Iconic Paris bar Le Syndicat has teamed up with some of France’s most acclaimed chefs to create its new cocktail menu, “Sous La Même Étoile”–meaning “Under The Same Star”. Known for pairing French ingredients and heritage with hip hop, the bar’s latest menu sees it dig even deeper into its roots by exploring the point where mixology and gastronomy meet.
In total, six chefs worked closely with Thibault Massina, Director of Beverages at Le Syndicat, and Head Bartender Romain Aubert to create two cocktails, designed to reflect their styles of cuisine and influences on their careers. The list of collaborators includes Amaury Bouhours, executive chef of two Michelin-starred restaurant Le Meurice Alain Ducasse; Michel Sarran of the gastronomic restaurant Michel Sarran, Toulouse; Adrien Cachot who is known for bringing traditionally “unpopular” produce back to the kitchen through his innovative cuisine at Le Perchoir in Ménilmontant; Amandine Chaignot, who has worked in five-star hotels and now has two restaurants herself, Pouliche and Café de Luce in Paris, continuing to grow her reputation as one of the greatest French chefs; Pierre-Jean Quinonero of Burgundy Café, and Louise Bourrat winner of Top Chef France 2022.
The new menu pushes the boundaries of traditional cocktail making by combining the knowledge of Le Syndicat’s iconic craftsmen with the vision and sensitivity of the chefs. The result is unforgettable cocktails which blend food and drink seamlessly, combining the best of both worlds.
The menu opens with the SYP (Cognac Rémy Martin 1738, fermented seasonal plants, artisanal honey), which has been created by Amaury Bouhours. The welcoming and delicate floral drink represents the ‘rince-bouche’ (mouth-rinse) which Amaury uses in his restaurant to prepare guests for a tasting experience. Following on in Amaury’s style of cuisine is the Côté Obscur (Gin nouaison, gentian liqueur, sweet Jurançon, artisanal honey, black grapefruit). Though presented like a decadent and innocent bowl of ice cream, this bitter tasting cocktail is far from child-like.
Michel Sarran’s cocktails are up next – his menu at his restaurant in Toulouse is inspired by Latin cuisine which is friendly and respectful and represents the values instilled by his mother. Paying tribute to Catalan culture, the SïNDRIA (Bellevoye white whiskey, cigar-infused dry rancio, watermelon) celebrates Michel’s legendary cuisine and his beloved cigars. His second cocktail, the Pica Pica, is created using three staple ingredients – sheep’s cheese, violet flower jam and Haute-Garonne wine, which reflect Michel’s roots and cuisine. The ingredients are blended in clarified red wine and violet flower punch, topped with a ginger and brebis bechamel mousse – a true gourmet cocktail.
Adrien Cachot is known for bringing unpopular produce back to the kitchen and, to ward off scepticism, his menu remains undisclosed until the end of the meal when guests are told what was featured in their dishes. To pay tribute to the chef’s art of surprise, the team have created the HOLY G (3 Rivères Cannes Brûlées, 3 Rivères 55 Origins, white absinthe, toasted coconut water, clarified lime, habanero pepper) a trompe l’oeil cocktail with vivid tastes and spirits. Continuing Adrien’s medley of gustative staples, meaty flavours and disruptive tendencies, the OSSA, is made using Grey Goose Vodka and is the last nod to the chef’s serving ritual with the full recipe being disclosed after the tasting.
Next up on the Le Syndicat menu is Amandine Chaignot, her rich and generous cuisine holds plants and vegetables in high regard. GET THAT BREAD! centres around one of her staple ingredients, unleavened buckwheat bread. The lack of acidity in the loaf is paired perfectly with amber vermouth St Raphaël, a subtle mix of botanicals and white wine, crowned with a creamy buckwheat mousse, transporting you straight into her bakery. The KISSIN’ PINK represents her time spent as a pharmaceutical student; a herbalised daiquiri infused with dills, oxalis and oyster leaves, creating a decadent combination of acidity, freshness and iodine flavours.
For those with a sweet tooth, Pierre-Jean Quinonero’s cocktails represent his rich yet lightly sweetened desserts, which he serves at the Burgundy Café. He recently won the Best Coffee Desert title for the Lebey Guide with a whiskey, cardamom and coffee-based creation. But first, coffee! has been created as a tribute to this, using Calvados as a base to highlight its round and fruity flavours, which is garnished with a trail of cardamom powder. His second cocktail, which is shown on the menu simply as a peach emoji represents one of Pierre-Jean’s staple deserts and singular methods. The fruit and spice association is represented in this pistachio sour with apricot and Cognac, a liquid replica of the desert which is served in a small cup and dressed with pistachio dusted mousse.
Last up is Louise Bourrat, Top Chef 2022 winner, who brings an irreverent approach to cooking. The I know I can is dedicated to her and the milestones in her life – the childhood taste of corn flakes, adolescent scents of marijuana and adult life tainted with miso. To reference her irreverence, all these memories have been layered into a cocktail using corn flakes lactoserum, CBD infusion and miso-based preparation. Following on a theme of Louise’s life, the Astras peridas cocktail takes guests on a journey back to her home country of Portugal and the Portuguese coast, with a Martini that conjures thoughts of the sea. The cocktail is salty yet sweet and perfectly matches the roundness of smoked butter, the freshness of L’Acrobate Gin and the iodic oysters note.
The menu itself has been designed to look like a film roll, capturing every essence of the cocktails and their creators. Each section opens with a short description on the cocktail and the inspiration behind it, providing an insight into the chef’s cuisine style and background. Each cocktail name has been handwritten by the chefs – adding an extra layer of personal touch. The cocktail pages themselves display a main colorful image of the drink, which demonstrates Le Syndicat’s classic playful menu style. This is surrounded by small black and white images, in a film roll design, showcasing each stage of the cocktail making process.
For more information on the Le Syndicat menu or to make a reservation, head over to the bar’s official website.
In July, another iconic Paris bar, Little Red Door, unveiled its latest menu, Flourish.
That same month, Le Syndicat headed to London to take over Swift Shoreditch.
