.jpg)
L’Escamoteur in Kyoto, Japan
Behind an unassuming door marked with a whimsical bicycle symbol, a narrow staircase leads to a steampunk attic packed with curiosities: antique birdcages, a floating leather sofa, old-world globes, and enough gears and gadgets to make Nikola Tesla blush. This fantastical hideaway is the creation of Christophe Rossi, a magician-turned-mixologist who might just pull an egg from his towering top hat, strap on aviator goggles, and set your drink ablaze with a fireball far larger than seems safe for such a small room. The bar menu—the Book of Remedies—features dozens of inventive cocktails that fuse Japanese flavors like matcha and yuzu with global spirits. Every drink is delivered with theatrical panache: clouds of smoke, sudden bursts of flame, and a flurry of pantomimes that blur the line between bartender and alchemist. If you’re planning a visit, be sure to arrive early—L’Escamoteur fills up fast, and once inside, you’ll quickly understand why.
Behind an unassuming door marked with a whimsical bicycle symbol, a narrow staircase leads to a steampunk attic packed with curiosities: antique birdcages, a floating leather sofa, old-world globes, and enough gears and gadgets to make Nikola Tesla blush.
This fantastical hideaway is the creation of Christophe Rossi, a magician-turned-mixologist who might just pull an egg from his towering top hat, strap on aviator goggles, and set your drink ablaze with a fireball far larger than seems safe for such a small room. The bar menu—the Book of Remedies—features dozens of inventive cocktails that fuse Japanese flavors like matcha and yuzu with global spirits. Every drink is delivered with theatrical panache: clouds of smoke, sudden bursts of flame, and a flurry of pantomimes that blur the line between bartender and alchemist.
If you’re planning a visit, be sure to arrive early—L’Escamoteur fills up fast, and once inside, you’ll quickly understand why.
