Abstract Bistrot in Paris is the latest bar from the celebrated and high-concept folks behind Remy Savage’s Franco-Anglo bar group.
You may know their other high-profile endeavours: A Bar With Shapes For A Name, in London, and Bar Nouveau, also in Paris. Talented expat Australian bartender Harrison Kenney (ex-Cantina OK!, Bar Planet) is a co-founder of the bar, and here he talks about the group’s art-inspired concepts, and what to expect at the bar.
In this briefing:
- Australian expat Harrison Kenney on the new Abstract Bistrot;
- their single ingredient spirit approach;
- how they think about what a bistrot is;
- their rejection of commercially produced spirits.
BOOTHBY: How’s Paris treating you, Kenney?
HARRISON KENNEY: It’s a paradise populated by people convinced they’re in Hell.
BOOTHBY: You’ve just opened Abstract Bistrot in Paris — can you tell us about it?
HARRISON KENNEY: It’s part retro bistrot, part post-modern distillery, and not far from our beloved Art Nouveau project and sister venue, Bar Nouveau. At Abstract Bistrot we marry two worlds! The classic French bistrot, with a modern interpretation of art and flavour.
It kind of serves as the bridge between the distillery and the public, showcasing the ‘art’ in a familiar, recognisable form.