Le Ballroom du Beef Club


Le Ballroom du Beef Club, the latest venture from the guys arguably responsible for the revolution in the Paris cocktail scene, opened this week in the capital. 


Combining a street level restaurant and a basement cocktail bar and club, this is the fifth address in Paris for the trio who are behind Experimental Cocktail Club, Prescription and Curio Parlor, and who also have a cocktail bar in London and a new bar opening soon in New York. In the same vein as their other venues, the underground bar part of the Beef Club, called The Ballroom, has a speakeasy vibe - accessible currently only by an unmarked black door, the hidden away bar is dimly lit and decorated with dark colours, luxurious velvets and vintage-looking wallpaper. 



The concise drinks menu offers eight cocktails (from €12-14), as well as champagne, soft drinks, virgin cocktails and beer from Paris-based brewers Demory. As you would expect from this team, cocktails are interesting - there's not a Mojito or Cosmopolitan in sight - with options such as the delicious Salers Smash featuring long-forgotten old ladies' tipple Gentiane mixed with Champagne, Absinthe, sugar, mint and lime. The refreshing yet spicy Cucumber Fumant is also a winner. 


The Beef Club restaurant is set to open soon and will serve, as its name would suggest, a steak-based menu. Smaller snacks will potentially also be available at the bar once the kitchen is up and running. 

Le Ballroom du Beef Club
52 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001 Paris
(accessible by the black door to the left of the Beef Club restaurant)
Open 7.30pm - 2am

All photos copyright Kim Laidlaw Adrey 2012

For a more detailed review of the cocktails, check out Four Years Later: Beef Club Ballroom on 52 Martinis


13 comments:

  1. A minor quibble, but perhaps an important one here. Demory is not Paris-brewed, but brewed in Germany, though it does apparently follow an old Paris recipe.

    As a cocktail bar, it's obviously not central to their business, but it does show that they are perhaps more keen to follow fashions than to supply the best drinks. That said, where can you actually get a decent beer in Paris? Perhaps that's a subject you could look into!

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    1. Well, I for once think Demory is a GREAT session beer! Yes it is a Pilsner beer and it tastes like one. I am glad it does!
      I would describe myself as a beer geek and I also like the Cave à Bulles à lot and recommend it to every beer lover in Paris. But most of the beers you will find there, and hence most of the french microbrews, are top fermented, alcohol-heavy Ales. I also like these beer styles, but I do not think these are the types of beer that are selling well in a cocktail bar. My compliments to the guys from the Beef Club and the Ballroom for not taking in one of the standard mass lagers!

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    2. Thanks for joining in the discussion! I agree with you - firstly, I'm a big dan of Demory and secondly think it's commendable for the guys at the Beef Club to stock a more interesting beer and especially as it means supporting an independent Paris company. --Kim xx

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  2. Thanks for the link - we'll have to go try the restaurant when it's open (assuming they have some veggie options!) :)

    And just my 2 cents on the Demory subject, I think its for financial reasons not fashion reasons that it's brewed in Germany, but still according to the Paris recipe. (The other revived Paris beer that I know of, Gallia, is also not brewed in France) I believe that the guys behind it are working on getting financing for bringing the brewing to Paris in the next few years. (and I've heard you can get some good beers at cave a bulles in Paris - I'm not an expert, but that's what beer friends tell me)

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  3. Hi James,

    Thanks for the comment - I've amended the post accordingly. Demory are nevertheless a Paris-based company and I think that's interesting in itself. And as Forest points out, it seems they are trying to get the funding to reinstate a brewery in Paris.

    I disagree with you though: the guys behind this venture don't seem primarily concerned with what's fashionable - I think that bringing the best drinks to their customers is their very raison d'etre. The cocktails are quite quirky --especially the Salers Smach I mentioned in the post which users deeply unfashionable Gentiane--and they want to create a club vibe where people don't just order the standard bottle of vodka for their table, but sample something all together more interesting. Check it out - you might be pleasantly surprised.

    As for beers - I'll keep it in mind for a future post and will let you know!

    Forest - thanks for the comment and indeed for an excellent evening!

    --KLA xx

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  4. Hi there,

    As president of the Paris Homebrewers Club (and therefore credentialed beer geek) I have to chime in to say that I've never heard of Demory. Have they started brewing recently? Re the German-based production, contract brewing isn't unheard of (Craig Allen (Agent Provocateur, Cuvee d'Oscar) does it with De Struisse and his beers are great.

    Looking at the website, it seems like an awful lot of money went into the marketing for something that none of us has ever heard of. Not usually a good sign.

    Finally, re Cave a Bulles, there are some lighter options available (Perle (5.4%) is really nice if you like sessionable stuff. Based on Anonymous' reply to James, you might want to check out Brewberry, as Cecile has a nice selection of session ales from around the world.

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  5. Oh and I should add, Yves-Marie le bourdonnec is the fournisseur behind Beef Club, so if you have ANY doubts about the quality that'll be there, leave it at the door. I cannot WAIT to go.

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  6. Hi Phil,
    Thanks for your comment.
    It's funny how a post on a cocktail bar can elicit so many comments about a beer! Personally, I'm a fan of Demory and they are stocked in several interesting restaurants, bars and cafés in Paris and sold in some pretty decent off licenses, too - so it's surprising you haven't heard of them, given your interest in beer. Try it out and see what you think!
    Thanks for stopping by on the blog and for your comments.
    KLA x

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  7. For more beer, check out Brewberry for an excellent bottle selection you can take out or drink there, or L'Express de Lyon for beers on tap...they have 3 rotating microbrew taps but are expanding to 5-6 soon, and have the classic belgians on tap (chimay, chouffe, bernardus etc)

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  8. I like their cocktails especially the cucumber one but my favorite cucumber cocktail is in the Castor Club. A new cocktails bars in rue Hautefeuille in Odeon. You should definitely try it!! I'm a big fan of your blog!!

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  9. For beer head to Cave a Bulles beer shop, and then to La Fine Mousse beer bar for great beer served til 2am.

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