Harry's Bar in Paris: a century-old bar with many unusual anecdotes

For over 110 years, Harry's New York Bar has been bringing life to rue Daunou in Paris's 2nd arrondissement. A legendary and mythical establishment of American origin, Harry's Bar was literally dismantled from Manhattan's 7th Avenue in New York and reassembled on rue Daunou in Paris. Considered one of the first cocktail bars in Europe, Harry's Bar opened its doors in the City of Light on November 26, 1911.

Behind the counter is the famous Scottish bartender Harry MacElhone. He took over the establishment in 1924, later handing over the reins to his son and then grandson. Today, the MacElhone family is still at the helm of Harry's Bar. Franz-Arthur, born on June 16 (1988) like his great-grandfather Harry (1890), is now at the helm.

Proof of its renown, Harry's Bar is famous for having given birth to several cocktails that have become true classics of the genre. These include the inimitable Bloody Mary, the Side Car, the Blue Lagoon and the White Lady, to name but a few.

But Harry's Bar is also known for its many unusual anecdotes. Did you know, for example, that it was the first bar in Paris to offer Coca-Cola to its customers? Continuing in the American tradition, the cocktail bar also served the first hot dogs in Paris, having purchased a machine dedicated to these famous " hot dogs " at the Chicago International Exposition in 1933.

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Harry's Bar 's reputation at the time was well established, and its regulars included such luminaries as fashion designer Coco Chanel, writer Jean-Paul Sartre and adventurer Ernest Hemingway. In fact, the establishment has decided to affix a metal plaque in tribute to the American author on its favorite stool. Italian boxer Primo Carnera also passed through Harry's Bar, to the point of donating his gloves to the establishment in the 1950s. They hang proudly in the bar.

In 1953, Harry's Bar decided to install a television set in its premises so that customers could watch the coronation of Elizabeth II in Great Britain live. But the owner soon noticed that the room fell silent. Worse still, no one was drinking during the broadcast. So, considering the television an anti-convivial object, the bar owner decides to turn it back on only at election time.

Speaking of elections, Harry's Bar is also famous for having introduced dummy voting back in 1924. The idea? Starting a month before the official voting day in the United States, this system enabled Americans visiting Paris to vote. Provisional results were posted regularly on the bar mirror. Dubbed the " straw vote " , this event celebrates its 100th anniversary this year! And Harry's Bar's straw vote is renowned for its reliability. Since its launch in 1924, Harry's Bar has only got it wrong twice!