Experimental Cocktail Club

The Experimental Cocktail Club opened in 2007 on Rue Saint-Sauveur, a narrow street in the Montorgueil area of the 2nd arrondissement. It was the first bar of the Experimental Group, founded by three childhood friends who went on to open bars, restaurants and hotels in Paris, London and beyond, and it is widely credited with reviving the Paris cocktail scene. The original design was by Cuoco Black, and the designer Dorothée Meilichzon redesigned the space in 2025.

The bar is small and intimate, with a discreet frontage and low lighting, and it feels like a speakeasy without the gimmicks. The cocktail menu mixes Experimental signatures with riffs on classics, and it changes with the seasons, with an emphasis on quality ingredients, house-made syrups, fresh fruit and spices and playful combinations. Gin, rum and tequila drinks were among the early favourites, and the bartenders are happy to make recommendations. Resident DJs play in the evening, with soul and disco early on and deep house later, so the mood becomes more lively as the night goes on.

The bar suits cocktail lovers, couples and small groups of friends who want a well-made drink in a sociable setting, and it is a good choice for the start or end of an evening in the 2nd arrondissement. It is not a quiet bar for long conversations later at night, especially at weekends, when the room fills and the music gets louder.

It is open every day: from 7pm to 2am Monday to Thursday, 7pm to 4am on Friday and Saturday, and 8pm to 2am on Sunday. The bar takes walk-ins only and does not accept table reservations, so arrive early in the evening for the best chance of a seat, particularly from Thursday to Saturday. Private events for up to 50 guests can be booked through the Experimental Group website. Prices are in the upper-middle range for Paris cocktail bars.

Sentier station on metro line 3 and Étienne Marcel on line 4 are both about five minutes' walk away, and Réaumur–Sébastopol is also close. The pedestrian Rue Montorgueil, with its cafés and food shops, is just around the corner, and the group's Hôtel des Grands Boulevards, Frenchie on Rue du Nil and the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement are within a short walk.