A Local’s Guide to the Best Bars in Belleville

When French friends Elena Schmitt and Margot Lecarpentier met in New York City, they bonded over their mutual love of cocktails. After returning to Paris and mixing drinks at the trendy Experimental Cocktail Club, the duo took the leap in 2017 to open their own bar in Belleville, along with Elise Drouet. Named after the old moniker for the neighbourhood and to reflect the trio’s fighting spirit, Le Combat bar serves up elegant, inventive cocktails like the Nardine, made with calvados, amaro, egg white, lemon juice and hazelnuts; and the Red Star, which consists of gin, thyme-infused gentian flower liqueur, sugar, kiwi and lemon juice. Guests can also munch on sharing plates that include burrata, terrine, olives and artichokes.

Of all the bars in Belleville, Mino has the most street cred. In 2016, Paris mixologist Jennifer Le Nechet beat 10,000 bartenders from around the world to claim the title of ‘the World’s Best Bartender’ at a major competition sponsored by booze giant Diageo. She also became the first woman to win the competition. Fast forward to 2018, and Le Nechet has added bar and restaurant owner to her CV with the opening of Mino on rue Ménilmontant in the 20th arrondissement. The decor and menu take inspiration from the Mediterranean: the space itself is bright and airy, with a colour palette of muted blue, beige and greens inspired by sea and sand, while burrata, olives, kefta skewers and Greek yoghurt feature on the menu. Cocktails are also sold in pitchers, perfect for drinking with groups of friends. One of Le Nechet’s signature cocktails is the Bella Ciao, negroni prepared sous vide with confit tomatoes and basil.

Part restaurant, part bar and part gallery, Floréal Belleville is a hybrid space that opened in late 2018 with the aim of becoming a meeting place for young and emerging artists in the neighbourhood. With its cheerful turquoise Art Nouveau facade that lights up rue de Couronnes, it’s hard to miss. In the kitchen, a roster of rotating chefs – often recruited from local talent – switches up the menu every month. Coffee is sourced from nearby Brûlerie de Belleville, which roasts its own coffee beans, while pastries come from local bakeries. Prices are kept low to make the space widely accessible: entrance is free and a pint of beer is €5 (£4.20) during happy hour. Make sure to pay a visit to the galleries on the ground floor and basement, which showcase emerging artists.

After opening Le Syndicat, now one of the buzziest bars in the 10th arrondissement, owners Romain Le Mouellic and Sullivan Doh went further east to start La Commune, giving young hip-hop and reggae fans in the 20th arrondissement a new weekend bar right in their backyard. Drinks at La Commune are made with liquors and spirits made in France, and ice is carved by hand. Going with a bunch of friends? La Commune is particularly well known for its cocktails, served in classy punch bowls. Punch Combawa, for instance, is made with Nuage vodka, fresh grapefruit and lemon juice, Corsican aperitif Cap Mattei Blanc, green-tea infusion, cucumber syrup and zest of kaffir lime.

If you’re a fan of French wine, make sure to put Cave de Belleville on your Paris itinerary. The walls are lined with a curated selection of organic, biodynamic and natural wines from all over France. And along with being a wine shop, the space is also a wine bar, meat and cheese shop and restaurant, where guests can share small plates loaded with seafood tapas, salads, open sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards. If you’re sipping on a glass that’s particularly elegant you can take a bottle home with you, or you can ask the shop expert for their recommendations.