"Considering its location is a bit beyond the center, this is a great destination for seeing “the real Paris.” Start (or end) the night here with a friend or a date before or after popping over to any number of the neighborhood’s popular restaurants. Margot Lecarpentier—Paris’s “most influential bartender” as dubbed by the World’s Best Bar list in 2020—calls Combat, her first bar baby, a "cocktail bistro.” While it’s definitely not your typical swanky speakeasy, it’s not a total dive either; it’s somewhere in between, a real neighborhood gem beyond the saturated tourist sites. (Though, you actually can see the tip of the Tower from the top of busy rue de Belleville.) You’d be forgiven for walking right past the bar’s black and white exterior since it blends seamlessly into the block’s gritty and eclectic mix of businesses from dim sum spots to organic épiceries. Considering Lecarpentier’s pedigree, you can bet the drinks here are going to be smartly crafted and super tasty: Simple, pack-a-punch options Zouzou and Nirvana are bound to tempt anyone with a penchant for unique spirits such as eau de vie (aquavit) and cachaça. Anyone from New York in the early aughts will also appreciate the addition of pickleback shots, as well as cocktail-and-snack pairings for a reasonable $16." - Sara Lieberman
