Le Calbar

Rejoice, ladies: In this bar, the waiters sport their underwear – and not much else – with pride. The idea came to Christophe Thierry after a well-oiled evening between two young colleagues in the luxury hotel sector. ‘We were looking for a playful, fun concept. We also wanted to set up a cocktail bar with the ambiance of an American bar during Prohibition, while staying chic,’ says Thierry with a big smile: he has teamed his underwear with apron, braces and bow tie. The décor of the former wine bar recalls a New York loft, with bare bricks, street art and wooden furniture. You have to climb a caged stairway to find the lounge furnished with comfortable Chesterfield couches and post-industrial coffee tables, hip-hop and electro on in the background.

Those into their cocktails will find much to please on the menu; €11 drinks come with premium spirits like Monkey 47 (a 1986 German liqueur with 47 ingredients), Nikka (a Japanese whisky) or even Tanqueray Ten (gin made from fresh fruit). Expect to pay €5 for a glass of wine, €3-€7 for beer and around the €10 mark for a club sandwich.

There’s no happy hour, but a monthly apéro where underwear as outerwear is a prerequisite for both sexes (free dressing room available) to get hold of the special cocktail, the Dagobear.