"Located within the remodeled Hôtel de Crillon, a certified palace dating back to the late 18th century, this high-class cocktail joint was created with the intention of drawing in fashionable Parisians, and, as the name implies, ambassadors and other dignitaries. Most of the room’s original fixtures remain intact: the soaring slabs of marble walls, the fresco-painted ceiling, the gilded moldings, and the pane-glass windows draped with curtains that face Place de la Concorde. But the furniture and overall ambiance was given a contemporary facelift thanks to designer Chahan Minassian when the hotel reopened in 2017. He added a bit of rock n’ roll to four original chandeliers by draping them with metal chains and the central horseshoe-shaped bar is the perfect stage for the uniformed barmen who occasionally go all Tom Cruise performing tricks of the trade. Generally, there’s ambient music overhead, but in the evenings there’s live music—either from the grand piano, a singing duo, or even Mike D of the Beastie Boys who spun a late-night DJ set." - Sara Lieberman
