L’Heure du Singe

In their post-industrial headquarters in the Saint-Aubin neighborhood of Toulouse, Morgane and Nicolas (ex-Conserverie in Paris) work meticulously behind their mixing bar. At L’Heure du Singe — named after the monkey Bobby who watched over the great-grandmother’s bar in Toulouse — anything goes! Seasonal ingredients, liqueurs, pickles, homemade jams are all fair game, so long as the cocktails are good. A special mention for the very fruity Porto Rio (Magnifica cachaça, porto, lemon juice, homemade cardamom syrup, kumquat slices from Chez Folion) or the more floral Marcel et Galinette (gin, elderberry lemonade, homemade rosemary syrup, mint and lemon). And for a nightcap, try an improvised, custom-made cocktail, or one of the world’s coolest mocktails (€7): Neuf Mois Ferme!, Perette et le Petit Pot, etc. As for the snacks, there’s a plate of black truffle gouda, crisp vegetables, saucisson and Boudin from Quercy. Cocktails €9-12. DJ sets from time to time. // C.B.