One of Paris’ most unique bars.

Where would you picture a warehouse turned into a shabby-chic bar directly on the canal, filled with plants and vintage furniture to boot? Berlin? Brooklyn? What about Paris?

On the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin, Le Comptoir Général is truly unique in a city where bars and restaurants are oh-so classy and chic. The entrance looks like an old-fashioned hotel; the main room a tropical island fantasy; the patio, a Mediterranean village square; and the bar is approached via a kitschy 1950s Hollywood villa. It’s a place to dream and escape, not only a cocktail bar, but a restaurant, greenhouse, coffee shop and even thrift shop, too.

Bar Crispin has transported the scene of a quintessential Parisian pavement terrace into the heart of Soho. There are a handful tables inside, sure - high and zinc-topped, no less - but it’s the cosy terrace out the front under an extremely powerful heater, where people grab a glass of natural wine after work or a couple of small plates later on, that is irresistible.