26

Danico

Paris

Taking guests around the world menu by menu

Tucked away in Paris's historic Galerie Vivienne, Danico is a stylish cocktail haven that embodies the adventurous, globe-trotting vision of founder Nico de Soto. Housed within what was once the flagship boutique of fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, the space balances high-fashion lineage with contemporary comfort. Its interior design blends clean lines and bold colours with plush velvet seating, warm gold accents and a sleek marble bar top. Its discreet entrance, accessible through the bustling Italian restaurant Daroco, adds to the sense of discovery.

For several years, the creative engine behind Danico was its ambitious, conceptual cocktail programme, the Xplorer series. Each menu iteration was dedicated to a single country's culinary ingredients and liquid traditions. Past chapters have taken guests on sensory journeys to destinations like Indonesia, Mexico or Peru, where standout creations like the Leche de Tigre combined a house-made ceviche distillate with aji amarillo chili, citrus and coconut. This 2025 cocktail remains on offer and, this year, Danico celebrates its 10th anniversary with a best-of menu, summing up a decade of stellar work through 30 drinks.

One of the earliest listed cocktails is the St-Germain des Prés, a gin, St Germain and cucumber sour that made De Soto famous well before opening Danico. This delicious number's simplicity is a far cry from more recent creations, using advanced mixology techniques – such as rotary evaporation, clarification and custom fermentations – De Soto and his team now present complex, multi-layered cocktails that reimagine culinary flavours in surprising ways. Complemented by the delicious Italian fare from Daroco next door, Danico delivers a sophisticated, cosmopolitan experience.

Contact