Paris bistros - tastes of wine and cheese?
 

What Paris bistros would you recommend to taste samples of wines and cheese? What is the best place to buy bottles of wine?

You don't go to bistros to sample wines and cheeses, per se, though you can or course order wine by the glass and probably a cheese plate. You're probably going to find what you're looking for at a wine bar. Willi's Wine Bar is the only one I know well at all, but it's a good one.

There's no best place to buy wine. It depends to some extent on what kind of wine you want to buy. You can buy good wines at supermarkets, Monoprix, Franxprix, the wine store chain called Nicolas, or any upscale food store or wine store.

Speaking of wine bars:

Author: Travelnut
Date: 07/01/2006, 07:59 am
Most of these are well-known:

PARIS WINE BARS
http://parisvoice.com/02/nov/html/fooddrink.cfm

<>Juveniles 47 rue de Richelieu, 1er, M° Pyramides, tel: 01 42 97 46 49, closed Sun. Opened in 1985 by the Johnston Williamson team — who also run the famous Willi’s Wine Bar just around the corner — Juveniles is a friendly, welcoming place with an elegant, warm decor, an innovative kitchen, and one of the best Beaujolais Nouveau parties in town. It’s also an excellent address, if you want to try some superb wines from Australia, Spain and South America.

<>Willi’s Wine Bar 13 rue des Petits Champs, 1er, M° Bourse, tel: 01 42 61 05 09, closed Sun. A sophisticated clientele, an intimate ambiance and a hearty dining room have made Willi’s one of the most popular wine bars in Paris and a great place to try difficult-to-find regional wines, such as the excellent dark Collioure rosé which comes from the border near Cataluña, or a Jurançon moelleux from near the Swiss frontier. The attractive dining room offers farm-raised fare and a great selection of classic English cheeses. There’s also a rich choice of sherries and digestifs to start and end the meal.

<>Aux Bons Crus 7 rue des Petits Champs, 1er, M° Bourse, tel: 01 42 60 06 45, open noon to 11pm, closed Sat nights and Sun. This appealing wine bar dates back to the turn of the century and has retained much of its old-world feel complete with ancient monte-charge, wine kegs and old oak bar. Well-priced, nourishing fare such as a good navarin d’agneau aux petits legumes and cuisse de canard from the Landes, make up for the inexpensive yet surprisingly limited wine list. The back room, with its low ceiling and large windows overlooking the Palais Royal, has a pleasing ambiance, particularly on a gray winter’s day, and makes a perfect place for that secret rendez-vous.

<>Le Rubis 10 rue Marché St-Honoré, 1er, M° Tuileries, tel: 01 42 61 03 34, open noon to 10:30pm, closed Sat evenings and Sun. This pocket-sized corner wine bar just off the Tuileries is one of the best-known and best loved in Paris, with an extensive wine list mainly centered around the Beaujolais and Loire regions. Despite its rustic, timeworn interior, it attracts heavy-weight businessmen and lawyers at lunch, and well-heeled wine-lovers at night. Soak up the atmosphere over a bottle of Cheverny and a plate of homemade rillettes.

<>Taverne Henri IV, 13 pl du Pont-Neuf, 1er, M° Pont Neuf, tel: 01 43 54 27 90, open noon to 10pm, closed Sat from 4pm & Sun. Tucked between the picturesque place Dauphine and the Pont Neuf, this is one of the best-known and most respected wine bars in Paris and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The rustic furniture and fittings and the diplomas that proudly hang above the bar create a clubby, “satisfied” feel. It offers a selection of wines from the Beaujolais and Loire that are bottled by the bar owners themselves.

<>A La Cloche Des Halles 28 rue Coquillière, 1er, M° Châtelet, tel: 01 42 36 93 89, closed Sat from 4pm & Sun. A popular hangout for music people and local eccentrics, this bar is named after one of the bells that used to sound the opening and closing of the nearby Les Halles markets, and is among the last vestiges of the “stomach of Paris.” It has a family-type atmosphere thanks to the jovial good humor of its hosts, Annie and Serge, who serve a wide range of wine, including a fine St-Joseph in largish sniffer glasses. Even without that, their saucisson would be worth a visit.

<>La Tartine 24 rue de Rivoli, 4e, M° St-Paul, tel: 01 42 72 76 85, open 9am to 10:30pm, closed Tue. Located in the heart of the Marais, La Tartine always attracts a pleasing mix of elderly regulars, bohos, gays and lesbians and the nicotine-colored interior, featuring large mirrors, battered fixtures and molded ceilings is right out of “between-wars Paris.” The emphasis is on wines from the Beaujolais and Bordeaux regions, tartines or open-faced sandwiches that give the bar its name, and cigarettes.

<>L’Lutétia 33 quai de Bourbon, 4e, M° Hôtel de Ville, tel: 01 43 54 11 71, closed Sun evenings & Mon. A handy address to have in a particularly chic part of town, the terrace of this wine bar and bistrot is one of the most popular on the island thanks to its views onto the river and the Hôtel de Ville. There is a large, if sometimes pricey, selection of wines, notably from the Bordeaux and the Loire regions.

<>Cave La Bourgogne 144 rue Mouffetard, 5e, M° Censier-Daubenton, tel: 01 43 36 20 53, closed Sun & Mon. Set in a tranquil and beautiful square at the foot of the bustling markets of the rue Mouffetard, this warm and inviting establishment boasts an old zinc bar, mosaic floor and a terrace complete with gas heaters to take the nip out of the air. As the name suggests, it specializes in wines from the Burgundy region and also offers a hearty selection of food, including cheese and cold-cut platters and several well-priced menus.

<>Bistro des Augustins 39 quai des Grands Augustins, 6e, M° St-Michel, tel: 01 43 54 45 75, open daily, noon-midnight. The premises of this little wine bar date back to the turn of the century, and look like it, with an appealing, retro mustiness, marble-topped bar, and menu specials chalked up on the board. It attracts a young branché crowd of students, media people and arty tourists. The selection of wines is limited but well-chosen, coming mainly from small producers all over France. Prices are as low as the lighting.

<>Le Sancerre 22 av Rapp, 7e, M° Alma-Marceau, tel: 01 45 51 75 91, closed Sun. With its large mural of the village of Sancerre and regulars perched at the bar, this pleasant establishment has been a neighborhood favorite for years. As the name suggests the star of the show is wine from the famous village. A further oyster bar offers a nice opportunity for the white Sancerre to shine, but don’t overlook the lesser-known red Sancerre, a perfect accompaniment to the house specialties: an excellent, if highly pungent, andouillette and a truly superb cèpes omelet.

<>L’Ecluse 15 pl de la Madeleine, 8e, M° Madeleine, tel: 01 47 20 77 09, 11:30am to midnight, open daily. One of several elegant wine bars that offer only produce from the Bordeaux region... Its pretty, old-style shop front with frosted glass and glowing tulip light fittings gives on to a charming chocolate and coffee interior, with a lovely back room winter garden overlooking a paved courtyard, and atmospheric downstairs cut-stone cellar.

<>Café du Passage 12 rue de Charonne, 11e, M° Bastille, tel: 01 49 29 97 64, open daily. One of the most comfortable wine bars in the Bastille district, with a cozy back room that is often overlooked, and a terrace that affords some great people watching. As well as boasting an impressive collection of wine that can also be bought by the bottle, the bar maintains an interesting calendar of tastings.

<>Les Vins des Rues, Chez Chanrion 21 rue Boulard, 14e, M° Denfert-Rochereau, tel: 01 43 22 19 78, closed Sun & Mon. A neighborhood wine bar par excellence, just off the animated rue Daguerre street markets near Denfert-Rochereau — winner of the “Coupe du Meilleur Pot” in 1989. The decor is more like some little place in the country than a Paris haunt, hovering comfortably between old-world atmosphere and neglect. The kitchen delivers simple, wholesome dishes at very reasonable prices, attracting a mainly young crowd.

<>Le Saint Amour 2 av Gambetta, M° Père Lachaise, 20e, tel: 01 47 97 20 15, open daily. While this wine bar between the Père Lachaise cemetery and the charming but tragically disappearing quartier of Ménilmontant looks like a regular café, it has an interesting selection of wines and a great range of clientele, from African émigrés to paint-splattered artists. Specialties include Pouilly Fumé, Pommard and Montagny Premier Cru, and there are also good value set menus.

Travwlnut..you forgot FISH on rue de seine!

It's a grea list but most aren't true wine bars like Willy's and L'Eluse.
Tartine, claimed to be the oldest wine bar is famous for its tartines, open faced sandwiches, which I ordered most nights. It is just a neighborhood place to eat and have drink.

for me. Thanks.

bookmarking

Awesome suggestions!

Thank you, thank you, Travelnut...this is exactly what I was looking for!

Good job, Travelnut. Great list. Not exhaustive but that should keep the tourists busy for awhile!

bookmarking

For simple fare of wine, cheese and sandwiches, I'd recommend Au Sauvignon: 80 rue des Saint. Peres in the 7th. I've had delightful glasses of red Chinon along with a wedge of Livarot or Pont L'Eveque for about 8 Euros. Additionally, they make tasty sandwiches served on fresh bread by Poliane

This is a great list, I just happened upon this by going online looking for wine bars, found Juveniles and came back to fodor and searched, thank you so much, all of you do such a great job helping us find places to experience the very best of France. I also now know why no one took me up on my GTG for June at Harry's Bar, they do not serve wine, I knew there was a reason I never left there all that happy.....

I got that list from somewhere, not necessarily 'experience', and it's possible some places might not exist anymore, so be sure to research further on any locations that are of interest.

I have a restaurant called Androuët sur le Pouce on my "list of potentials" that apparently has cheese tasting platters.

From this website
http://www.discoverfrance.net/France...ageries2.shtml
I got the following description

A tradition that Henri and Ida Androuët began in 1909 has evolved into the bar à fromage (cheese bar), a modern-day iteration of one of the most famous purveyors of cheese in the world. Gone are the formal meals and dining rituals that used to prevail at Androuët. Today, the venue is more basic, with quicker service tuned to the demands on a modern Parisian's time. As such, it has met with approval from the French-speaking public.

The menu is simple, consisting of either tartines (open-faced sandwiches) or cheese platters. Tartines, priced at from 15€ to 20€, include your choice of any kind of cheese and/or a medley of smoked or marinated fish or meats. If you opt for a platter, you'll select from offerings presented on a half-dozen cheese boards, whose categories are organized into such classifications as goat cheeses, triple crèmes, and so on.

When you select a portion of five different cheeses from the platters, it will cost 12€; seven cheeses cost 15€, 11 cheeses cost 23€; and 15 different cheeses (recommended only for serious cheese lovers who won't mind some degree of indigestion) cost 28€. Ultrafresh bread and green salads are the only accompaniment for your tartines and cheese platters. There's also a staggering assortment of French wines.

Sancerre disappointed us a little for two reasons:
1) when we were there, they didn't offer anything from our favorite Sancerre winery, Vacheron. On a trip to the town of Sancerre, we had tried a variety of Sancerres and thought Vacheron's were the best and brought home several cases. Le Sancerre was founded by the Mellot family, so maybe it was a deliberate snub of a competitor.
2) Again, when we were there, we thought it surprising they didn't offer a goat cheese plate, as the town of Sancerre is right on the edge of a renowned "goat cheese loop" that we enjoyed touring on our trip to the region.

But overall, we still enjoyed Sancerre.
We also have always liked Le Dokhan's champagne bar in the Sofitel Dokhan hotel in the 16th arrondissement. On Thursdays, they have champagne tastings with an expert (but check that it's running the Thursday you plan to be in town, I don't think they do it every week). Also, it's quite a small bar, can fill up easily. And it's not casual, most people are nicely dressed, hotel guests having a drink before heading out or couples stopping for a celebratory glass (or two...).

This isn't a recommendation of a particular place, but one of my fondest memories of my first trip to Paris 10 years ago was sitting at a cafe we stumbled upon around 4 in the afternoon and having wine and cheese (after seeing the Eiffel Tower, I believe). Nothing says vacation more than wine and cheese at 4 in the afternoon.

bookmarking

Bookmarking

A great source I plan to use... now, since my experience is mostly with either the popular varietals from major vinyards or California and New York wines, what local French wines should I make a point of trying? Any favorites?