Photo: Antoine Doyen

Some of the hottest bars in Paris are also among the most difficult to find. Speakeasy chic, which plays up the prohibition-era drama of 1920s America, has become the aesthetic of choice for an increasing number of hip watering holes. Like their counterparts in New York, these Parisian speakeasies have discreet signs and tricky doors - it helps to look good or to know someone inside. Well-trained bartenders are another thing that these clandestine bars have in common. Top-shelf liquor and inventive recipes combine to produce outstanding (and usually expensive) cocktails. Packing a punch and priced at more than €10, these are drinks to sip slowly while you watch the beautiful people go by.