30 bars worth the trip across France, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All France guides.
Bar Hemingway ★ 4.7 · Paris
Ritz Paris, 15 Place Vendôme, 75001 Paris
Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris is Colin Field's classic-cocktail temple. The Serendipity is the house drink; the bartender will recall which one Hemingway ordered.
Tip: Open 18:00-02:00. No standing; book a 19:00 seat for the calmer first hour.
Carry Nation ★ 4.6 · Marseille
6 Rue Jules Moulet, 13006 Marseille
Carry Nation in Marseille's 6e is a hidden speakeasy named for the hatchet-wielding temperance activist, prohibition-era cocktails behind a door you have to find using the bar's website.
Tip: Open Wed-Sun 19:00-02:00; check the website for the entry procedure.
Little Red Door ★ 4.6 · Paris
60 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris
Little Red Door in Paris's 3e Marais runs a menu themed around the chemistry of plants, with custom-distilled spirits. Top 50 World's Best Bars seven years running.
Tip: Reservations from 18:00. The Sunday bar manager's pick at €15 is the cheapest cocktail in the room.
L'Antiquaire ★ 4.5 · Lyon
20 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 69001 Lyon
L'Antiquaire in Lyon's 1er on Rue Hippolyte Flandrin is the classic-cocktail room with a long mahogany bar and an old-fashioned that defines the city's cocktail map.
Tip: Walk-in only; arrive at 19:00 for a seat at the bar; closed Sunday.
La Caravelle ★ 4.5 · Marseille
34 Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille
La Caravelle in Marseille's 2e hangs over the Vieux Port on the first floor of the Hotel Belle-Vue since the 1920s, the most coveted balcony in the city for the sunset pastis order.
Tip: Open daily 7am-2am; jazz concerts Wednesday and Friday October to May.
Le Syndicat ★ 4.5 · Paris
51 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris
Le Syndicat in Paris's 10e mixes cocktails using only French spirits, a rule the bar has kept since opening in 2014. The graffitied facade hides 18 seats.
Tip: No reservations. Arrive at 19:00 for stools or after 23:00 once the early crowd shifts elsewhere.
Bisou ★ 4.5 · Paris
15 Boulevard du Temple, 75003 Paris
Bisou in Paris's 3e is the no-menu cocktail bar Nicolas Munoz built around five-minute conversations with each guest. The bartender then mixes one drink each.
Tip: Reservations only; first round €14, refills €12. Ask for a non-alcoholic option and they will build one.
Bar Pelican ★ 4.4 · Lyon
7 Rue Terme, 69001 Lyon
Bar Pelican in Lyon's 1er on Rue Terme is the mixology cocktail bar with a long-list of seasonal signatures and a counter that fills weeknights.
Tip: Reserve a counter seat after 21:00; closed Sunday-Monday.
Bar Sauvage ★ 4.4 · Lyon
3 Rue Montesquieu, 69007 Lyon
Bar Sauvage in Lyon's 7e on Rue Montesquieu is the speakeasy cocktail bar tucked behind an unmarked door, with classic-cocktail menu and last orders at 02:00.
Tip: Ring the bell; book a booth ahead by Instagram DM.
Experimental Cocktail Club ★ 4.4 · Paris
37 Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002 Paris
Experimental Cocktail Club in Paris's 2e is the trio of bartenders' original 2007 room, the one that effectively reset Paris on the craft-cocktail map.
Tip: No sign on the door; press the bell. Reservations open at 18:00 for the same evening.
Candelaria ★ 4.4 · Paris
52 Rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris
Candelaria in Paris's 3e is the taqueria-and-speakeasy hybrid where you order tacos up front and find the bar through the door behind the kitchen.
Tip: The taqueria takes walk-ins; the bar opens 18:00. The mezcal flight is €18 for three pours.
Copper Bay ★ 4.4 · Paris
5 Rue Bouchardon, 75010 Paris
Copper Bay in Paris's 10e is the maritime-themed bar Aurélie Pannequin and her crew built into a corner of the Faubourg Saint-Denis cocktail strip.
Tip: Reservations for parties of 4+; under 4 walk in. The cargo-themed flights rotate quarterly.
Bar 228 ★ 4.4 · Paris
Le Meurice, 228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Bar 228 inside Le Meurice in Paris is the dark-wood-and-leather palace bar where William Oliveri ran a 30-year programme of palace-grade Bloody Marys.
Tip: Open 11:00-02:00. The terrace fronts the Rue de Rivoli arcade; pop in for an afternoon Pastis.
Combat ★ 4.4 · Paris
63 Rue de Belleville, 75019 Paris
Combat in Paris's 19e is the all-female bar team's neighbourhood cocktail room above Belleville park. The cocktail list rotates weekly; the menu is short by design.
Tip: Reservations from 19:00. The Sunday DJ set runs from 21:00 to 01:00 with a small dance corner.
L'Officine ★ 4.3 · Lyon
1 Place de l'Hopital, 69002 Lyon
L'Officine in Lyon's 2e is the InterContinental Lyon Hotel-Dieu bar on Place de l'Hopital, with botanical-led cocktails and a Belle Epoque dining room.
Tip: Hotel-bar pricing; the courtyard terrace is the order in summer.
Bar de la Marine ★ 4.3 · Marseille
15 Quai de Rive Neuve, 13007 Marseille
Bar de la Marine in Marseille's 7e has stood on Quai de Rive Neuve since 1929, the Pagnol-trilogy setting with 1930s decor intact, Marseille colours and a model-boat shelf above the zinc.
Tip: Open daily 7am-2am; the terrace fills on weekend evenings with the youth crowd.
Le Mary Celeste ★ 4.3 · Paris
1 Rue Commines, 75003 Paris
Le Mary Celeste in Paris's 3e doubles as wine bar and cocktail bar. The Oyster Mary, an inversion of the bloody, gets the room press it deserves.
Tip: Happy hour is daily 16:00-18:00; oysters at €1.20 each pair with the Oyster Mary.
Bâton Rouge ★ 4.3 · Paris
62 Rue Notre-Dame de Lorette, 75009 Paris
Bâton Rouge in Paris's 9e is the New Orleans-themed cocktail bar Joseph Akhavan opened in 2014. The Sazerac and Vieux Carré are the room's defining cocktails.
Tip: Half-price daiquiri hour from 19:00 to 20:30. The back room holds the quieter banquette seats.
Lavomatic ★ 4.3 · Paris
30 Rue René Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Lavomatic in Paris's 10e is the speakeasy hidden behind a working laundromat front. Walk through the washing machines to the swing-set bar; cocktails until 02:00.
Tip: The launderette is real. Push through the back door past the machines; reservations advised Friday and Saturday.
Le Grisbi ★ 4.2 · Lyon
1 Rue Chavanne, 69001 Lyon
Le Grisbi in Lyon's 1er on Rue Chavanne is the small classic-cocktail counter run on a focused menu of negronis, manhattans and house signature pours.
Tip: 10-seat bar; arrive at 18:30 for a stool. Closed Sunday-Monday.
Super5 ★ 4.2 · Lyon
2 Rue de Savy, 69001 Lyon
Super5 in Lyon's 1er on Rue de Savy is the small modern cocktail counter with a focused signature list and last orders at 01:00 Thu-Sat.
Tip: Tight room, 14 seats; book a corner table ahead via Instagram.
Turbine ★ 4.2 · Lyon
8 Rue Saint-Jerome, 69007 Lyon
Turbine in Lyon's 7e on Rue Saint-Jerome is the cocktail-and-pizza bar with a modern French signature list and a wood-fired oven for late-night pies.
Tip: Pizza kitchen runs until 23:30; cocktails carry on until 01:30 Thu-Sat.
Le Pelle-Mele ★ 4.2 · Marseille
8 Place aux Huiles, 13001 Marseille
Le Pelle-Mele in Marseille's 1er on Place aux Huiles is the city's longest-running jazz bar, a small terrace and a stage inside, homemade tapas to go with the cocktails and wines.
Tip: Live music most nights; small room, arrive before 21:00 for a seat.
Andy Wahloo ★ 4.2 · Paris
69 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris
Andy Wahloo in Paris's 3e is the Mourad Mazouz cocktail bar in a former Moroccan grocery, with mezze plates and music until 02:00. A terrace catches the Marais.
Tip: DJ from 22:00 Thursday to Saturday. The Pomelo Sazerac is the house drink.
Prescription Cocktail Club ★ 4.2 · Paris
23 Rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris
Prescription Cocktail Club in Paris's 6e is the Experimental group's Left Bank sister, more relaxed than the 2e mothership and easier on a Friday walk-up.
Tip: No reservations. The Sunday DJ from 22:00 is the slow-start shift to aim for if you want a seat.
Groom ★ 4.1 · Lyon
6 Rue Roger Violi, 69001 Lyon
Groom in Lyon's 1er on Rue Roger Violi is the late-night cocktail bar with DJs at the weekend and a seasonal cocktail list that runs past 02:00.
Tip: After 23:00 turns into a club; arrive before for table service.
Abstract ★ 4.1 · Lyon
2 Rue Duroc, 69001 Lyon
Abstract in Lyon's 1er on Rue Duroc runs as a daytime espresso bar and evening cocktail room, with coffee-cocktail hybrids on the after-dinner list.
Tip: The bar opens at 18:00; arrive at 19:00 for a counter stool.
Le Petit Pernod ★ 4.1 · Marseille
10 Quai du Port, 13002 Marseille
Le Petit Pernod in Marseille's 2e is one of the oldest establishments on the Old Port, fully renovated after a 2022 fire, the soul of the Vieux Port at the front terrace for an aperitif.
Tip: Open daily; the terrace looks straight across the harbour to Saint-Victor Abbey.
La Madone ★ 4.0 · Lyon
1 Place des Capucins, 69001 Lyon
La Madone in Lyon's 1er on Place des Capucins is the working neighbourhood bar at the foot of the Croix-Rousse with Beaujolais pours, small plates and a pavement terrace.
Tip: Daytime is for coffee; evenings shift to wine and bar plates.
Mama Shelter Rooftop ★ 4.0 · Marseille
64 Rue de la Loubiere, 13006 Marseille
Mama Shelter Marseille's rooftop in the 6e near Cours Julien is the hotel's open-air bar, no reservations, cocktails and small plates with a panoramic look across the rooftops.
Tip: No reservations on the rooftop; weekend evenings fill up by 19:30.