This summer, the rooftop at the Musée du Quai Branly is home to Bramble bar. Attached to the museum’s Alain Ducasse restaurant, Les Ombres, the bar is overseen by Margot “Combat” Lecarpentier, who was selected by the chef earlier this year as the group’s Head Mixologist. And before we talk about the new name, menu or other changes from last year, let’s be clear: the view from this Paris rooftop bar is still just as breathtaking. It’s one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower, getting you real up close and personal with the Iron Lady.
Onto the drinks and other details….
Now that Margot Combat’s MCCC popup at the Meurice has successfully wrapped and the days are getting warmer and longer, the Bramble bar provides the perfect opportunity to get a taste of this talented woman’s work in a different Ducasse venue. I see some similarities between Bramble bar and the MCCC. Both elevate retro and familiar offerings through Margot Combat’s skillful twists and tweaks with a touch of fun cheek that playfully walks the line between relaxed and professional; revelry and respectability. This makes sense as a collaboration between an established, world-renowned chef and a young modern-day mixologist.
The Bramble bar menu includes 7 cocktails at 20 – 22 Euros, often based on recognizable templates like the daiquiri, negroni and martini. The most notable is the Bramora, a twist on the Bramble cocktail, made with mezcal, crème de mûre, lime, and geranium vinegar. The Bramora is perfect for summer nights – and may even serve as a getaway for those uninitiated into mezcal. A personal favorite is the Oli Martini, a vodka-based classic made better with the addition of peated whisky and olive brine, giving a more unusual depth of flavor. You might mistake this for a dirty martini, but it’s handled with more elegance than that usual briny drink.
There really is a little something for everyone with the daiquiri offering up its familiar sour profile but with an herbal edge thanks to Chartreuse and a shrub. The negroni variation delivers hints of the classic’s bitter notes, made new with a dash of absinthe and blackberry bitters. There are two non-alcoholic options, a couple of beers, and one choice each for bubbles, red or white wine.
The Bramble bar menu also offers a trio of snacks created to pair with the cocktails like chilled octopus with crispy potato sticks, chickpea fries with seaweed, fish roe tarama, and green onion oil, and breaded eggplant with eucalyptus honey and Iranian black lemon. Food and drinks are served by a solid bar staff dressed in blue, green or yellow t-shirts and paint splattered trousers that adds to the element of relaxed fun.
I very much appreciate that the menu is compact and made with care, which allows you to enjoy the stunning setting while sipping something well made, rather than belaboring and navigating a longer list of options. It’s a curated experience, in a positive way. I’m told they remain open even in the rain, which could make for a romantic mist around the Eiffel tower and the city’s iconic Parisian tin rooftops.
The menu isn’t the only change from last year, as some of the space previously occupied by the bar has been intentionally given over to the restaurant to cultivate a smaller and more personal ambience for guests coming just for drinks.
With so many Paris rooftop bars notorious for long waits and lines, Bramble bar stands out as a welcome exception, thanks to its reservation system. It’s refreshing to find such a special venue that manages to maintain an organized and accessible atmosphere and still simply wow. This combination of exclusivity and ease makes Bramble bar both unique and welcoming. The cocktails mirror this experience, offering familiar classics refined by the expertise of a skilled professional.
