A concept inspired by Jazz Kissa

Ever since I started working in the industry, I’ve wanted to have a bar where you can play records and listen to jazz. I met Benoît Coulomb, also known as Benoît de Bonnefamille, when I was working at the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, and he’s the perfect partner. He comes from a family of restaurateurs, and he’s also a musician. As we did our research, audiophile bars began to gain momentum in the capital, confirming that our project fit well within the Parisian scene.

We discovered the Japanese Jazz Kissa—places open all day: for lunch or an afternoon coffee. In the evening, it becomes a bar where you come to listen to the owner’s record collection. This concept became an incredible source of inspiration and guided our project, allowing us to incorporate much of what we care about.

Mesures is not just a cocktail bar.

With its extended hours, its kitchen, and its wine selection, Mesures is more than just a cocktail bar. Indeed, the establishment will be open at lunchtime—on weekdays—with a three-course menu (starter, main, dessert) at €30, designed by our chef, Cyril Pham. He has a strong background in Japanese cuisine, gained in part at Ogata and Dersou. He was also one of the first French chefs to work at Guilo Guilo.

In the evening, we’ll serve comforting small plates with a Japanese twist and occasional Western touches, reflecting the American influence at Jazz Kissa, which serves hot dogs and Caesar salads.

Finally, on weekend afternoons, we’ll stick to a single set menu, but with a refined, four-course dining experience. Our goal is to provide ambitious offerings from both the kitchen and the bar, which is why we’re segmenting our service so that one doesn’t overshadow the other. Therefore, our cocktail list at lunchtime will be deliberately limited to three Highballs: an umeshu tonic with cocoa bean, a whisky highball, and a shochu highball. These drinks are better suited for lunchtime because they’re relatively low in alcohol.

A substantial cocktail menu.

The menu won’t be overly theme-focused. However, it is extensive and divided into three parts, two of which are permanent: the signatures and the classics. I really like places that have signature recipes, iconic cocktails that customers love coming back to, such as the Rônin at Sherry Butt, the Castor Club with its Chirac 95, or Candelaria and la Guêpe Verte. Thus, I wanted a fixed section—the signatures—featuring original recipes that don’t rely heavily on seasonal ingredients.

For the classics, I’ve selected frequently ordered drinks that I personally like: Old Fashioned, Negroni, Daiquiri, Margarita, Dirty Martini, and Espresso Martini. They’re not variations on the classics; instead, we use the best ingredients and techniques while staying true to the original recipes. For example, for the Negroni, we’ll mix vermouth, sherry, and Madeira to get the ideal vermouth for this cocktail. We’ll apply the same approach to the gins and bitters, and then cook everything sous vide. But it remains a Negroni.

The last section of the menu is seasonal. Here, we have complete freedom: frequent changes, micro-seasonality… This lets us stay motivated and cater to regulars looking for something new. So there will be six cocktails per section, 18 in total. It’s pretty extensive.

Japanese ingredients, but also eaux-de-vie.

The inspiration behind Mesures calls for Japanese products. Still, even if we had a different concept, I’d probably choose the same selection. However, what might stand out compared to other Parisian bars is the strong presence of eaux-de-vie: sloe, wild raspberry, Gewurztraminer marc… Many people have preconceived notions about them, but once they try them, everyone loves them. They’re great to work with in cocktails because they’re exuberant and aromatic, yet easy to use—unlike sake or shochu, which are more delicate. You can detect an eau-de-vie immediately, and you can even serve it by the dash!

An ice format tailored to each cocktail.

We’ll pay special attention to ice as well. The Nice Company delivers our cubes and rectangular blocks, after which I’ll cut them to fit each cocktail, using an ice pick or a knife. This matters because it creates big differences in the speed of dilution. When you shape the ice into a sphere with the pick, little irregularities melt fairly quickly, and then the rest holds its shape, perfect for certain cocktails but not for others. If you don’t want any dilution, you’d form a slightly different rectangular shape, removing as many edges as possible to minimize rough surfaces. It’s a bit empirical, a product of practice, but it’s proven effective.

Interaction with the kitchen.

The chef, Cyril Pham, is one of the people I enjoy talking with the most. Even though the bar can be quite hectic, you eventually understand how other establishments operate. Meanwhile, a chef doesn’t work with ingredients the same way. Plus, the bar has different tools at its disposal. The synergy between the two was immediate; many of the same preparations can be used by both the bar and the kitchen. It’s very stimulating for creativity.

Ultimately, on weekends at lunchtime, we’d like to offer a more advanced pairing. The cocktail would move beyond the usual frameworks—very low in alcohol, almost like a broth—and would be an integral part of the dish. It wouldn’t be a standard pairing as such; rather, the plate would combine both solid and liquid elements.

Music: a similar level of commitment.

For us, music is essential in any establishment. True to the spirit of Mesures, we want to take it up a notch. Everything will be analog: vinyl turntables, but also playlists on tape or cassettes. At lunchtime, the vibe will mostly be jazz, with a bit of film music, and in the evening, we’ll explore all genres. That’s Benoît’s job. We’ll invite various guests—not necessarily DJs, but people connected to music in one way or another—to share their records with us. It doesn’t matter if it’s not mixed.

Later, the team might organize cocktail or wine tastings where we play different tracks to see whether people notice differences in notes or flavors depending on musical frequencies. Taste is one of the senses most easily influenced.

Background and experience.

Before 2016 or 2017, I had no idea the cocktail world even existed. I entered the bar business to make a living and was lucky enough to be hired by two people who own one of the biggest brasseries in the 5th arrondissement. They noticed my cocktails were a bit better than other bartenders’, and they encouraged me to grow, even giving me books to help me learn more.

When we finished early, one of them would take me to cocktail bars and let me taste whatever I wanted. I was immediately hooked and realized I wanted it to be my career. Later, I joined the Castor Club, where I received training, before becoming head bartender at Très Particulier (Editor’s note: the bar at Hôtel Particulier Montmartre) for two years. Then, because COVID postponed my plans to open my own place, I was hired by Classique. I liked the philosophy there, so I loved working at that venue.

Finally, we found this location for Mesures. The wonderful part is that the two people who introduced me to cocktails provided most of the funding for it. Everything has come full circle.