About
Margot was born in 1987 into a family of five in the Normandy region of France, where she grew up close to the ocean. Her mother is an excellent cook, and they would prepare food and especially bake together a lot when Margot was young. She still loves to bake today and does so regularly. Margot grew up with an artistic education and spent a lot of time in museums and practicing fine arts. After graduating high school, she moved to London where she worked as a French teaching assistant for a year, before moving back to France and embarking on a Master’s degree in law. She then moved to New York and worked for Sony Music NYC and Domino Records as an A&R administrator.
Since Margot had always had a deep love for music and never stopped playing instruments her-self, working in the music industry was a dream come true. She ended up living in NYC for two years and while there spent most of her time going out, seeing shows, and visiting bars. She fell in love with the bar industry and, more specifically, cocktails. In New York Margot worked part-time at the Standard Hotel and the Wayland bar in the East Village, where she learned a lot about mixology. When she returned to France, she decided to start working as a full-time bartender and was hired by the Experimental Cocktail Club in Paris. Working in France’s most famous and pioneering cocktail bar for three years was an in-credible opportunity and learning experience for her, so when she left she decided to open her own bar. In June 2017, Combat was born. It has been two years since its inception, and what an adventure it has been.
Combat
As the team decided they didn’t want to open another speakeasy, Combat can be described as a modern bistro. Therefore, you can have a very fine cocktail but also enjoy a nice beer or natural wine along with some food, such as fine French appetizers. Margot loves food, and even more so she loves pairing food with drinks. She wanted Combat’s vibe to be very welcoming and simple. Music plays a key role as well, and the team pays close attention to the lighting to provide a nice and chilled-out ambiance. Margot is not a huge fan of posh bars; she prefers dive bars or wine bars with a friendly atmosphere. She wants the staff to be amiable and most importantly just be themselves. She believes the clientele enjoys that a lot. At the same time, however, Margot has very high standards when it comes to service and bartending—the drinks have to be perfect every single time.
Inspiration
Before developing a new cocktail menu, Margot goes traveling first. She feels a need to discover new tastes, new food, new drinks, or simply to breathe fresh air and inhale new scents. She frequents restaurants and bars pretty much every day of the year, and when she feels like staying home, she cooks. Margot believes it is crucial to challenge yourself and taste anything at least once.
Favorite cocktail
Margot’s favorite drink is a Cobbler. She loves wine and sherry and tends to drink a lot of straight liquor, so when she orders a cocktail, it should be refreshing and simple.
Favorite bar
Jigger’s in Ghent
The future of the bar world
The industry is definitely moving towards a more sustainable and balanced way of doing business—a development Margot really loves witnessing. Some highly talented bartenders and ambassadors work hard to make this industry as a whole a healthier and more respectful environment, which is something she deeply admires. She herself is doing the best she can to join them in this endeavor and uses as many sustainable methods and products as possible.
Advice for opening a bar
Bartending is not a very healthy way of life, so Margot does her best to work out as much as possible, going to sleep as early as possible, eating healthy and really controlling what she drinks. The latter is an important piece of advice for a new bar owner.
Money and courage are needed; and plenty of both. It’s a long and hard journey to creating a successful bar, but it is definitely worth it. Being your own boss and working with people you like and admire is fantastic.
Craziest customer experience
One time, two Australian gentlemen were having a drink at the bar. They turned out to be the owners of some excellent bars and restaurants in Australia who were traveling the world in search of fresh ideas. They had some very interesting conversations with Margot, but as the two were leaving, they realized they did not have any cash to tip her. So they decided, instead of a tip, to invite her for lunch the day after at L’Arpège, one of the best restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars to its name. It was delicious and a lot of fun, and she is still in touch with them today.
Paris
Margot simply loves Paris. She was happy to leave the city when she moved to London and New York, but every time she returned, she was ecstatic to be back. She loves how small it is, how she can ride her bike everywhere. The food and drink scene in Paris is crazy, with so many places that she loves and admires, it just feels really good.
That being said, Margot has to get out of Paris at least once a month. She needs that feeling of the grass is always greener on the other side. It just feels good to get out of the city and discover new places.
Target in life
Travel, read, and have a peaceful life.
Best decision
Moving to NYC. It was very scary but an exciting challenge. Margot first travelled there by herself and ended up living there for 2 years. While she was in the US, she travelled a lot, became very independent and learned a lot about herself. That is also where she fell in love with the food and drinks industry and it obviously changed her life. She made some major decisions, and her entire career changed.
Images: ©Olivier Foulon and Christophe Meireis
No Comments