20 speakeasies worth the night across France, editor-ranked. All France guides.
Carry Nation ★ 4.6 · Marseille
Castellane (6e) · 6 Rue Jules Moulet, 13006 Marseille
Carry Nation in Marseille's 6e Castellane is the city's first speakeasy, opened 2011 behind the storefront of a souvenir shop, with a 40-seat Prohibition-era.
Tip: Book on the website to receive the address and door code by email; cocktails €13-16. Capacity is 40 so weekend slots go a fortnight ahead.
Cravan Saint-Germain ★ 4.6 · Paris
6e · 165 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris
Cravan Saint-Germain in Paris's 6e is the Franck Audoux five-floor cocktail house in a 17th-century townhouse on Boulevard Saint-Germain, with a rooftop.
Tip: Book the rooftop kiosk for two hours; main bar walk-ins go to the salon on the second floor. Cocktails €18-22.
Symbiose Speakeasy ★ 4.5 · Bordeaux
chartrons · 4 Quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux
Symbiose Speakeasy in Bordeaux's Chartrons is the hidden cocktail bar behind the bookshelf at Symbiose, with homemade syrups, forgotten ingredients.
Tip: No reservations on the speakeasy side; arrive 19:00 to claim a stool or stay through dinner for a guaranteed seat.
L'Antiquaire ★ 4.5 · Lyon
1er · 20 Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 69001 Lyon
L'Antiquaire in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the Marc Bonneton cocktail bar on Rue Hippolyte Flandrin, with Chesterfield booths, vintage fans and dim Charleston-era lighting that helped seed the city's craft-cocktail scene.
Tip: Quietest 18:00-20:00, jammed after 22:00 Thu-Sat; cocktails around €10 including the house Bacardi Fizz with chartreuse and cream.
CopperBay ★ 4.4 · Marseille
Notre-Dame du Mont (6e) · 36 Boulevard Notre Dame, 13006 Marseille
CopperBay in Marseille's 6e Notre-Dame du Mont is the marine-themed cocktail bar on Boulevard Notre Dame, a Paris-Marseille two-city project with blue-tiled.
Tip: Cocktails €11-14, wines from €7 by the glass; tapas €5-9 to share. Closed Sunday-Monday, busiest Friday after 21:00.
Le Lavomatique ★ 4.4 · Nice
vieux-nice · 11 Rue du Pont Vieux, 06300 Nice
Le Lavomatique on Rue du Pont Vieux in Vieux Nice is the Loubert brothers' late natural wine bar, a quiet speakeasy-style alternative to the loud Cours Saleya rooms with growers' Champagne and snacks.
Tip: The natural list rotates every week; the speakeasy mood holds quietly until last orders.
Cave de la Tour ★ 4.4 · Nice
vieux-nice · 3 Rue de la Tour, 06300 Nice
Cave de la Tour on Rue de la Tour runs the Gazan family wine bar in Vieux Nice since 1947, a quieter speakeasy-style late afternoon and evening room with the granite counter and Bellet pours.
Tip: The granite counter is the bar; the back room is quieter still for a Bellet white as the city closes.
Moonshiner ★ 4.4 · Paris
11e · 5 Rue Sedaine, 75011 Paris
Moonshiner in Paris's 11e Bastille is the Art Deco speakeasy hidden behind the cold-room door of the Da Vito pizzeria on Rue Sedaine, with 83 whiskies.
Tip: Ask staff at Da Vito for the bar; cocktails €13-16. Quietest before 21:00, jammed after 23:00 Thu-Sat.
L'Agence ★ 4.4 · Toulouse
capitole · 26 Rue du Languedoc, 31000 Toulouse
L'Agence on Rue du Languedoc is the canonical Toulouse speakeasy, hidden behind a real-estate-agency storefront and a sliding library, with a tight cocktail list.
Tip: Door bookings online via the bar's site; arrive on time, the room fills fast on Friday and Saturday.
ApOthEk ★ 4.3 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 1 Rue du Cancera, 33000 Bordeaux
ApOthEk in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the dim-lit cocktail bar on Rue du Cancera with a menu of refined creations, a strict no-Mojito posture.
Tip: Strong dress code; book a back-room table for the quietest setting.
Le Florian ★ 4.3 · Lyon
5e · 4 Place de la Baleine, 69005 Lyon
Le Florian in Lyon's 5e Vieux Lyon is the Prohibition-styled cocktail bar tucked inside a 15th-century building on Place de la Baleine, with a Venetian Renaissance room and a linden-shaded terrace since 2012.
Tip: Seasonal cocktail menu around 11-€14; the terrace by the linden tree is the calmer pick, the basement room livelier on weekends.
Soda Bar ★ 4.3 · Lyon
1er · 7 Rue de la Martiniere, 69001 Lyon
Soda Bar in Lyon's 1er Presquile is the 2006 cocktail institution on Rue de la Martiniere, taken over by Maxime Chabert in August 2024 with a 1970s recording-studio fit-out, JBL speakers and a soul, funk and vinyl-led playlist.
Tip: Open until 04:00 every night except Monday; cocktails 11-€14, the back banquette is the quieter table after midnight.
Le Mary Celeste ★ 4.3 · Paris
3e · 1 Rue Commines, 75003 Paris
Le Mary Celeste in Paris's 3e Marais is the corner cocktail and oyster bar opened 2012 by the Experimental Cocktail Club team, with a long zinc counter.
Tip: Oysters Tue-Sat from €3 each; the early evening at 18:00 is when the high-tops free up.
Lone Palm ★ 4.3 · Paris
11e · 21 Rue Keller, 75011 Paris
Lone Palm in Paris's 11e Bastille is the Ben Benayoun tiki-tinged Californian cocktail bar on Rue Keller, with a 1950s palm-and-rattan room and house frozen.
Tip: Frozen daiquiris are the order; arrive before 21:00 for a banquette or after 00:30 for the late lull.
Houdini ★ 4.2 · Bordeaux
saint-pierre · 10 Rue Saint-Sernin, 33000 Bordeaux
Houdini in Bordeaux's Saint-Pierre is the reservation-only magic-themed cocktail bar on Rue Saint-Sernin, with magician-bartenders performing during.
Tip: Reservation only by phone; performances run during 90-minute slots, two slots per evening.
Andy Wahloo ★ 4.2 · Paris
3e · 69 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris
Andy Wahloo in Paris's 3e Marais is the Mourad Mazouz cocktail lounge stacked with Moroccan tea-canister stools and a North African disco soundtrack.
Tip: Sunday-Monday closed; Friday-Saturday DJ nights book up fast. Smaller back room is the quieter table.
Le Comptoir de la Bourse ★ 4.1 · Lyon
2e · 33 Rue de la Bourse, 69002 Lyon
Le Comptoir de la Bourse in Lyon's 2e Presquile is the long-running cocktail and tapas bar on Rue de la Bourse, with daytime coffee service shifting to a craft cocktail and small-plates programme after dark.
Tip: Happy hour Mon-Fri 17:00-20:00 with cocktails from €7; the back tables are quieter than the front counter after 22:00.
Polikarpov ★ 4.1 · Marseille
Vieux Port (1er) · 24 Cours Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, 13001 Marseille
Polikarpov on Cours Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves in Marseille's 1er is the city's smallest vodka bar, named after the Russian fighter plane, with a 25-vodka.
Tip: Vodka shots €5, cocktails €9-12; the south-facing pedestrian terrace is the spot from 18:00. Cards accepted.
Aedaen Place ★ 4.1 · Strasbourg
Grande Ile · 4-6 Rue des Aveugles, 67000 Strasbourg
Aedaen Place on Rue des Aveugles is a tucked-back art space and cocktail bar pouring inventive drinks, a quieter hideaway off the busy rue des Soeurs.
L'Unic Bar ★ 4.0 · Marseille
Vieux Port (1er) · 11 Cours Jean Ballard, 13001 Marseille
L'Unic Bar on Cours Jean Ballard in Marseille's 1er is the eclectic-decor cocktail counter just off the Vieux Port, with a long pavement terrace.
Tip: Cocktails €9-12; the back room with the antique-shop fittings is the calmer corner once the terrace fills.