Hidden behind the kitchen of Hotel 1K’s Peruvian restaurant, INKA, La Mezcaleria brings Mexican-inspired food and drinks to Paris’s always fashionable Le Marais. The speakeasy style bar’s namesake spirit sits centerstage, but the food and artful decor brings a certain je ne sais quoi that makes La Mezcaleria one of the French capital’s best hideaways.
With low seats and splashes of bright color, La Mezcaleria presents itself as a rowdy den, somewhere between your successful friend’s Baja vacation house and a cowboy-style saloon. Armchairs with Aztec prints show the type of attention to craft that the watering hole gives to every element. The menu itself is a work of art–and is purchasable–featuring Latin American-style drawings and poetic summaries for each drink.
When it comes to beverages, it’s Mezcal first. From colorful flavored varieties to the more traditional smokey, leathery drams, there is no shortage when it comes to available shots/sips. Cocktails are truly a spectacle from ordering to finishing. The La Sustancia (Mezcal koch espadin, otto’s vermouth, hibiscus, Tempus Fugit Cacao, orange, veuve clicquot carte jaune) comes presented with the poem, “orange champagne / bright hibiscus lips / loaded ammunition, / expensive bullet tips. / bring her a puppy, / a glossy eyed toy/ bring her a young one / to bring her joy, / bring her an 18yr old, / horny, insecure boy. / bring her something pretty something she can destroy.”
Speakeasies are nothing new in Paris–nor is the city’s obsession with Mezcal–but La Mezcaleria manages to bring an edge to its bar. They put thought and care into everything they present, and create a space that is as comfortable as it is unique. If you have Mezcal on the mind and are looking for something a bit different than your usual cocktail bar, La Mezcaleria is definitely worth the stop.
Find It Here:
13 Boulevard du Temple
75003 Paris, France