Buddha Bar Paris

Words by Simon Difford on 17-Nov-2015

Address: 8 Rue Boissy d'Anglais, Paris, 75008, France
Tel: +33 1 5305 9000
Website: view Buddha Bar Paris’ website
Style: Restaurant bar
Food: Set menu

Review

If you've never been to a Buddha Bar, you've probably listened to its chilled ambient music at some point - a fantastic example of a brand extension if nothing else. This lost temple to decadence may not be the hip 'must visit' venue it once was but we've enjoyed the ambiance, food and drinks served in its gallery bar.

Reached from a street that's closed to traffic (the American embassy being just across the way) Buddha Bar is set in a voluminous basement presided over by a huge golden Buddha, with the main dining space on the lower floor overlooked on all four sides by a large galleried space, on which a long bar - with a dragon's head and tail at either end - takes up the entire far side.

A huge collection of spirits is matched by a decent collection of fresh herbs, spices, bitters and elixirs. While pricey the cocktails combined some interesting ingredients and on the whole deliver on taste.