AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF 2025 A celebrated bartender at the Ritz Hotel during the Nazi occupation of Paris harbors a dangerous secret in this “magnificent” ( Elle ), “brilliant” ( Le Parisien ) international bestseller based on a true story. Paris, 1940. The Nazis have descended on Paris and the Occupation has begun. Businesses across the city have shuttered, but the legendary Ritz Hotel remains open, its dazzling lights still burning bright on the Place Vendôme. When it becomes the favorite watering hole of the occupying forces, its barman, Frank Meier, is forced to adapt to a new clientele. But Frank has a secret: he is Jewish. Tensions rise as the war progresses, but Frank refuses to leave his post behind the bar. Unbeknownst to the Nazi officers he serves night after night, Frank forms precarious alliances with unlikely accomplices in order to save other Jewish families in the city and keep his loved ones alive. Inspired by real events, with the highest of stakes and a brilliant protagonist, The Barman of the Ritz is a heady cocktail of history and fiction set in one of Paris’s most glamorous places, diving deep into the impossible choices of an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances. “Quite simply brilliant. Philippe Collin’s Barman of the Ritz is so beautifully written that we imagine ourselves in the real Frank Meier’s position, shaking creative cocktails for the new inhabitants of his beloved Petit Bar at the Ritz: Paris’s Nazi conquerors. This novel, based on the real heroics of this charming, creative, and emotionally complex man with a secret love and a hidden past, is a must-read not just for fans of WWII fiction, but for anyone who cares about freedom in today’s complicated world.” —Meg Waite Clayton, internationally bestselling author of The Postmistress of Paris and Typewriter Beach International Praise for Barman of the Ritz “A great novel.” — Le Parisien “A fascinating character…” —Augustin Trapenard, La Grande Librairie “Mixing together his knowledge of the period with psychological insights (…) Collin has created a heady cocktail.” — L’Express “Philippe Collin is a magnificent storyteller. This novel fascinates at every turn.” —ELLE “Masterful… a sweeping waltz between history and fiction in one of Paris’ chicest palaces.” —Le Journal du Dimanche Philippe Collin has been a producer at France Inter for the past twenty years and holds a master’s degree in contemporary history. Since 2021, he has produced a series of historical podcasts that have been downloaded by more than forty million listeners. The Barman of the Ritz is his first novel.