walls and ceiling. Matt immediately started speculating about what had been in the space before, as he noticed a patched hole in the ceiling that had clearly once been a staircase.

We arrived at 7PM on a Saturday night, which in my mind is perfect cocktail hour. But then, I'm married and have a baby, so I'm not the most exciting person you'll meet. For us, it was great - the place was nearly empty, yet it was still late enough to feel like a romantic beginning to our date. By the time we left around 830, though, it was standing-room-only packed, so keep that in mind as you plan your trip.

The cocktail list is complicated, as expected, but - hooray! - they did make an honest-to-god, not-too-much-vermouth gin martini with olives that was really good, though served in a crystal goblet rather than a martini glass. Which I think is like a hipster choice rather than a Parisian misstep.

Since I was feeling under the weather, I got a slightly less strong drink that was similar to a whiskey sour but with Japanese whiskey, lime juice, and yuzu - very delicious, though I can't tell you the name because the Club, well, it doesn't publish its menu. I CAN tell you that you will be paying 12 Euros a cocktail - so, you know, New York prices. But trust me - go early and you won't be disappointed.


THE EXPERIMENTAL COCKTAIL CLUB
37 rue Saint Saveur
75002 Paris
01 45 08 88 89
M: Sentier, Etienne Marcel
M-Th 7PM-2AM; Friday/Saturday 7PM-5AM