In our newest series, ‘Parisians reclaim tourist hotspots’, after Montmartre and Chez Eugène, we now turn to the Saint-André-des-Arts neighbourhood – and the cocktail bar at Hôtel Dame des Arts. If you’re keen to dodge overpriced paninis, watery beer and groups of Brits who’ve overdone it, stride confidently into this stylish hotel, opened in 2023. You could stay in the neo–Art Deco courtyard, designed by Raphaël Navot, with its flame-blackened wooden floors, oak wall panels, and midnight blue velvet banquettes – but any self-respecting Parisian knows where to head (up). Take the lift to the 5th floor for one of the most mind-blowing rooftops in the Left Bank, if not in Paris.
Notre-Dame feels close enough to flick a cigarette at; to the other side, the Eiffel Tower slips between the Saint-Germain bell tower and the dome of Les Invalides, all rising above a sea of pristine rooftops (well, it is the 6th arrondissement). Never used the panorama setting on your phone? Now’s the time.
Once you’ve soaked up enough of the view, dive into the cocktails. The menu is short and sweet – three with alcohol, three without. Start with the Uno Mas (€18), a tasty twist on the Tommy’s Margarita with tequila, agave syrup and cardamom, served with a pinch of salt and a sage leaf. The Shakerato des Arts (€16) – a refreshing little bomb of Select, lemon and orange blossom – is a crowd-pleaser. Sometimes it’s good to be a tourist in your own city.