6 of the Best Hotel Bars in Paris

Hotel bars play a key role in Paris’ nightlife, but some definitely stand out above the rest with glamorous decor, stunning views and innovative cocktail menus that attract both locals and visitors alike. From sleek new venues to legendary establishments, these six hotel bars in Paris offer the chance to sip on some superior drinks.

Les Ambassadeurs

Immortalized on canvas by Edgar Degas and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the opulent bar of the Hotel de Crillon has been a popular haunt of fashionable Parisians since opening in the mid-19th century. As nightly live music plays in the background, guests can enjoy its palatial interiors decked out in crystal chandeliers, gilded moldings and delicate wall frescos, or they can take in the evening air and some of Paris’s top sites from the terrace overlooking Place de la Concorde. Contrasting its very classic decor, Les Ambassadeurs’ innovative cocktails change with the season and revolve around one seasonal ingredient, such as pumpkin, golden apple or porcini mushroom.

Bar 8

For a more contemporary — or even futuristic — ambience, reserve a table at the sleek bar of Mandarin Oriental, Paris. A magical, intergalactic setting at Bar 8 is created by wood walls and tiny lights inlaid with Lalique crystals that reflect off glass tabletops. On warm summer evenings, the lush courtyard terrace is also a delight. Finish off a day of shopping in the surrounding chic boutiques of the Rue Saint-Honore with the bar’s Paris-Tivo, a Paris-meets-Italy aperitif menu available from 5:30–8 p.m. It includes a choice of three French-Italian fusion cocktails served with a selection of gastronomic tapas.

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Bar Aristide

Hotel Lutetia’s Bar Josephine is quite famous, but few people know about the new speakeasy-style bar hidden within this prestigious Left Bank hotel. The secret bar is named after Aristide Boucicaut, the founder of Le Bon Marche department store for which Hotel Lutetia was created back in 1910. A modern twist on a private member’s club, Bar Aristide offers an intimate setting with plush leather sofas, honey-toned armchairs and mahogany wall paneling. It pays homage to the jazz heritage of the surrounding Saint-Germain neighborhood with its cocktail menu inspired by modern jazz musicians and its regular electro-jazz DJ nights.

Restaurant & Bar 19.20

If clients seek a chic cocktail followed by an excellent bistronomic meal, send them to Restaurant & Bar 19.20 in Prince de Galles, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Paris. Originally opened in 1928, the bar and restaurant were revamped in 2023 when up-and-coming chef and former “Top Chef” contestant Norbert Tarayre took the helm. Reviving the spirit of the Roaring Twenties, the spacious dining room and bar area have art-deco furniture and a large colorful wall mural depicting wild animals let loose in Paris. Nature is also very present in Tarayre’s farm-to-table menu that highlights local seasonal ingredients. His dishes pair nicely with the bar’s Prohibition-era cocktails, which you can also savor on the palm tree-lined patio.

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Maison Proust

Although world-renowned bartender Colin Field has retired from Bar Hemingway at Ritz Paris, you can still sample his exceptional cocktails at the seductive bar of the new Maison Proust hotel. Located in the North Marais, the property pays tribute to the Belle Epoque era and one of its leading writers, Marcel Proust. Created by star Parisian designer Jacques Garcia, the decor evokes a sumptuous turn-of-the-20th-century apartment that unfolds through various salons. You can choose between the main bar with a fireplace, velour armchairs and historic paintings; the verdant winter garden; or the library encircled by vintage books. Field was tasked with devising a menu of cocktails inspired by Proust and the era and can even be found behind the bar on Friday nights.

Bonnie

Although it doesn’t look all that spectacular from the outside, the rooftop bar of SO/ Paris boasts one of the best views in the whole city.

Sitting on the edge of the fourth arrondissement and facing the Seine, Bonnie’s location on the 15th and 16th stories of the refurbished 1960s building offers a sweeping panorama of Paris, including Ile Saint-Louis, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. In addition to its stellar vista, the bar has a creative cocktail menu designed by Paris Society — the trendsetters behind Girafe and Monsieur Bleu — and a club that has become a coveted meeting point of stylish Parisians.