Harry's New York Bar

As you swing through the saloon-style doors of the bustling bar you feel like you are stepping back in time, to a place where the air should be thick with cigarette smoke and brilliant thoughts. Whether the mythical lore of Harry's New York bar being a watering hole for great minds like Hemingway is true, or not, it is a great place to kick back with one of their signature cocktails and soak in the scene. As an American tourist, it was thrilling to see my college's pendant hung with the countless others lining the wooden walls - somehow making a graduating from a state school tres-chic. Beware, though, you won't be the only Yankee trying to charm the bartender with your American accent. Since this spot is featured in Fodors and countless other travel guides, prepared to run into a fair amount of other tourists. Still, a stop by 5 Rue Daunou (kindly, phonetically written: sank roo doe noo at the door) is the perfect way to kick off an evening...while on your way to the next, most-likely more Parisian, rendezvous.

It’s hard to think about Paris and not think about Paris in the past, Paris how it was, Paris of yesteryear. Famously in the 1920’s, many American artists and writers made their home in the French capital, partially to escape Prohibition back home, partially because the War brought them there and they stayed, and partially because -- as difficult as it is to believe now -- Paris was a damned cheap place to live. Harry’s New York Bar says a lot about each of those things. First, Harry’s has to get full marks on aesthetics. The owners have clearly gone all out to make the place feel as authentically 1920’s New York as possible, and, though I wasn’t there myself, I have to imagine that they’ve done a bang up job. This place feels like it’s from another time, even though it is habitually full of Americans talking about the progress of their current European sojourn. In addition to being very well put together, however, Harry’s is pricey. There are plenty of bars in the area that make stronger cocktails for less cash, so if you’re looking to get good and inebriated, Harry’s definitely will not give you the most bang for your euro. But if you’re in the mood for one drink, I’d say it’s worth it for the experience. Hold your drink tight, imagine Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway sitting at the bar beside you, and enjoy. Harry’s is a fun place. Give it a look. Just don’t expect too much... Frenchiness. And, if you plan on staying, bring a couple of credit cards.

So Harry's is not the place you go when you want to immerse yourself in Parisians. However, it is fun - the review is totally accurate...you feel transported back to 1920s New York, which is cool in and of itself. All of the bartenders are old men, who are pretty gruff and grumpy to you, unless you're a young woman. Because it's Paris, this somehow comes off as cute. I don't even remember if my Bloody Mary was good - I'm sure it was. I do remember loving the bartenders, identifying a bunch of very old boarding school and university pendents, and wishing we had gone when the pianist was there. I also remember leaving after one drink. It's not the kind of place to plant yourself and spend the evening, but it is a great stop on the way to other (more authentically French) spots.