Quicktake: Frequence bar has a great combination of cocktails, vinyl, food and weekend DJ’s for a little something for everyone.
I was just talking about how the Paris cocktail bar scene has gone through the usual growing pains and came out the other side with a fresh crop of bars opening in the last few years, and today I present another good example with Fréquence bar.
Fréquence bar combines cocktails and vinyl, which are two personal passions of co-owners Matthieu Biron (previously of Andy Wahloo) and Guillaume Quenza (previously of Sherry Butt)
The Fréquence bar menu features seven creative cocktails at 13 Euros with a nice range of base spirits. I’ve long said highballs are underrated so it’s great to see a section dedicated to this tall and bubbly style of cocktail. Fréquence bar offers a classic whisky highball alongside an umeshu highball and several more unusual options at prices from 8 to 10 Euros. The menu has a Japanese touch that can be seen in some of the ingredients, the highballs and other offerings like saké and Asahi beer by the can.
With an ex-Sherry Butt co-owner, it’s no surprise to also find a healthy list of whiskies on the menu with a few dozen different references. And like all respectable bars these days they offer two interesting non-alcoholic cocktails. Remaining on trend, they also have one pet nat and one cider available.
If you’re looking for a classic they also have a sous-vide “matured” negroni and vieux carré. I can testify to the tastyness of both. And martini lovers, fear not! They can also stir up classic dry stirred up with style. As another testament to the skill here, Frébar also quence hit my list of Top Five Cocktails of 2018.
Now for the other standout aspect of this hip little spot: the music. Rather than bottles, a cool collection of LP’s lines the backbar. These guys focus on the musical sounds of motown with soul, gospel, funk, reggae, disco and afro. DJ’s come in to spin and the place stays open until 4am on weekends.
Finally, the kitchen is open from 7pm to 11pm for their small food of classy bar snacks like ceviche, roasted fennel & ricotta, and falafels at pocket-friendly prices ranging from 7 to 10 Euros. I highly recommend treating yourself to a cocktail and a plate of the karaage (Japanese Fried) chicken. Excellent stuff!
The decor is casually stylish and unpretentious. Floor to ceiling windows let in lots of light, while distressed wooden floors and tall stools give it a scandi-brooklyn feel.
In short: This is well worth a stop early evening for a drink and light snack or latenight weekends for a party vibe. They’re one to watch and earned their place on the 50 Best Discovery list, which is a good indication of up and coming food and drink venues around the world.
And, if you’re a fan of mixing music and mixed drinks, you might like to read more about Move-On in Florence and Moebius in Milan, two cocktail bars I visited recently with record shops inside.
