The Cambridge Public House is the world’s first bar to earn B Corp Certification
This pub-like Paris cocktail den that is changing the sustainability game
10 November 2025
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Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Not quite a cocktail den, not quite a classic British pub.
Unlike many Parisian watering holes, The Cambridge Public House has carved out its own niche as a drinking den since opening in 2019. Tucked into Paris’s 3rd arrondissement, it fuses the warmth of an English tavern (think: dark wood, leather banquettes, golden light) with a distinctly French flair for precision. Here, Guinness flows next to natural wine, pub grub is paired with aperitifs, and the doors open as early as 3 pm, inviting an unhurried pre-dinner cocktail or a pie-and-pint afternoon that stretches into the night.
It’s convivial, creative, and, quietly, one of the most forward-thinking bars in the world.
Founded by Hyacinthe Lescoët (of 69 Colebrooke Row and Mary Celeste fame) and Hugo Gallou, The Cambridge was born from friendship, shared London bartending roots, and a desire to bring that easy-going hospitality to the French capital, while keeping sustainability at their core.
They’ve nailed the first part — the place hums with warmth and mischief — but it’s the second that redefines industry standards.
Interiors are akin to an English pub with dark wood and mood lighting | Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Interiors are akin to an English pub with dark wood and mood lighting | Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
If the menu is playful, the mindset is precise. Long before ‘zero waste’ became bar jargon, The Cambridge was already cutting imported citrus, using edible garnishes, and repurposing avocado stones and vanilla pods. Today, 95% of their waste is composted. They have been a B Corp-certified bar since 2024, and they publish annual ESG reports and carbon footprint assessments.
Their Community Plan, launched in 2023, goes further, embedding sustainability into every part of operations. Energy comes from 100% renewable sources, produce is organic and local, and the team supports global education projects through The Seychelles Bar Sustainability Project, teaching eco-conscious bartending across island nations. The next phase will see the team revisiting previous partner countries, including Mexico and South Korea, to deepen impact and share learnings. That outward-looking approach also led to Shaken Leaf, an online platform the founders built to help other hospitality businesses adopt greener practices.
The Cambridge Public House has a continually evolving cocktail menu that adapts to the seasons and uses locally sourced quality ingredients
| Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
The Cambridge Public House has a continually evolving cocktail menu that adapts to the seasons and uses locally sourced quality ingredients
| Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Raising The Bar
The drinks menu reads like a conversation between Paris and London. Think a Pimm’s 6.0 with rosé, vermouth, gin, and bitters; a Carrot Cake cocktail that folds cream cheese into vodka and spice; or a Silent Sky, where mustard adds unexpected depth. A rotating “Drink of the Day” keeps regulars guessing, often born from the team’s weekly creative sessions where everyone experiments, and the winning concoction lands on the menu.
Their Tiny Bevs — miniature cocktails served as a flight, are another house quirk, perfect for the indecisive or the simply curious.
True to its pub roots, the food pulls its weight too. Expect buttery sausage rolls, puff pastry pies, and small plates made with French ingredients sourced from just a few streets away. Behind the bar, sustainability shows up in other ways, too: The Cambridge also champions human sustainability by introducing a four-day workweek, comprehensive health insurance, and structured career growth for its team. Beyond the bar, 1% of its annual income goes to Paris-based charities that support local communities in need.
With its pioneering, holistic approach to both human and environmental wellbeing, and a commitment to sharing those learnings with the wider industry, The Cambridge Public House stands as a deserving winner of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2025 and ranks No. 20 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and No. 24 on the Top 500 Bars lists.
The team behind the Bar | Photo Credit:
The Cambridge Public House
The team behind the Bar | Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Yet, Lescoët and Gallou are the first to downplay the hype. “This certification doesn’t make us better than anyone else it just means we chose to do the work,” says Lescoët.
Sustainability, Served Neat
Step into The Cambridge on any given evening and you’ll find industry folk at the bar, couples on date night, and neighbours stopping in for one pint that somehow turns into three. It’s unpretentious, generous, and quietly radical.
At The Cambridge Public House, purpose and pleasure pour from the same tap — and that might just be the most refreshing drink in Paris.
Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Photo Credit: The Cambridge Public House
Author: Priyanka C. Agarwal
Priyanka is a writer, editor and storyteller. Her words have appeared on the print and online pages of The South China Morning Post, SilverKris, Her World, The Michelin Guide, Time Out, and more. She has also created custom content for leading brands like Sentosa, Mediacorp Special Projects, Asia’s 50 Best, IKEA, and Meat and Livestock Australia.
Her expertise includes food and drink, wellness, luxury and travel.