Wine bars, wine cafes and restaurants in Paris and some elsewhere

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Paris 2e

Racine
8, passage des Panoramas 75002 Paris, ph 01 40 13 06 41
Open Mon-Fri 12-24

A small wine bar in one of the old 'passages' (indoor shopping gallery) close to the big boulevards. The peculiarity with this wine bar is that all wines are organic, many are even biodynamic and most are made entirely without sulphur (unusual). In other words, very interesting wines and sometimes also very good. But sometimes you can also understand why it is actually a good idea to use some sulphur in the wine making… You can also get some small things to eat: cheese, charcuteries and a few hot dishes. (Brief 57)

Sur un Arbre Perché

1, rue du Quatre Septembre, 75002 Paris, ph: 01 42 96 97 01, www.surunarbreperche.com 

Sorza
Paris 4, 51 r St Louis en l'Ile 75004 Paris, ph 01 43 54 78 62, www.restaurant-sorza.fr

Strolling along the river on the Ile Saint-Louis is something that both tourists and Parisians love to do. A relatively new restaurant on the main street (almost the only street…) is Sorza. It is not big and it fills up quickly so booking is recommended. The walls are red and the tables are black and art hangs on the walls. And the food is beautifully presented on the plates. It is an ambitious cuisine with distinct Italian influences. We do recommend the parmesan soufflé. Excellent risotto with gambas, tender and succulent veal chops, to mention a few things. The wine list is short… but well chosen. Count on around 30€ for lunch and a bit more for dinner. (Brief 60)

Paris 6e

La Bastide d’Opio
9, rue Guisarde, 75006 Paris, tel 01 43 29 01 84

A small Provence restaurant in Paris with a definite southern feeling. Very good cooking that is nicely presented on the plates. The grille tuna was excellent and very succulent and the crumble d’agneau (!) very tasty with just the right cover of crumbles. At lunch time you can get two courses for 14.10 euro. The wine list, though, is short and would definitely improve if a little more focus and effort was made with wines from Provence. (Brief 42)

Midi Vins, Paris 6e
Restaurant – Bistro à Vins, 83, rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris

Newly opened wine bar and bistro in a renovated traditional café. Original tables made from old champagne “pupitres”. Very good value menu with starter, main course and dessert fro 21 euro. I had an excellent salad with crayfish to start with followed by a perfectly grilled “bavette” (steak) with potato gratin. The fish was also very good. Very traditional desserts with crème brulée, tarte aux pommes (apple tart), strawberries etc. Nice wines, for example a Moulin-à-Vent from Domaine des Terres Dorées, an Anjou from Domaine Gilet, Crozes-Hermitage from Chapoutier, Chiroubles from Domaine Joubert…

Le Comptoir du Relais
5, carrefour de l'Odéon, 75006 Paris, ph 01.43.29.12.05 

A nice and calm little wine bar in the Quartier Latin with a terasse on a street that is no too busy. Many wines served by the glass with a few samples from almost every wine district in France. Typical wine bar food. (Much improved since its opening when they proudly boasted 36 different wines on the menu, only to tell you "sorry we're out of that" unless you asked for the Sancerre.)

L’Ecluse
15, Quai des Grands Augustins

See comments at L'Ecluse in Paris 1er above.

Fish – La Boissonerie
69, rue de Seine, 75006 Paris, ph 01 43 54 34 69

A good place to go if you like Languedoc wines. Very lively, very crowded. Mediterranean cuisine. More than half of the wines are from Languedoc: Domaine de l’Hortus, Chateau Pech-Redon, Domaine Jougla, Domaine Ferrer-Ribière and Château des Estanilles, all stars from Languedoc.

Il Vicolo
34, rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris, ph 01 43 25 01 11, closed Sun 

Well done Italian food and a good selection of Italian wines. Leave aside the famous Chianti and Barolo and try instead something from Sicily or Puglia – much better value for money. Around 40€ for dinner, including wine.

Paris 8e

Le Taste Monde
Paris 8, La Madeleine, 8, rue de Surène 75008 Paris, www.letastemonde.com

A new TasteMonde has opened next to Place de la Madeleine. Their first restaurant opened several years ago in Issy-les-Moulineaux but now they've opened a second location more centrally. Unusual for Paris restaurants the focus is on non-French wins (although they do have some champagne too). And quite an extensive selection too. The cooking is very good and quite French in style, in spite of the wine list selection. Two courses for 29 euro and 3 courses for 38 euro (lunch and dinner). Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. (On Saturday afternoon, between 3PM and 6PM you can go there and taste a selection of wines by the glass for a very humane 1€ to 2€ per glass.) (Brief 58)

Villa Spicy
8, avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Paris 8e, Tel 01 56 59 62 59, Open every day

Just off Les Champs-Elysées, on the avenue F Roosevelt, you find this pleasant restaurant with excellent food with a certain Provençal touch. It used to be called (simply) Spicy but have now (why?) changed name to Villa Spicy. Perhaps because of a total (successful) renovation – the atmosphere is now relaxed and cosy, service is friendly. They have a good-value lunch menu for 20 euro (two courses, e.g. with a superb pumpkin soup with chestnut crème, a very popular French autumn dish). Starters go for 9-14 euro, main courses are 14-28 euro. They also have a fixed price menu in the evening for 28 euro. A small (as often in French restaurants) selection of wines by the glass. (Brief 52)

15cent15
Hôtel Marignan Champs Elysées, Paris, 12 rue Marignan, 75008 Paris

Hôtel Marignan Champs-Elysées is a new luxury boutique hotel in central Paris. The main restaurant in the hotel is Spoon by the fabled chef Alain Ducasse and they recently opened a “lounge”, this oh-so-trendy concept in the restaurant world today. The lounge, called 15cent15, also run by Ducasse, is a good place to have a less ambitious lunch in a relaxed and comfortable setting with a definite “club” feeling. Lunch dishes cost between 15 and 25 euro and there’s an interesting selection. For example, a wonderfully succulent salmon tartar (18 euro) or a foie gras poëlé (very quickly fried foie gras – 16 euro). In the evening the 15cent15 transforms into a tapas bar with a wide choice from 5 euro. The wine list has a few interesting wines by the glass (could be more), e.g. a white Côtes-du-Rhône from Domaine Perrin (of Beaucastel fame) that is very nice, nutty and herbal. Perhaps they could overall have been a bit less traditional in their wine selection. There are not really any nice and imaginative surprises – more safe bets. And why does a boutique hotel choose as a house champagne one from the huge co-operative Nicolas Feuillatte…? (Brief 45)

La Maison de L’Aubrac
37, rue Marbeuf, 8e, ph 01 43 59 05 14, open 24/24(!), www.maison-aubrac.fr

Finding a good restaurant, with an outstanding selection of wines, close to the Champs Elysees, without it being a total tourist trap - is that possible? Certainly. Go to the Maison de l'Aubrac, a place to go for meat. Aubrac is famous for its beef and you can get, for example, an excellent côte de boeuf for two (Paris style, 56 E), a piece de boef (14.50E), pave de boef (16.50E)... But they also have many other things. Today's menu can be: mise en bouche, mousse de chevre a la tomate (2.50E); carpaccio de lotte aux agrumes et taboulet (10E); filets de rouget, citron confit et tapenade (16E); tartelette aux fruits rouges (8E). Very well prepared.

And a really exceptional wine list - an astonishing selection of wines from Languedoc. About a dozen wines served by the glass: Antoine Arena Grotte di Solo, Vin de Table from Corsica, slightly sparkling, semi-dry, perfect for aperitif, 6.50E; Carignan Chant de Marjolaine from Domaine Rimbert (picture), 5E; Marcel Richaud's Cuvee Garigues Cotes du Rhone (picture), 4E; Domaine Gauby Vieilles Vignes, blanc, CDP Catalan, 8E; or a coupe champagne Ruinart for 8E... We also tried today's special on wines which was a Vacqueras Domaine de Monediere les Calades from Christian Vache for 16.50E for 50 cl, excellent spicy, fruity southern Rhone style. They also have a small wine bar where you can drink some interesting wines by the glass.

The interior is a bit "country style cafe", almost Texan, with wooden booths, and some wonderful photographs of cows, pigs and other things that will arrive on your plate. Very friendly and attentive service, mostly. Open 24/24! (Brief nr 15)

L’Ecluse Madeleine
15, place de la Madeleine, 8e

See comments at L'Ecluse in Paris 1er above.

L’Ecluse François 1er
64, rue François 1er, 8e

See comments at L'Ecluse in Paris 1er above.

Paris 10e

Baxo
21, rue Juliette Dodu, 75010 Paris 01 42 02 99 71, www.baxo.fr

This nice little restaurant only just opened in December, not far from the Canal Saint Martin. Very good value lunch menu, 2 courses for 12 euro or three for 14.50 euro. In the evening they have à la carte with starters for 8-12 euro and main courses for 12-18 euro. You can get French classics like hamburger (perhaps not so French but still classic), tartare, or côte de Boeuf, and also some more “fusion” inspired cooking: tuna with wasabi, or wok de calamars. They will develop the wine list towards a selection of smaller, ambitious growers (but it will take some time for them to build up the list they think). Modern interior decoration with fat cushions and trendy lighting. The bar (called “bar lounge”…) is almost as big as the restaurant, which on the other hand is not very big (only some 25 places). Very customer friendly opening hours: from 9 in the morning to 2 at night. Closed Sundays. (Brief 42)

Trema
8, rue de Marseille, 75010 Paris, ph 01 42 49 27 67, open every day except Sat lunch

Drink champagne and eat salmon – that’s what you should do at Trëma! Go for a brunch on Sundays for example (18-25 €). On week-days you can get a good lunch with two courses for 12€. Emphasis on fish of different kinds and you can swallow it down with a glass of very nice Domaine Tariquet white. The lowest price champagne is called Godet and sells for 25€, for 35€ you will get a Jacquesson Cuvée 729 (note that they have moved from 728 to 729, indicating a new vintage) and for 45€ you can get Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru 1995 – almost a steal. Good value is also the Pol roger for 27€. The chef comes from Finland (!) so they also have many types of vodka to choose from. And Swedish mineral water: Ramlösa.

Le verre volé
67, rue de Lancy, 75010 Paris, ph 01 48 03 17 34, every day 10.30 to midnight, closed Sun evening

Close to Canal St Martin and Place de la Republique. Mainly a wine shop but they also have 6 tables, so booking is important. You can drink anything from the shop to your food for a corkage of 4.57€. Serving charcuterie, andouilettes, cheese, boudin noir and other traditional French food. Or fresh oysters from Utah Beach in Normandy. Some wines also sold by the glass from 2.59€. Other well known names: Pierre Breton (Loire), Marc Sorrel and Dard & Ribo (Rhône), Domaine d’Aupilhac (Languedoc) and also interesting new acquaintances. Ask le patron Cyril Bordarier.

Paris 15e

Restaurant Afaria, Paris 15
15, rue Desnouettes, 75015 Paris, Ph 01 48 56 15 36
Closed Sun and Mon lunch, recommended to book in advance

Between Porte de Versailles and Convention this Basque restaurant is hidden. A bright, welcoming restaurant with big windows to the street. The menu is a mix of Spanish and French south-west with some unusual twists. Very elegantly presented and innovative, and above all very, very delicious. The pumpkin soup with small morsels of artichoke and scallops was a dream. And the small ‘filet de rougets’ (red mullet) on ‘couscous au citronelle’ was excellent. We did not try the deserts (but we saw them!) and will be back to try the full menu. The owner and chef, Julien Duboué has previously worked in famous places such as Carré des Feuillants and Drouant and that certainly shows. Truth to be told it is not often you are so impressed by a restaurant. And one where the bill adds up to something very reasonable. A two course lunch for 22 euro, three courses in the evening for 30-40 euro. They also have a small bar and a big ‘table d'hôte’ (‘communal’ table) where you can have just a glass of wine and some tapas (Spanish roots ‘oblige’). The wine list has a good selection of wines primarily from the Languedoc and the South-West. (Brief 55)

Le Troquet
21, rue François Bonvin, 75015 Paris, 01 45 66 89 00, closed Sun and Mon

Hidden behind the Unesco annex you find this restaurant with a slightly Basque nuance. They have an excellent lunch menu with traditional dishes for 23€ (three corses). Well made and good value. You can get, for example: asperges au vinaigrette et magret de canard fume to start with and then for main course paleron de boeuf vinaigrette avec pois et pommes nouvelles, to finish with a tarte normande. A limited but interesting wine list, from the South West, for example: Madiran Domaine de Grabiou 1996 (100% Tannat) from René Dessaus (23€), or an Iroleguy (23€) (Brief nr 7)

Paris 16e

Le Brandevin
29, rue du Docteur Blanche, 75016 Paris, tel 01 42 24 19 33, www.lebrandevin.com

A classic Parisian bistro/neighbourhood restaurant – crowded and with a great and friendly atmosphere and good service. The emphasis is on classic French cuisine – main courses are mostly meat, for example côte de Boeuf (T-bone steak style), entrecôte, escalope de veau (veal with morel sauce), steak tartare, filet de boeuf. Prices for a main course vary between 18 and 22 euro, starters around 7 euro. (Brief 48)

Cristal Room Baccarat
11, place des Etats-Unis, 75116 Paris, tel 01 40 22 11 10. Book a table well in advance.

Do you need a very special environment for a special dinner? Try the “Cristal Room” at Baccarat’s new museum in the 16th. It is in a sumptuous ‘hotel particulier’ and includes a restaurant, a museum and a shop. Philippe Starck, on of France’s top designers, has created a place to fit Baccarat’s slogan “La beauté n’est pas raisonable” (~ beauty is not reasonable). Very interesting to visit and you don’t have to eat if you don’t want to (or if you can’t get a table). (Brief 12)

Paris 17e

L’Ecluse Carnot
1, rue d’Armaillé, 17e

See comments at L'Ecluse in Paris 1er above.

Paris 18e

Cave des Abbesses

43, rue des Abbesses, ph 42.52.81.54, open Tue-Sat 9.00-20.00. 

A wine shop and wine bar. Some 15 wines served by the glass.

Paris: Issy-les-Moulineaux (92)

Les Colonnes
65, rue du General Leclerc, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux (facing the exit from the métro Mairie d’Issy), ph 01 46 42 25 33, café open all day, open for lunch, closed for dinner. Closed on Sun.

For the first time ever the Lillet-Lebey guide has selected a bistro outside the peripherique, so outside the strict Paris limits, to “best bistro in Paris”. Traditional home cooking (madame does much of the cooking herself) but sometimes with an elegant touch. Try the splendid cote-de-boeuf for two and have it cut up at the table by the waiter. A good selection of wines, many by the glass (Pierre Frick Alsace, Clos Tue-Boeuf from Touraine, Charles Hours Jurançon…). Friendly but not very elegant service. (Brief nr 6)

Paris: Levallois-Perret

A Table
43 rue Baudin, 92300 Levallois-Perret, tel 01 47 57 23 00, www.restaurantatable.fr

You find “A Table” in one of the “proche-banlieus” (near-suburbs) in Paris, Levallois-Perret, just north-west of the centre. In an area dominated by modern office buildings they offer an ambitious cuisine but in a relaxed, modern bistro type atmosphere. For example very good oysters and an excellent seafood risotto. Three course menu for 34.50 euro. Open every day, including free WiFi access! (Brief 43)