CANDELARIA COCKTAILS

Un D E Rgro Un D Cocktai L S

e talented trio behind Paris’s speakeasy-style Mexican taco and cocktail bar, La Candelaria, have launched two other award-winning nightlife venues in Paris: the hip hotdog and craft beer venture, Glass, and a smash-hit third venture in Le Marais, Le Mary Celeste.

When you first arrive at the Mexican-inspired La Candelaria, simply look for the crowd of Parisians spilling out into the street while snacking on Mexican tacos and sipping cold Mexican cervezas. Open for lunch and dinner, the brightly-lit front canteen space, indicated by the bright pink neon ‘TACOS’ sign in the front window, has only one communal table and a diner-style standing space that fills up quickly in the evenings. Hidden away behind an unmarked door at the back of the restaurant is La Candelaria, a sultry, prohibition-style cocktail bar which was awarded the “Best Cocktail Bar in Europe” in 2013. This clandestine bar is headed up by former mixologist from the Experimental Cocktail Club, Carina Soto Velasquez, her husband Adam and their partner Joshua, who serve an enticing list of wellcrafted cocktails along with “guest” cocktails contributed by some of the best bartenders in the world. Following the success of Candelaria, the team have followed with two other fantastic nightlife spots in Paris: Glass, with its quirky blend of retro disco balls, potent cocktails and moreish hot-dogs situated in the SoPi district (southern Pigalle), and Le Mary Celeste, which o ers an expertlycurated drinks list, fresh oysters and tasty sharing plates.