Michael Landart - Maria Loca - Paris

Maria Loca is one of the most famous cocktail bars in Paris. Their focus is Rum & Cachaca. Michael Landart, co-founder, answers a few questions for us...

Could you please tell us a little bit about you, your bartending career and your bar?

I started my career in the bar industry 13 years ago at Mescaline, a Mexican bar in Paris. Then I went to Luxembourg, to the UK, Australia and finally back to Paris. Each time I was back in town, I had the same the feeling: impossible to find a cool place with a good service in Paris.

What do you like most about your job?

I am a bartender. I like to create and share either with industry people or with customers. I also appreciate the nightlife and the freedom related to this business.

Tell us about your bar, what is so special about it?

Opening a bar with a focus on Rum and Cachaça appeared to me naturally. I want Maria Loca to remain pretty generalist, but with a specific trend.

Who has been an influence and a source of inspiration for you?

I am pretty much a self learner and I like to look around. My inspiration comes from documentaries as well as travels or talks. I really love to mix things as I am myself a mix of two cultures.

What are your favorite ingredients?

I like to work with everything, but I especially like Rums and classical bitters (Angostura & Peychaud).

What is your style of cocktail?

Since I am a big fan of dry and bitter, I love Old Fashion cocktails. The simpler, the better.

What do you like/dislike about the French/Parisian bar scene?

I really like the friendship and solidarity between Parisian bartenders. It's rarely the case in other industries.

What I don't like is that some bars suffer from a lack of identity. They focus on the trendiness of their bartenders, and they forget the most important thing: service. 12 years ago a barman had not the same influence as today.

What do you like about FAIR?

I love the authenticity of their products, especially that their Rum is from Belize, it is not very common. Also I like the fact that they are involved in supporting farming communities, it really matters to me.

Since I like the philosophy of the FAIR brand, I support it and would definitely love to be able to go check by myself the impact of fair trade.

Maria Loca
31, boulevard Henri IV
75004 Paris
Discover more about Maria Loca here.