An absinthe-focused cocktail bar on Rue Frochot in Pigalle that recreates the atmosphere of a New Orleans prohibition-era drinking den with enough conviction that you forget you are in the 9th arrondissement. Named after the famous Storyville madam, the room is all dark velvet, low jazz, and the green glow of absinthe fountains that drip water over sugar cubes in the traditional manner. The cocktail programme extends well beyond absinthe — the bartenders work with a full spirit range — but the absinthe service is the signature experience and the one that justifies the pilgrimage to this particular door on Rue Frochot, a street that also houses Dirty Dick and Glass within stumbling distance. The Pigalle cocktail corridor that Lulu White anchors is the densest concentration of quality drinking in Paris, and this bar is its most atmospheric room.
Location
Pigalle, Paris
Map
Insider Intel
The traditional absinthe service with the fountain and sugar cube is the essential experience — choose from their selection of absinthes, which ranges from classic to obscure. Beyond absinthe, the cocktail menu is creative and well-executed; the bartenders are skilled with all spirits. The Sazerac is a natural fit given the New Orleans theme. If you are unfamiliar with absinthe, ask for a guided tasting — the staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
After 9pm when the velvet room fills with the kind of low-lit energy that absinthe demands. Rue Frochot is Paris's cocktail corridor — start at Lulu White, then walk to Dirty Dick or Glass without crossing a street. Friday and Saturday nights are the busiest. The Pigalle location means the nightlife extends in every direction.
Rue Frochot is a gated street — the bar entrance is accessible from the street. No reservations; arrive before 10pm on weekends to avoid waiting. Cocktails €14-18. The absinthe service is the signature but not mandatory. Pigalle métro is one minute away. The same street houses Dirty Dick (tiki) and Glass (creative cocktails), making a three-bar evening possible without hailing a taxi.