Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Paris Wine Bars

Most of these are well-known:

PARIS WINE BARS
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<>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.