Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Montmartre, Bar Hopping in the 1st



Last Tuesday, Chris and I set off walking all the way to Sacre Coeur.  It was a great walk and we really worked up an appetite, so we treated ourselves to an afternoon apertif and some delicious escargot at Chez Plumeau, in Montmartre.  Next we headed to Espace Dali, one of my favorite museums in Paris.  I expected to love Dali's Don Quixote works, but I liked his Alice in Wonderland series even more.  The descriptions of Dali's life and thoughts behind his masterpieces were very informative (and in English!) and the gallery even had a few pieces for sale.  
After Dali, we took a stroll back down through the 1st, looking in all the windows of the fancy boutiques.  We eventually found Willi's Wine Bar, a famous haunt for Americans.  We were unimpressed with the decor, the uncomfortable bar stools and the awkward quiet of the place.  We WERE impressed by the expansive, and not too expensive, wine list.  
Next we stumbled upon a bar called Le Nomad, a very cozy and welcoming place with a kind of safari theme.  The Hemingway vibe made us crave the Ritz's Hemingway Bar, so we went off on a mad search.
Once we got to the Hemingway Bar, we found two seats at the end of the bar.  Luckily, we got the attention of the famous head bartender Colin Field.  He was extremely helpful all night.  He is known for being able to read people and know what kind of cocktail they might get.  He got us both dead on for several rounds, anticipating perfect cocktails and dreaming up fanciful concoctions.  All the while, he kept us entertained with his vast Hemingway knowledge.  This was by far, the greatest bar I have ever visited.  

Cheers!

Above is a picture of us in Montmartre and another of the view of the rest of the city.

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