Here is an address which gives the measure of the transformation of the Marais. And it's enough to silence the grumpy people whose mantra is: “It was better before…” No, everything was not better “before” in the Marais. Besides, there was no American bar like Saka, which cultivates a form of excellence that can only be found in Japan.
© Bar SAKA
It must be said that the owner of the place, Frédéric, is himself a Japanese person who worked in the Empire of the Rising Sun then at Ogata (the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in the Marais) and works with his Franco-Japanese partner, Anaïs.
Since its inauguration in January, its pocket address (twelve seats) in a hidden street has welcomed lovers of elegant cocktails in a subdued atmosphere with a background of jazz and bossa-nova. The boss doesn't joke about his job: he brings in blocks of spring water ice cubes which he cuts himself and keeps in a cypress wooden bin. And everything is consistent, with constant attention to detail.
© Bar SAKA
“Respecting the ice cube is the basis of the profession since it is the essential ingredient of a fresh cocktail that simple tap water can too easily corrupt”, underlines the “cocktail freak” Frédéric, meticulous and taciturn bartender who pushes the the art of drinking to a new “level” of professionalism. As only Tokyoites continue to cultivate it.
Cocktails: €16-20. Plates of Japanese tapas: €8-10.
▼ Saka
76 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris
Thursday to Monday from 18 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
© Axel G
Text: Katia Barillot and Axel G
10.05.24
