“As long as you’re ordering, we’re open.”
After a long day of sightseeing, Ainsley and I checked ourselves into the odd, slightly dirty, and a little scary hotel we found on Airbnb. After one look at the stained white walls, circular room, and less-than-sanitary bedsheets, we had one thing on our minds: getting out of there. Despite our exhaustion and being nearly out of cash, I typed in the Google Search, ‘cheapest drinks near me.’ That’s when we stumbled upon Le Five.
A friend of mine was in the city at the time, so he agreed to meet us there. Upon our arrival, the place was dead. Behind the bar were two men, one, clearly the bartender, was explaining something to the other in French. Another man was listening intently from across the bar, while the final patron alternated between slamming his beer and then excusing himself to smoke. Needless to say, our poorly executed “bonjour” quickly distinguished us from the usual crowd.
The bartender gave us his best customer service smile and quickly switched to English. Slightly embarrassed, I asked if they were closing soon, to which he responded, “as long as you’re ordering, we’re open.”
We took a seat at one of the many vacant tables and each ordered the specialty: 6 Euro cocktails. After a nearly silent first round, I made the executive decision to befriend the men behind the bar. After striking up a conversation, I learned that the bartender's name was Marvin, and his companion was his cousin. He had been working there for a few years, with aspirations to one day own the place.
The conversation, along with the cocktails, flowed for hours.
We discussed the best and worst of our respective countries, shared stories of our travels, and taught each other slang. He gave us recommendations and shared his secrets about the city. Le Five, and its lovely staff, will always have a special place in our hearts, and is an essential stop every time we are in Paris.
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