Le Mary Celeste, Paris

If you walk past Le Mary Celeste bar in Paris, you’re likely to mistake it for a café/restaurant albeit for the neon sign outside.

Named after the mysterious ship that was found in the open sea abandoned by its crew, Le Mary Celeste is the latest venue by the team of Glass and Candelaria, one of the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2013. Located in the north of the Marais, the venue occupies a corner on the intersection of rue des Commines with rue Froissart.

Large windows, exposed brickwork and a central semi-circular bar make up the style of the venue. The ambience is lively, boisterous at times and friendly whether it is among patrons or staff.

A solid 12 cocktail list (12 to 13 euros) entices with a an eclectic choice of spirits. Don’t Feed the Monkey combines Monkey Shoulder with Laphroaig, peanut syrup, lime juice and sesame oil while La Mauvaise Herbe delights with Grappa Marolo, Xeres oloroso, dry Curacao Ferrand, lime and maidenhair fern syrup. Rain Dog tempts with a mix of Bourbon Four Roses Small Batch, Amaro Diesus, maidenhair fern syrup, mint and lime juice. If cocktails aren’t to your taste, you’ll also find Brooklyn beer on tap and a solid selection of natural wines.

But the purpose of this fleeting visit is not to review this bar but to meet in person for the first time, my counterpart in Paris, Forest of 52 Martinis. As cliche as it sounds, a Martini was in order. With a choice of three gins including The Botanist and Hendricks, a Death’s Door Martini tempts the most. It comes very chilled with soft ice along half the rim of the glass, and goes down too easily.

Le Mary Celeste is also known for its oysters with an oyster happy hour. Much like Sydney counterparts, it has embraced the small plates concept with bar bites to share (6 to 12 euros) such as tartare de boeuf and brandade de cabillaud.

Compared to many Sydney bars, Le Mary Celeste has a café/wine bar vibe than a cocktail bar. But this is no criticism. It’s a friendly, buzzy and welcoming space in which to enjoy a cocktail or a few.

Photography © by Corinne for Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved.

Le Mary Celeste
1 Rue Commines, 75003 Paris, France
Metro: Filles du Calvaire (Line 8)
www.lemaryceleste.com