Notes on an Evening at Hotel Lutetia's Bar Joséphine, Where Paris Still Plays Itself
Mandarin Oriental's Lutetia remains the only Palace-rated hotel on Paris' Rive Gauche. Writer Dan Latif spends an evening at its venerable Joséphine Bar, a historic crossroads where impressive cocktails, genteel service, and monumental interiors make it one of the city's essential stops after dark.
A Bar with a Long Memory
The Bar at Bar Joséphine. Image: via Wilmotte et Associés.
At Bar Joséphine, the bar of the monumental Hotel Lutetia, the best seat is not one of the sumptuous club chairs, and its not one of the plush sofas along the back of the room. Those are certainly comfortable, but it is better to settle at the countertop, facing the backlit marble, as close as possible to the bartender’s toolbox. There, one can examine a colorful array of bottles, elixirs, and tinctures— their reflections echoing one another. It feels like an apothecary or speakeasy under some New York train station.
But look around, and you’re quickly brought back to Paris. Since the reopening of the Hotel Lutetia as a Mandarin Oriental property, the original frescoes have been restored by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. The dowdy red carpets have disappeared and a floor of remarkably preserved herringbone is revealed. Originally built for the artisans of Le Bon Marché by Louis-Hippolyte Boileau and Henri Tauzin, the hotel retains the Parisian memory, perceptible in the smallest details. The property has absolutely earned its Palace distinction, and stands proudly as the only Palace-rated hotel on this side of Paris.
What is a Palace-rated hotel in France?
Introduced by the French government in 2010, the Palace distinction is given to hotel that represent the highest level of French hospitality, service, history, and cultural significance. Unlike a standard star rating, Palace status is awarded by a dedicated jury.
A Menu of Drawings and Details
The drinks menu immediately immerses you in the aesthetic of a nocturnal Paris, where a jazzy melody tinged with blues seems to resonate. The drawings by Serge Clerc, which illustrate it, transport you into a film noir atmosphere and give the whole an air of a comic book in the clear line tradition, elegant and slightly mysterious. Choosing a cocktail quickly becomes a dilemma. One hesitates between signatures, classics, rare spirits, and unfamiliar aromas.
The Bar at Bar Joséphine. Image: via Mandarin Oriental.
The bar extends its attention to detail to the very choice of ingredients, with a small herb garden where basil, thyme, rosemary and sage are grown. “We grow our own herbs and use them for our creations,” says Flavio Pellegrino, bartender at Bar Joséphine. The menu extends this same rigor, with equal attention given to every product. More than ninety whiskies are listed. Nothing is chosen at random: no limoncello, but instead, an acqua di cedro— rarer and more subtle.
A Unique Cocktail, Every Time
Originally from southern Italy, Pellegrino speaks of cocktails the way one might speak of a family dish. “My mother is from Naples. She passed on to me a sense of cooking, the importance of aromas and the freshness of ingredients,” he says.
“We put a small part of ourselves into each cocktail,” Flavio Pellegrino continues. Each bartender brings their own nuance, their own gesture, their sensitivity to flavors. The team also remains open to bespoke compositions, to particular and sometimes very singular requests, and enjoys improvising, always with a concern for balance.
This sensibility is reflected in the Ika Sour, one of his creations, built around oxalis leaf, elderflower, absinthe, vodka, sake, agave, verjus, and a crushed leaf blend. The recipe may sound complex, yet it is not. The cocktail remains clear, almost limpid. The absinthe never dominates, the vegetal notes bring freshness, the sake extends the palate, and the verjus adds a tension that lifts the whole. It surprises without trying to impress. A striking combination that evokes something never seen and, above all, never tasted.
Easy Bites and Musical Accompaniment
To accompany the drinks, the menu offers a selection of refined bites to share: California maki uramaki, lobster with miso, avocado and spicy sauce, lobster bao buns, Gillardeau oysters or oysters with caviar. Among the by-the-glass options are an exclusive Taittinger Extra Brut Cuvée Lutetia, Bollinger Special Cuvée, as well as Burgundy reds, notably from the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits.
As the evening unfolds, conversations fade. The gestures behind the counter draw the eye, and the marble reflects a soft light. Outside, a dusky Paris appears, where the flashing lights of police cars occasionally catch the eye through the windows and on the mirrored ceiling. Inside, the sense of time seems to dissolve. It feels as though it has come to a standstill at the Lutetia. One turns around, and nothing has moved, nothing has changed.
In this setting, one almost regrets that the Pleyel baby grand piano remains closed for the evening. The urge to play a few notes, a discreet stride, comes naturally. All that is missing is my colleague Jean-Marc Leclerc for a four-hands attempt. Another visit will be needed, on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, for the piano performances. For now, one lingers a little longer.
Open from 5:00 PM until 1:00 AM daily, Bar Joséphine is located at 45 Boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris, France. Information and menus here.
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