Good things take time. So we waited patiently for the creative force behind Little Red Door and Lulu White to open doors of their third venue, Bonhomie, a small plate Mediterranean inspired restaurant, coffee shop and cocktail bar. And it was well worth the wait.
The 200 square meter space is bright and chic. It’s classy without being cold with its wide-open wooden spaces and blown glass fixtures. And in keeping with the spirit of their other locations, it offers the best bar stools in town: beautiful, blue leather with high backs. Especially nice touches: the extra wide bar (providing plenty of eating and drinking space), the communal dining table (fostering an actual feeling of bonhomie) and the bar style seating around the kitchen (where you can watch the work of an ex-Frenchie chef).
Considering this group is also behind one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, it’s no surprise that the cocktail menu is a tightly curated collection of seasonally sensitive offerings. Different drinks are swapped out at various times in keeping with what’s fresh and what’s fully developed and ready for the world to discover.
Their refreshing signature drink (grapefruit juice, Suze and black salt) is sophisticated in its simplicity and also on trend with a low alcohol level. The cocktail selection offers a pleasing range of styles from the bitter and light Bonhomie to the fruity, tart and slightly spicy Last Ballet. The Coconut with Attitude takes a piña colada kinda creation to a new plane using fermented coconut water. The prices also offer something accessible for all levels ranging from 7 – 13 Euros. And, in a change of pace, a martini is made with more unusual vermouth of Mullassano.
In addition to the larger restaurant menu, the bar offers small snacks like bowls of mixed olives or Ibérico ham. They’re open early serving up their Home Sweet Home coffee blend alongside porridge and granola. There are also a fair number of natural wines on the menu for the growing number of natural fanatics. On weekends they offer an a la carte brunch menu (a bit of a rarity in Paris). They’re also shaking things up with their Super Soulful Days, a monthly event at which a guest chef and bartender are invited to collaborate on a unique lunch and dinner menu for the day. (Most recently, it was chef Alessandro Miocchi and bartender Alessandro Procoli).
Bonhomie is joining the ranks of other topnotch spots that are successfully showcasing more than just cocktails – much like in New York, London or other big cocktail centers were you can find a good size, high quality restaurant that also has a great cocktail program (to be enjoyed with dinner or at the bar). The Candelaria crew may have kick started this with Mary Celeste and Hero, but places like Danico of Darico and now Bonhomie have taken up the mantel and moved onward with even bigger spaces.
And that’s all great news for Paris. The city needs more high quality choices for those who want great cocktails without elbowing their way up to the bar or feeling through the dark for the latest hidden door. As the “full package” Bonhomie is the kind of place that will work well for a range of ages and occasions: solo drink and snack, coffee date, big, fun dinner out with friends…
So, thanks to this inspired group for creating both a “soulful playground for chefs, bartenders & baristas” as well as a most excellent option for Paris eats and drinks.
Bonhomie
22 rue d’enghien
75010 Paris
Mon – Fri 8.30 am – 2 am
Sat- Sun 10.30 – 2 am
