I have long had a particular attraction to Japan, a land of both tradition and daring, whether through its cinema, which I greatly enjoy, or its gastronomy. I have never set foot on the archipelago, and yet I feel quite familiar with this complex culture, which is nonetheless quite far from our own worldview. Japanese cuisine consists of numerous regional specialties: Tofu, Kaiseki Ryori (Japanese haute cuisine), Shojin Ryori (vegetarian Buddhist cuisine), Kyo Wagashi (Kyoto sweets), Sushi, Okonomiyaki, Ramen, and matcha tea.
In this article, I offer you a guide to Paris, this time focused on Japanese beverages (tea, sake, cocktails…). I have selected some great Parisian spots around this theme that I have had the opportunity to test and which I regularly add to as I make new discoveries.
Table of Contents
Japanese tea rooms
Shodai Matcha
This brand, which now has 2 locations in Paris, is a restaurant, a tea room, and a pastry shop all in one, set within a Japanese atmosphere.
Shodai Matcha
7 Rue Volta, 75003 Paris
20 rue daval 75011 Paris
Experience a Japanese tea ceremony in Paris
Below, I offer some tips and good addresses to discover a real Japanese tea ceremony without leaving Paris!
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The Cha No Yu Tea Ceremony at Maison de Thé Georges Cannon
This tea house that I really appreciate offers a tea ceremony twice a month in the Japanese space set up in its basement. The Cha No Yu is a traditional ritual in which Matcha (a powdered green tea with a very unique taste) is prepared by Hioko Korene Inoue, a tea master of the Omotosenke school. It’s an opportunity to be introduced in a small group (5 people maximum) to the secrets of one of the pillars of the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun and to learn the origin and customs of this ceremony, which is quite unique yet summarizes the spirit of old Japan well.
Maison de Thé Georges Cannon
12 Rue Notre-Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris
Price: €25 / by reservation / duration 1 hour
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The tea ceremony at the Guimet Museum
If you have never seen this place, you must go there urgently! This Japanese tea pavilion is located in the garden of the free annex (and unfortunately little-known) of the Guimet Museum, the Buddhist Pantheon. This beautiful private mansion contains an interesting collection of 200 works of Japanese art and a Zen garden. The garden, which was designed in 1991, is open to visitors when weather permits, and the wooden pavilion hidden in the middle, created by artisans from the Land of the Rising Sun, hosts the Guimet Museum’s tea ceremonies, which take place on certain Thursdays of the month.
Having had the chance to attend one during a Buddhism festival in Paris a few years ago, I keep the memory of a true spiritual journey, tucked away out of time in this magnificent Tea House.
Galeries du Panthéon Bouddhique
19 avenue d’Iéna, 75116 Paris
Price: €12 / by reservation / duration 1 hour
Where to drink a cocktail with Japanese flavors in Paris?
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Cocktails of the Land of the Rising Sun at Bar La Vue
In January 2015, the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile partnered with Maison Kouroen to celebrate the new year, called Shinnenkai in Japan. Thus, Bar La Vue offered for the occasion two unusual and daring cocktails with Uji green teas: the “Paris Kyoto” and the “Green Kyoto”. The “Paris Kyoto” is an alcoholic cocktail with Sencha tea, Chartreuse, and peach cream. As for the “Green Kyoto”, it is a soft, non-alcoholic marriage of Matcha tea, lime nectar, coconut cream, basil, and almond milk (definitely my favorite).
For the record, green tea originated in Uji, south of Kyoto, the cradle of Japanese tea since the 13th century. Its annual harvest is limited, and Maison Kouroen is today the guarantor of an authentic, perfectly organic tea. Matcha tea, ground very finely between two traditional stone mills, is incidentally used during the tea ceremony I mentioned earlier. Sencha tea, the most popular of Japanese teas, is subjected to a steam bath to stop oxidation. Then the leaves are rolled and dried. Depending on the success these cocktails met at the time of the operation, you might find them on the bar’s menu if you visit…
Bar La Vue
located on the 34th floor of the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile
Cocktail: €25
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A Japan-style aperitif at the Chinese Bar of the Renaissance Paris Vendôme
The bar of the Renaissance Paris Vendôme hotel (a 5-star Parisian hotel) offers a most original pairing: the best French cheeses in a food-sake pairing. These sakes, with fruity or “natural” flavors, take on their full meaning because they are paired with the cheeses from the Tokyoite Sanae Hisada.
The latter is one of the best ambassadors of French aging with Nipponese accents. She is a recipient of the “Grand Officier” title of the Confrérie de Camembert, “Grand Officier” of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Taste de France, and “Maitre-Fromager” of the Guilde des Fromagers (nothing less!). Her creamery, the fromagerie Hisada (47 rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris), opened in Paris in 2004, ages cheeses with a note of Asia (another good address that I unfortunately did not have time to test). This offer was available at the end of 2014, within the very intimate and luxurious Chinese bar of the Renaissance Paris Vendôme hotel, but if it met with some success, it could have found a more permanent place on the bar menu… So it’s worth checking…
Example: Parmigiano aged with Japanese Whisky, goat cheese with wasabi,…
Chinese Bar of the Renaissance Paris Vendôme hotel
4 rue du Mont Thabor, 75001 Paris
tel: 01 40 20 20 00Japan Style Aperitif Cheeses & Sake from 6 PM to midnight
Price: €20/person
Find all my restaurant tests in Paris below:
⇒ My restaurant tests in Paris
⇒ My Asian restaurants in Paris
⇒ My Japanese restaurants in Paris
MY ARTICLES BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT SPOTS IN PARIS
⇒ Toraya Tea Room
⇒ Hakata Choten
⇒ Ao Izakaya
⇒ Ramen Bowl
⇒ Kodawari Ramen
⇒ Matsuri
