At the Prescription Cocktail Club, Dorothée Meilichzon has transformed a historic Parisian nightlife venue into the Cosmic Theater, a space suspended between Molière and a fortune-teller's den. Behind the DJ booth, Zoltar predicts the future. On the menu, the sun, stars, and cardinal points show the way. For everything else, it is best to consult the bartender.
At 23 rue Mazarine, the Prescription Cocktail Club has played a curious two-act play since its 2022 metamorphosis: a touch of Parisian theater, plenty of stars, and just enough cocktails to start blaming your life choices on Mercury retrograde.
Theater is no random choice here. To redesign the space, Dorothée Meilichzon went back to the 17th century and Molière’s Illustre Théâtre, once located at number 12 on the very same street. She envisioned the Prescription as a Cosmic Theater: real and trompe-l’œil drapes, trimmings, upholstered walls, cozy booths transformed into private boxes, faceted mirrors, and metallic textures. The bar itself is the main stage.
And hidden behind the DJ booth is Zoltar the fortune-teller, waiting to read the destiny of night owls. This taste for the occult goes far beyond the decor: the Prescription hosts Yi Jing initiations, tarot and tequila nights, astrological gatherings, and games of chance.
Even the current menu feels more like a relic found in an astrologer's study than a bar list. On the cover, a large engraved sun floats among the stars; around it, North, South, East, and West meet the words Cosmic and Theater. Inside, a temporary return to Earth: the Old Cuban with rum and Pol Roger champagne, the Provençale with rosemary, the Smoky Mary with mezcal and chipotle, and the Honolulu with rum and pineapple.
Yet, the venue could have had a completely different destiny. When she signed the first iteration of the Prescription in 2009, it was Dorothée Meilichzon's very first independent project. Back then, she had designed it as a small, two-story house, complete with vintage furniture, an antique fireplace, and even a bar hidden behind a bookcase.
Never forget: Zoltar knows.
Taste
Saint-Germain after dark · Rue Mazarine · Cosmic Theater · Zoltar · Scorpio season · Moon in Aquarius · Molière · Dorothée Meilichzon · Tarot & tequila · Yi Jing · Astrology · Fortune telling · Celestial maps · Red velvet · Trompe-l’œil
