Perhaps the most confidential address in Paris - Le Bar à Rosés (Rosé Bar) at the Saint James Club

It doesn't get much better than this! Le Bar à Rosés (Rosé Bar) at the Saint James Club.

"Why didn't I know about this place? I've lived in Paris for eight years and I've never been here. What a waste of time. I want to move in ... tonight!" That's how Donna of Best Friend in Paris greeted me when I arrived at the Saint James' ephemeral Rosé Bar last night. Even though her rapid fire exclamations made it impossible for me to get a word in edgewise, I understood exactly how she felt. The Saint James Club is the kind of place that you really want to know about. It's enchanting!

As an ode to the days when the property served as Paris' first airfield for hot air balloons, Franco-American designer Bambi Sloan installed fanciful balloons and old-fashioned glass houses in the garden. The result is a magical terrace in the heart of the exclusive Sixteenth Arrondissement.

Terrace restaurant at the Saint James Club

The Saint James, a majestic Napolean III residence, was built by Madame Dosne-Thiers as a memorial to her husband, Adolph Thiers, President of the French Republic, in 1892. As part of the Thiers Foundation, it served as a residence for France's most talented students for nearly a hundred years. In 1986, the neo-classical mansion was turned into a gentlemen's club by a British businessman. Although it continues to function as a private club, it's also the city's only château-hotel.

Non-members are invited to enjoy the Michelin-starred restaurant serving the cuisine of Chef Virginie Basselot, the cozy library-bar and the terrace after 7:00 pm and for Sunday brunch. Head barman Judicaël Noël has created a couple of rosy drinks for the summer: the Pink Panther, with vodka, fresh strawberries, Malibu and ginger, and Paradize, with Vodka, Saint Germain, fresh passion fruit and kiwi, basil and spicy sirup.

Summertime is a time for dreams and whimsical flights of fancy. It's for long evenings spent chatting with friends, old and new, over glasses of rosé in a jasmine scented garden. Don't wait eight years to go to the Saint James Club. Go tonight, or at least before le Bar à Rosés (Rosé Bar) closes on September 30, 2014!

The Saint James Club also serves one of my favorite brunches (11:30 am - 4:00 pm) in Paris. Reservations are required. Click here to read my review: Stéphane's pick of the day: brunch at Saint James Club.

Thanks to the delightful Ruth of Smash Porcelaine and her charming Parisian husband, Joe, for joining us and making our evening even more enjoyable.

Note: I'm still trying to figure out if it would have been less expensive for each of us to get a glass of Sancerre rosé (12 euros) or a bottle (60 euros).

Click here to view more photos on Facebook.

Saint James Club
43 Avenue Bugeaud
75116 Paris
tel: +33 (0)1 44 05 81 81

Saint James Club

Comments

  1. Well, did you have five glasses of rose? That would be sixty euros. It all depends on how they pour. 5 glasses from a bottle is generous, about 5 ounces each.

    Looks magical. I'd love it there.

    jxg

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    1. You would definitely love it there! As for how many glasses of rosé we had, I don't know. We weren't really counting. ;) We only started wondering about if we should have taken glasses or a bottle after we saw the bill.

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  2. Wonderful Mary Kay! Thank you for posting this and bringing back some fond memories of The Saint James Club. As I sit in Melbourne on a cold and wet winter's day, I can only imagine sitting back on a warm Parisian evening and enjoying a quiet drop in such beautiful surrounds.

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    1. Sorry to hear that it's cold and wet in Melbourne, Baron. I wish that you could hop on a plane and join me for a "tipple" at the Saint James Club!

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  3. Thanks for sharing. Just a few blocks from where I lived in Paris and I was always curious!!

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    1. You lived in such a beautiful neighborhood, Anne! I can understand why the Saint James Club would have peaked your curiosity. You'll have to check it out the next time you're in town.

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