What should I drink? A Bérégovoy.
This rue de Belleville cocktail bar is named after the nearby Place du Combat, which was once the site of circus involving fighting animals in the nineteenth century. But no fear, it’s a long way from all that now. The whitewashed walls and private green alcove make it super welcoming and peaceful.
Elena Schmitt, Margot Lecarpentier and barmaid Elise Drouet (all of whom are ex-Experimental Cocktail Club) serve the finest, well-balanced cocktails. There’s the Rhydypandy (Ocho tequila, Drouin pommel, fresh fennel juice, maple syrup and lemon) or the Bérégovoy (30 & 40 calvados, Ferrand cognac, Madeira Verdelho, Dry Ferrand curaçao and Scrappy's orange bitters). To avoid total knockout from all that booze, head for the edibles, such as the terrine with gherkins and Thierry Breton’s pain de campagne (€8).