‘Going out for drinks’ can carry any number of meanings to each individual. For some, it’s a way to unwind from a long week, for others, it’s a way to connect with friends. Still for others, it can be a thrill to seek new experiences. In the cozy, intimate space of Stolen Moon—the newest cocktail bar in Paris—you’ll find a space where, whatever your purpose, you’ll be welcomed as if coming home.
In this interview, DrinksWorld sat down with Ulas Baltaci and Melissa Kose, co-founders and owners of Stolen Moon to discuss the ins and outs of opening up a cocktail bar in a metropolitan city, and their vision in doing so.
What is the concept behind Stolen Moon?
While designing Stolen Moon, we aimed to capture the atmosphere that you are at home. We have worked professionally for a long time in luxury hotels in different parts of the world, in various cultures. With our multicultural experience and personalized service approach, we offer our guests an experience in an off-the-beaten-path street of Paris with our unique cocktails.
Our guests have said they forget for a moment that they are in Paris as soon as they step inside, and sometimes they feel like they are in London or New York.
It gives us great pleasure to offer them a moment that will allow them to escape from the hustle and bustle of life and get into this feeling.
Can you explain the inspiration behind your name, “Stolen Moon”?
We lived in various places before Paris, including Turkey, New York, and Florida amongst other travels.
And then when we came here we moved into an apartment in the twentieth arrondissement of Paris, and we were like ‘Oh, we can’t see the moon from the window, where is the moon?” In all our apartments before we saw the moon very clearly.
So we just said, ‘We’re gonna steal it and put it in our bar.’ So that’s why we named it like that.
You are fairly new—only just opened in 2024, and so far have a perfect score in reviews. What do you attribute this to?
I guess all the details connect. The display of our bar is super important to us, as it’s the first thing customers see from the outside, and it’s what gets photographed the most. We wanted it to be the icon of the bar.
In addition, music is very important because it complements the sense of hearing in our guests. We created our playlist inspired by our travels and the places we’ve visited, so the music is very ethnic and unique that you will not find anywhere else in Paris.
Providing a highly-personalized experience both in our cocktails and our service is also what sets us apart, with details like remembering the names of our returning guests and what they enjoyed helping them feel special.
I think the key point here is that we do our job with passion, treating the people who come here as our own guests at home, up to the last detail. Always when they leave, we walk them to the door. Just like when you host people in your house, you don’t stay sitting as your guests leave–you want them to feel they were welcome and leave on a good note.
Could you describe the inspiration and process behind creating one or two of your signature cocktails, so people can get a sense of your menu?
When designing our signature cocktails, it’s important to us that each one has a story and is a part of our experiences.
For example, when creating the ‘Who Pissed Off Niagara?’ cocktail, we were inspired by our time spent in Buffalo, New York. The Niagara River is very calm until it reaches the waterfall where it creates a beautiful mist. We wanted to replicate that effect with our cocktail, so we designed it with a blue color and a presentation that includes smoke.
Another one of our signature cocktails, ‘Mita Machu picchu,’ is designed to transport our guests to the Andes Mountains. It features ingredients such as Peruvian pisco, Aji Amarillo, and blueberry compote. With this cocktail, we aim to capture the mystique of the Andes and introduce our guests to the flavors of the region.
Each cocktail tells a unique story and carries the traces of our own experiences and journeys. This adds depth to the experience we aim to provide at Stolen Moon.
Having worked in many countries and bar scenes, what would you say is unique about Paris’ bar scene, and what is your vision for how Stolen Moon fits into that?
We believe the unique aspect of Paris’s bar scene lies in its cultural richness. Paris is renowned for its many famous bars and restaurants, and is a gastronomical capital of the world, boasting with it a diverse and vibrant drinking culture.
However, it’s true that Parisians generally prioritize wine and beer culture. They think cocktail bars are more tourist-oriented, and are necessarily a speakeasy with 18-euro cocktails. We want to change this perspective by bringing neighborhood cocktail culture to locals in Paris because being extraordinary was part of our dreams, and we wanted to achieve it within the ordinary.
Stolen Moon aims to respect Paris’s traditional drinking culture while also offering global cocktail trends and experiences, and we believe in the potential for Parisian cocktail bars to take a more prominent position, and we want Stolen Moon to lead the way in this change.
What are some of your best pieces of advice to others looking to make the transition from managing and working for others’ bars, to creating your very own? What have been surprises or challenges you’d share?
It can be a significant shift, both in terms of responsibilities and mindset. Owning your own bar brings a whole new level of commitment and dedication. Stolen Moon has become our way of life, a part of us.
It all begins with following your dreams. For those planning to make the transition to owning their own bars, my foremost advice would be to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. While I was a manager of a Michelin-starred restaurant in a luxury hotel, things were relatively easier. However, the desire to pursue my dreams pushed me to take risks and step out of my comfort zone.
Opening a bar involves going through certain steps, and with each step, you may feel a sense of relief once it’s overcome. However, the next step always proves to be more challenging. Yet, the enjoyable aspect of this journey lies precisely here—surprises will always be part of the experience.
