What to Order at Bar Les Ambassadeurs in Paris
The majestic venue recently unveiled a new menu of 15 original cocktails
Bar Les Ambassadeurs, bar seating / Photo: Courtesy of Adrian Houston
I arrived at Paris’ Hôtel de Crillon—the majestic 18th-century palace built at Louis XV’s request to become the residence of the Count de Crillon and his family—just in time for the unveiling of a new menu of 15 original cocktails. With its perennial reputation for uniqueness and excellence, the Crillon is an exemplar of one-of-a kind experiences, and Bar Les Ambassadeurs is no exception.
Sloe Berry cocktail / Photo: Courtesy of Cristian Barnett
Created by bar director Kevin Rigault and his team, the menu—dubbed A Sense of Taste—focuses on nature in the heart of Paris. With the help of artificial intelligence, guests can visualize the drinks via colorful mood-enhancing illustrations. The expectation grows as one waits, patiently taking in not only the alluring magic of the room but also the elegance of the fashionable clientele.
Pear cocktail / Photo: Courtesy of Cristian Barnett
The seasonal ingredients for winter were sloeberry, butternut, clementine, carrot, kiwi, pomegranate, apple, olive, walnut, chestnut, grapefruit, pear, myrtle, pine and parsnip. I began with the Sloe Berry cocktail, whose froth reminded me of the film Poor Things. Similar in taste to a Ramos gin fizz with a comforting sloeberry flavor, it is made with Monkey 47 gin, prunelle, jasmine, almond milk and cranberry. A black truffle and Comté cheese croque arrived, crispy and fragrant, and just as immediately disappeared. I restrained myself slightly when six osetra caviar tartlets with farmhouse cream appeared and instead ordered a second cocktail, Pear.
Chestnut cocktail / Photo: Courtesy of Cristian Barnett
This is how to elevate an old-fashioned with Gallic panache. Concocted with Michter’s bourbon, calvados, pear and Sauternes, this silky drink defines French elegance. But my favorite, perhaps because of the season, was Chestnut, with Don Julio reposado, cold mulled wine and a glazed chestnut crowing a hand-carved block of ice. Following the rhythm of nature, Bar Les Ambassadeurs is an eternal heaven.
