A cocktail bar with a cabaret spirit

At first, we didn't have many resources, and we found this location that wasn’t very expensive (editor’s note: rue Viollet-le-Duc, Paris 9). That made us wonder what we could actually do in Pigalle.

One advantage of the neighborhood was that it already had plenty of cocktail bars, bringing in people who appreciate that kind of venue. However, the downside was contributing to the gentrification of the area, at the risk of losing part of its identity.

It's great to have craft cocktail fans around, but it ended up diluting Pigalle’s authentic vibe, given its history. So we wanted to create a bar that stayed true to the neighborhood’s atmosphere, with a cabaret flair, a strong musical focus, and a fun vibe.

Additionally, some of our drag performer friends were looking for a regular place to perform, instead of having to rent a space not really meant for that scene. We took inspiration from a bar in 1970s Berlin called Chez Romy Haag. It was a kind of cabaret run by a transgender woman and frequented, among others, by David Bowie and Iggy Pop.

A first thematic menu, inspired by a song

The menu changes twice a year. Previously, the guiding principle was driven by the seasonality of ingredients, but also by the customers’ preferences. We studied which cocktail styles were most successful to draw inspiration for our subsequent menus.

Generally, we strive to offer a wide range of spirits in our recipes, though we do give preference to gin, as many of our customers enjoy it in slightly citrusy drinks.

We also offer two cocktails on tap for just under a year, and I must say it’s really convenient and saves a lot of time.

For this new menu, I wanted, for the first time, to involve the whole team (Joseph Boley, Maelle Lagardère and Kim Milyavskaya). But then we had to figure out the best way to go about it.

Indeed, how could we find a good unifying thread for the entire menu so it wouldn’t be too scattered? I finally found inspiration in a song by Minnie Riperton called "Les Fleurs," because last year I saw a drag queen in Manchester perform to this track.

When you listen to the lyrics, it’s an invitation to be yourself, to own it and let your true nature bloom. That was in keeping with the spirit of Sister Midnight, and I asked the whole team to propose creations inspired by that song.

Logically, the new menu features floral cocktails, but not exclusively. For example, Kim created a cocktail, Le Livre Blanc, whose name comes from a book by Jean Cocteau, inspired by his first gay experiences. The recipe is somewhat floral and herbal, featuring kefir leaves, but it also includes a chili-fermented honey because many customers love Spicy Margaritas. It’s a clarified cocktail, so it’s transparent, with only a piece of clear ice, echoing the idea of being yourself transparently.

An especially attentive welcome: one step further

We are quite a niche bar, so having good cocktails is a prerequisite—so people aren’t disappointed—but it’s not enough. The atmosphere also greatly contributes to the cocktail experience.

Sister Midnight is a place reminiscent of the 70s. That’s why the first menus drew heavily on inspiration from that decade, with Galliano cocktails like the Yellow Bird.

We also offered a kind of Blue Hawaiian but made with mezcal and clarified. Even today, there’s always a nod to that era.

Thus, on the new menu, there’s the Wicked Kiss, featuring typical ingredients served in a neon glass with little red lips. Music also plays an important role, and there are always small references to it on the menu.

But for us, hospitality—providing attentive service—is central. Our clientele includes neighborhood locals, expats, but also—and increasingly—English and American tourists.

They really pay attention to that, so I think it’s important to go the extra mile and make sure they leave truly happy.

For instance, a few nights ago, an English lady was here with her family for her birthday, and I overheard she would turn 60 at midnight. So I prepared four glasses of “bubbles” so they could toast exactly at midnight. It’s a nice way to make someone’s special moment stand out. Since things are pretty tough for most people these days, if we can make a small extra gesture, it’s appreciated.

Interactions with the Red House

I’m not a partner at the Red House, but Joe Boley (editor’s note: co-founder of both places) and I wanted to open a spot together for more financial security. I love the Red House and its slightly dive bar side, coupled with good cocktails, but I wanted a more traditional cocktail bar.

The two places are therefore quite different, but they both attract a clientele that appreciates quality cocktails. When customers of the Red House are in the neighborhood, for a concert for instance, they come here for a drink, and regulars at the Sister go there for tacos, for example.

The cocktail creation process is fairly separate between the two establishments, but sometimes we chat about ideas; we may find a recipe that’s good but suits the other bar better.

At one point, we had a cocktail in common: it was created at Sister Midnight and was quite successful. Since it was mezcal-based, we figured it could fit the Red House style, and it worked well in both bars.

We mostly have the same products, with a few exceptions, but there’s less demand for whiskey here.

The importance of hosting regular events

Right now, because a lot of people are on tighter budgets, we offer a €10 Martini Monday special. Monday night is often the quietest of the week, and many people in the industry don’t work that day. So we thought of making a cool recurring event to encourage people to have a drink here.

Saturdays, meanwhile, are all about drag shows. People who drop by for cocktails are surprised to find a show, and those who come just for the performance don’t expect a full-on cocktail bar. In between are those who come for the whole experience. Now, that last group makes up the majority of our clientele on Saturday nights.

At first, neither group of customers really knew what to make of it, since offering top-notch cocktails in a cabaret atmosphere was something different. Now, people are more and more familiar with this concept, which makes me happy.

Signature cocktails

We have two signature cocktails. They’re listed among our new creations without any special labeling.

First is the Sister Midnight. By way of backstory, we visited the Montmartre museum and saw an exhibit referencing “coco” sellers. Appearing at the end of the 18th century, these individuals carried a sort of fountain on their back containing a very popular drink at the time, “coco,” which was a fresh spice mix with lemon, water, and sugar. So we created a vodka-based drink with a syrup made from jasmine tea, cardamom, and star anise. Initially, we used lemon, but now we’ve changed the recipe to serve it on tap, using an acidifying agent instead of lemon. This cocktail has been on the menu permanently since day one.

And we have another cocktail titled I Wanna Be Your (Salty) Dog, which is kind of a mashup between a Gimlet and a Salty Dog, made with gin, Aperol, grapefruit, lemon, pomegranate molasses, with a rim of Himalayan salt on the glass. It’s in the top three best-sellers since our second menu.

The Sister Midnight is now on tap, and customers love it. But the Salty is one we sometimes think we’re tired of making, yet we can never remove it from the menu. We once floated the idea with regulars, and they were adamant: it must never go! These two cocktails often make it into the top three, not necessarily during the week, but on Friday and Saturday nights, they always do.

A look at Manchester’s cocktail scene

When I lived in Manchester, pubs were dominant, where people would drink alcohol mixed with soft drinks. The city had a few small craft cocktail bars, but cocktails remained relatively mainstream and very 90s in style.

But today, Manchester is buzzing, with many bars that have opened in recent years. To name a few: there’s Schofield’s, a very traditional bar, somewhat in the vein of the American Bar at the Savoy in London. The bartenders wear shirts and white aprons, the service is excellent, and the menu mostly features classics.

Among the more recent ones, Stray opened at the end of 2023. I went there a few weeks ago on my last visit, and it’s really good. I also love Red Light, an inclusive gay bar with quality cocktails and top-notch service. We’re actually going to do a guest shift with them: they’ll come to Paris, and then we’ll go to Manchester.

From Manchester to Paris

I moved from Manchester in 2009 after studying photography. I was in a relationship, but after the breakup, I found myself alone in Paris. I needed to earn a living, because photography wasn’t enough, so I started looking for work.

As it happened, a friend of mine knew Josh Fontaine (editor’s note: co-founder with Carina Soto Velásquez of the Quixotic group, which includes, in particular, Candelaria and Le Mary Céleste). I asked if they needed someone for occasional help, and that’s how it began. I had never bartended before, only done a few extra shifts in pubs in England. Then I moved on to Glass (editor’s note: another bar of Quixotic, now closed).

Finishing work so late didn’t leave me time for photography anymore. I decided to take a break, but I again needed money and started doing gigs with Joe at the Red House. We realized we could work together, and finally I saw that, yeah, I was a bartender.

Today, I’m at Sister Midnight four nights a week during service, though not always behind the bar. There are now four of us on the team, and sometimes I can choose to do the floor, which is a bit more relaxed, letting me chat with customers.

If I could give my five-years-younger self some advice, I’d say: start working out right away, don’t wait. Take better care of your health—drink less, sleep more. When you’re both owner and bartender, you wake up in the morning, have breakfast, and get straight to work—it makes for very long days. As a result, I don’t plan on opening a new place (laughs).