Review: Little Red Door

First impression?
First things first: Even if you want to fulfill a childhood Alice in Wonderland fantasy by opening the little red door, don’t. You’ll risk looking like a fool when it doesn’t budge. The real entrance is through the door located to the left. Once you’ve made it through to the other side, you’ll find a warm, dimly lit space that sorta feels like a friend’s shabby chic living room. There are various seats from which to choose: velvet-covered backed bar stools (some say the most comfortable in Paris!), wide tufted leather armchairs and patchwork covered conversation chaises. The exposed brick walls add a rawness to the bar, which was a leader in the city’s cocktail craze movement when it opened in 2012. Ever since, it’s been on the World’s 50 Best Bars list every year but one.

Cool. So who’s there?
It’s a casual, but cool crowd of twenty and thirty-somethings either in groups (weekends) or on dates (weeknights). Considering its reputation and its placement on the World’s Best List, the clientele tends to be very international so those who don’t speak French need not worry.

How are the drinks?
Opened by Experimental Cocktail Club protégée Timothée Prangé and Dotan Shalev, the drinks here are beyond clever and well thought-out. The menu itself is an actual work of art with each of the 14 cocktails getting a two-page illustrative treatment by a local artist. Only the drink’s name is listed, though, as they encourage cocktail aficionados to be brave guess the ingredients upon the first taste. (But for those who don’t want to risk it, there is a card that pulls out revealing what’s inside.) They update the menu about twice a year, and drinks are served in all sorts of vessels from vintage glassware to quirky porcelain bust mugs.

Did the staff do you right?
The staff and servers seem to have as much fun as the guests—both in creating the cocktails and in serving them. They’re happy to make you whatever you’d like and would almost prefer to be told “bartender’s choice.” They’ll then eagerly await your reaction, proving they truly care about what they’re doing and how it’s received.

Wrap it up: what are we coming here for?
LRD is an approachable place to drink serious cocktails. Earlier on, there’s a great atmosphere for catching up with friends and meeting new ones (you can even reserve between 4p.m. and 6p.m.). But as the night wanes on, the music turns up. While there isn’t a dance floor, there is usually some shakin’ elsewhere than behind the bar.