More Paris Adventures

Forest and I returned to Paris from Hamburg and immediately headed out to meet her Wednesday Cocktail Adventure group, this time at Panic Room in the 11th. As always I had a great time with Forest and her friends but the Panic Room is not some place I would put on my suggestion list for cocktails. The worst? non. But there are so many other places to go.

After 2 rounds of cheap happy hour libations our group of merry makers headed down the street to another bar called 4 Elements. The bar breaks each room up into a theme. The main bar being Fire; a semi private hang out room being Earth; the bathroom Water and the fumoir (smoking room) Air (LOL!). Again this place is all about the vibe and having a good time with your friends. When I thought out loud of getting a martini Forest's friend Jim suggested it would not be what I had in mind and I should stick to simple "on the rocks" drinks instead. Cubra Libra, done.

But not to worry we also had some very well prepared cocktails, made by bartenders who take their craft seriously and are paving the way in Paris. Pre-dinner drinks at the Experimental Cocktail Club one evening were just as good as I remembered from last year when we visited.

It took two times but we finally had some nice drinks at Le Tres Particulier. Forest has done a good job at explaining the story so if your interested you can read that here . Some cocktails were good, others ok but the setting is really quite pretty and unusual- or particular if you will- and I would go back on a warm summer night so I'm glad we checked it out.

I think my favorite spot that we imbibed in on this trip was Mama Shelter. Located way out in the 20th and tucked inside a boutique hotel of the same name, the space is funky and eclectic. The drink menu is mostly classic cocktails with some originals thrown in. Menus were clipped inside French comic books and both drinks we had were nicely made and tasty. I'd recommend it and I'd go back, it is a bit of a trek but I think it's worth it.

And of course there were cocktails at Chez Forest. Some made with Millers Gin which I brought from the states and others with Fauchon's gin which we stumbled upon while shopping at their gorgeous store in the Madeleine area. Sometimes the best bar is your own (or your friend's!)