MelissaHI

My friend is a wine afficionado and wants to go to Paris with me once this war business is over to drink wine and eat good food. While I know of many a good restaurant in Paris, where have you had the best wine? To me, it's ALL good. But for my friend, I want to be able to please a discriminating palate.

Andre

Melissa,

Taillevent is widely considered to have the best wine cellar in the city - one of the best in the world as a matter of fact. I haven't been there in years, but it continues to get stellar reviews for both its wine selection, cuisine and service.

BTW, go now - if you wait for all war/terrorism to end, you'll never get to Paris!

Hope this helps,
Andre

ira

Hi Melissa
Is your friend planning to spend *thousands* of dollars on wine, or is it your treat?

Coulain

Taillevent has the best wine list but it's not necessary to eat there. Most restaurants have very good wines available. We ate a place called Les Bouchons de Francois Clerc at 22 rue de la Terrassse (recommened at www.anamericaninparis.com) and they serve very fine wines at cost so you get really good wines for much less than you would normally pay. The food was excellent also.

MelissaHI

Ya know, you are right, *I* would go right now, but I can't find a soul who would join me. All my friends and family are too freaked out by the war. Oh, and it's dutch treat.

Thanks, I have never been to Taillevent! Any others?

Christina

A lot of the restaurants in the top hotels are rated as excellent wine lists (Meurice, Les Ambassadeurs, Cinq, etc) as well as Lucas Carton. La Tour d'Argent is rates very highly, also, along with Taillevent. They are known for burgundies and bordeaux, I think -- but I've read (no personal experience) they will also give you a little tour of their wine cellars after your dinner if you ask.

If you look at award lists from gourmet/wine magazines, one of the few moderately-priced restaurants in Paris I've seen as having one of the best wine lists is Bistrot du Sommelier in the 8th. If you friend is really a wine afficionado, you might want to go to one of the better wine bars for a treat.

elberko

Melissa, be sure to take you friend to the place with the teeny bottles!

mjs

I have eaten at a few of the top Michelin restaurants in Paris over the years. These restaurants include Lucas Carton, Tallevent, Le Cinq, etc as well as the Tour Argent. I have always had excellent wine at all of these restaurants with the guide of the sommlier. I always seem to end up with a red or white burgundy although much of what I usually drink is bordeux. The costs of these wines have usually been in the $30 to $45 range. You can however easily spend in the $1000's for a bottle. Unless you have the financial resources to be spending thousands of dollars on a meal I would not worry too much about where the best wine is for I dare say most of the best restaurants in Paris will have excellent french wines for you to drink if you can afford them.

ThinGorjus

I have dined at Taillevent, but I think it rests on its laurels. I far prefer Le Violon d'Ingres. It is less expensive, grand, and they don't mark up their wines 300%. If you want to drink great wine you have to educate yourself about it. For instance, if you are ordering a Bordeaux, it is important to know the good years, such as '86, '89, '90, '95, etc. You also should know what a first growth, second growth is. If you learn something about wine, you can find a nice bottle almost anywhere, and you don't have to pay a steep price for it.

tresgatos

As long as there is a bottle of Sancerre in the country I'll be there! Vive la France!

subcon

we found the wine list at restaurant astier to be extensive and relatively inexpensive. also the food is very, very good. be sure to make a reservation and ask for the second floor. it is very popular and crowded.

MelissaHI

har har -- Liz, I tell everyone about that "miniature alcohol emporium!" Good times.

Thanks everyone, I am getting hungry (and thirsty!) just reading all the posts.

cigalechanta

And if neither of you have alot to spend, don't worry, the average wine tastes better there as it doesn't travel well.

MelissaHI

mmm,I bet it tastes better there just by virtue of being in Paris! ;-)

Gregg_G

Melissa,
It's true that you can spend lot's of euros on wine. If you want older mature wines from the great regions you may want to visit one of the top restaurants already mentioned. All of these places (Gagnaire, Taillevent, Lucas Carton, etc...) should have a sommelier that can suggest the perfect wine with your meal. Be prepared to spend.

If however you want current release wines with very little mark up and you do not require sommelier services, I can suggest a few.

On a another post I mentioned Le Troyon at 4, rue Troyon in the 17th arrd. metro: #1,2,6 Ch. De Gaulle Etoilé, just off Ave de Wagram Tel: 01 40 68 99 40 Fax: 01 40 68 99 57. A very nice list of So. French wines from the Languedoc, Minervois, etc...

Fish: 69, rue de Seine metro: #10-Mabillon. A small bistro run by an American. The food is good but the wine list is fabulous. The rue de Seine is in the 5th arrd. and is great area to explore.

Astier- 44, rue Jean Paul Timbaud, 01 43 57 16 35, metro: #3 Parmentier. Fantastic 23.5 Euro 3 course menu including an amazing cheese tray. The wine list is by far one of the best quality to price ratios in Paris. Enjoy!

elaine

Taillevent does have the reputation for its wine list (as does le Grand Vefour and many others), not that I've ordered anything at the top of their list.
However, I agree that le Violon d'Ingres can offer you an outstanding meal, with fine wines, at 1/3-1/4 of the price of Taillevent.