American
Harry’s Bar 5 rue Daunon, 2e, M° Opéra, tel: 01 42 61 71 14, 11am to 4am, closed Sun. With its time-polished wood, American College sporting pennants and clubby feel, it’s difficult not to fall in love with this intimate little bar as soon as you enter the saloon-like doors. Opened in 1911, Harry’s is the oldest American-style bar in the city and, thanks to its famous advertising slogan — “sank roo doe noo” — created for servicemen during the First World War, boasts one of the best-known addresses in the capital. Its presidential straw poll is world-famous and surprisingly accurate, having been wrong only once: predicting George Bush’s re-election in 1992. Not only is it the original “Harry’s Bar,” pre-dating by decades other pretenders such as the one in Venice, but it also claims to be the birthplace of the Bloody Mary (9.60E). Its superb team of bartenders also whips up a damn fine vodka martini (10.10E).
English
Le Bar Fontainebleau/Hôtel Meurice 228 rue de Rivoli, 1er, M° Tuileries, tel: 01 44 58 10 10, daily noon to 2am. As the Hôtel Meurice used to be the final destination of a stagecoach line that ran from Calais to Paris in the mid-19th century, its bar is undoubtedly the oldest watering spot for the English community in Paris. Named after an impressive 1905 mural depicting the Château de Fontainebleau during a summer fête nocturne, the decor evokes a classic English gentleman’s club, with horseshoe-shaped leather armchairs, discreet lighting, ornate oak and inlaid-gold paneling, luxurious rugs and a superb mosaic floor. The clientele is a sophisticated mixture of local and foreign celebrities, and the occasional head of state. A celebrity in his own right is master barman William Oliveri, who has been at the helm for 25 years. Among his specialties are mint juleps and mai tais, (both 18E) and the delectable Bellini cocktail (20E), made from champagne, peach purée, and a special ingredient — revealed by Monsieur Oliveri only under duress, and following an oath of secrecy. A piano-bass duo plays jazz and standards every evening from 5pm to midnight.
Australian
Café Oz 184 rue St-Jacques, 5e, tel: 01 43 54 30 48, RER Luxembourg, daily 4pm to 2am The first in a chain that also has branches in St-Denis and Pigalle, this bar introduced Aussie food, drink and companionability unto a city that will never be as staid again. Even the most uptight of French types — including some of the frazzled staff from the nearby headquarters of Universal Music — manage to unwind in the friendly, sometimes raucous, surroundings. The bar is also popular with the students of the many neighboring universities and language institutes. The interior decor is supposed to evoke a typical outback pub and incorporates a mixture of realistic features — wooden walls, timber tables, corrugated iron — and fantasy. For instance, crocodiles and faux Aboriginal artwork. The only concessions to French taste are the crimson banquettes... the most comfortable seats in the house, although most of the action is around the bar. Mondays are student nights, with special cocktails (2.50E) and a schooner of Foster’s is 5.50E.
Scottish
The Auld Alliance 80 rue François Moran, 4e, M° St-Paul, tel: 01 48 04 30 40, 4:30pm to 2am Mon-Fri & 12:30pm to 2am weekends. You can tell whenever a Scottish team is playing a rugby or soccer match in Paris by the sudden appearance of hundreds of kilt-wearing Scots crowded around Paris’ oldest Scottish pub. But it’s not just the tartan army that frequents this friendly establishment in the heart of the Marais: local students and expats make up the bulk of the regulars, playing darts or pool, watching the big matches or listening to live music. As well as providing a chance to sample some of the excellent if lesser-known beers — compared to their Irish and English cousins — such as Gillespie and McEwan’s (4.70E a pint), there is of course a superb collection of Highland malts. Every Monday is cocktail night (5E a cocktail).
Irish
Au Goblet d’Argent 11 rue du Cygne, 1er, M° Etienne-Marcel, tel: 01 42 33 29 82, open 5pm to 2am, closed Sun. Trying to identify the oldest Irish pub in Paris proved to be a popular and contentious topic, with votes going to such Paris stalwarts as Carr’s, Kitty O’Shea’s and Tigh Johnny’s, the establishment of the late, lamented Johnny. But some kind of consensus seemed to emerge around “The Silver Goblet,” also known as Tony’s. The battered charm of a tiny, triangular entrance with red and blue wooden turrets and gables — which looks like a psychedelic cross between a village church and a Hindi temple — leads into a long, narrow space that encourages intimacy, especially with the dim light from mosaic lamps that echo the time-worn floor, also mosaic. Relaxed and friendly staff and a nice mix of alternative expats and arty French types make it a comfortable and unusual pit stop. Pints of Guinness are 6E, 3.20E during Happy Hour.
Canadian
The Moose 16 rue des Quatre Vents, 6e, tel: 01 46 33 77 00, M° Odéon, 4pm to 2am Mon-Fri & 11-2am weekends. Although the city has always had its contingent of Quebecois cafés, this popular pub is the city’s first wholly Canadian bar. The decor reflects the theme of the great outdoors, with a wooden picket fence holding back a large mural of a moose, and upside down snowshoes wandering off into a whiteout on the ceiling. While there are references to national icons such as Mounties and ice hockey, the music owes more to its big Southern neighbor than homegrown talent. Friendly staff, a 4-9pm Happy Hour and singles with their eye on the door ensure its popularity with both expats and locals. Canadian Moosehead beer is 4.80E, 3.50E during Happy Hour.
International
Hemingway Bar Hotel Ritz 15 pl Vendôme, 1er, M° Madeleine, tel: 01 43 16 30 30, Tue-Sat 6:30pm to 2am, cigar night Wednesday, 10pm to 2am. Back in the 1920s, the fame of the Ritz Hotel owed much to its elegant cocktail bar, which attracted an international constellation of artists, writers, royalty and movie stars. Re-christened after its most famous habitué, the man who “liberated” not just the Ritz but its wine cellar in 1944, the bar’s hushed calm and immaculate service make it a perfect retreat from the autumn bustle of Paris. Master barman Colin P. Field reigns over one of the most sophisticated selections of cocktails in Paris. Try his justly famous gin martini, starting from 18.30E, depending on the gin, or a champagne cocktail (18.30E), served in an elegant flute with a sliver of fresh ginger: a wonderfully urbane way to start an evening.
