Widely known as one of the 20 best bars in the world, Le Lion is located behind locked doors and secret passageways, open only to those who have made a reservation. The ground floor was originally a lounge where the bar and bartenders worked discreetly.

Thick, sound-absorbing rugs, dim indirect light, oddly patterned wallpaper - and as a visual attraction, a giant metal lion, set against the wall behind and protect those sitting at the bar. Le Lion (full name “Le Lion - Bar de Paris”) offers luxurious five-star service and perfectly crafted cocktails in a comfortable intimate setting. This is not a place where all guests are required to sit, which can be seen in the lack of tables in the ground floor lounge center. On weekends, guests come here very crowded and they often stand around to chat.

The "Bar de Paris" part of the name is the origin of this bar. Le Lion started out as a tiny room, one across the street from the first floor of Café de Paris. Renowned bartender and restaurant manager, Joerg Meyer, and his business partner, Rainer Wendt, opened “Le Bon Lion” as a place for them and their friends to enjoy great cocktails. When news of this very special secret bar spread, it started to become a popular destination not only with locals.

A green-tinged concoction of basil, gin, lemon juice and sugar - Gin Basil Smash is a refreshing summer drink that's taking the world by storm today. Le Lion proudly claims to have invented it – and this claim is boldly printed on the sign outside the bar “The Cradle of the Gin Basil Smash”. The sign has been at Le Lion since July 2008 when Joerg created the world famous cocktail.

The Gin Basil Smash remains the best-selling cocktail at Le Lion, as well as most other bars in Hamburg and around the world. In addition, visitors can also find interesting compositions with whiskey, rare vermouth and bitters, and also heavy rum and champagne. The bartender team at Le Lion is really professional. Water is served in siphon style, martinis are served in cold glasses and with a carafe perched on ice to keep it cool. All cocktails at Le Lion are based on vintage classics and demonstrate German attention to detail.

Address: Rathausstraße 3, 20095 Hamburg

Opening hours: Monday - Saturday: 17:00 - 00:30 / Sunday: closed

Phone: +49 40 334 753 780

Email: bar@lelion.net