Hello sun – we’ve missed you in Paris! That is what the many thousands of people who were sitting basking in the glorious hot sunshine, even at 20h must have been thinking on Friday 7 June! When there is sun in Paris, forget about sauntering to a bar with a terrace and hoping to find a spare seat. There are none. I wonder if there are professional terrace seat keepers – if not – there may be a market for them!
In any event I do not like to sit in the sun and drink. I prefer the shade, with a little breeze where I can sit and observe. For my second solo apero at 20h, I came across Mems in the 10eme arrondissement not far from Canal St Martin. All the tables on the pavement were taken but I spied the banquette just by the floor to ceiling doors that had been opened all the way. For me that is the perfect seat, I feel as if I am sitting outside but without the sun beating down on my head. From my seat on the banquette I had the perfect vantage point to see the bar styled with the big lampshades, designer fabrics.
However there is a negative side to coming to a bar which serves food, the service is achingly slow or should I say they seemed to have forgotten about me. I waited 20 minutes whilst the table next to me were served their food, another party sat down and served drinks on the terrace. I finally got the server’s attention and ordered my longed for – what better drink to drink in the sunshine but a glass of chilled rose – and then I waited and waited. It did finally arrive. Not as chilled as I would have liked but I dare not ask for any ice cubes, goodness only knows how long that would have taken!!
In any event, I sat back and listened to tunes from the 1990s to the present day and inhaled the hot summer air and said a little prayer “please sun stay awhile, we like having you around”.
All in all it was a very pleasant apero aside from the achingly long wait to be served but I was given a choice of tables and just left to sit and enjoy the atmosphere!
Mems
1 rue de Marseille, 75010
Metro – Jacques Bonsergent (line 5)
My glass of tepid rose was €5!
