Just days after the French Bar Awards named Danico Best Bar in France, another major player has entered the conversation: the Bartenders’ Choice Awards, which officially made their French debut this year.
Born in the Nordics and widely respected within the industry, the BCA brings something different to the table — a list shaped not by public voting or media exposure, but by bartenders themselves.
And that change in perspective? It shows.
A different kind of recognition
The Bartenders’ Choice Awards operate on a simple idea: let the industry decide what excellence really looks like.
Votes come from bartenders, operators, and hospitality professionals across France, creating a result that often feels more insider, more nuanced — and sometimes more surprising.
Less hype, more substance.
The first BCA France winners
Here’s who took home the inaugural titles:
- Best Cocktail Bar: Mesures
- Best Cocktail Menu: Danico
- Best New Bar: Superfine
- Best Atmosphere: Harmony Bar de Nuit
- Best Bartender: Guillaume Castaignet
- Improver of the Industry: Amour Drink
- Rising Star: Tomo Watanabe
- Best Restaurant: Tempête
- People’s Choice: Danico
Danico vs Mesures: two visions of the top
If your last read here was about the French Bar Awards, one thing is immediately clear: Danico is still everywhere – just saying.
A double win (Best Cocktail Menu + People’s Choice) confirms what most of Paris already knows — few venues are as consistent right now when it comes to drinks and customer appeal.
But the BCA jury made a different call for the top spot, naming Mesures Best Cocktail Bar (quite happy about that as well!)
And that says a lot.
Where Danico represents precision and polish, Mesures embodies something quieter but just as important: a deeply ingredient-driven approach, rooted in product, seasonality, and technique. The kind of place bartenders respect as much as they enjoy.
New energy, same momentum
Beyond the headline names, the list reflects where the French scene is heading:
- Superfine winning Best New Bar confirms the strength of the latest openings
- Harmony taking Best Atmosphere shows the growing focus on experience, not just drinks
- Tomo Watanabe as Rising Star highlights the new generation already making an impact
And then there’s Amour Drink, recognised for improving the industry — a reminder that some of the most important work happens behind the scenes.
Why this matters
France didn’t just get another awards ceremony.
It got a second lens.
Because the BCA is peer-driven, it tends to reward:
- consistency over buzz
- craftsmanship over branding
- contribution over visibility
Which makes it the perfect complement to rankings like the French Bar Awards.
The bigger picture
Put both results side by side, and a clearer map of the scene emerges:
- Danico dominates in visibility, execution, and guest appeal
- Mesures earns deep industry respect
- New projects like Superfine show the scene isn’t slowing down
Different winners, same conclusion: the level in France right now is quite high.
A strong start
With over a decade of credibility in the Nordics, the Bartenders’ Choice Awards arrive in France with serious weight — and expectations.
If this first edition is anything to go by, they’ve already secured their place.
Not as a competitor, but as something more interesting:
a mirror held up by the industry itself.
Merci BCA and see you next year for another amazing gala!
Skål!
Cocktails in Paris 
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