the wine bars of paris
it’s an ever-expanding list of favorites, all with their own quirks and merits. there are different styles from shops exclusively offering bottles “à emporter” or to-go, to the nuance of a “cave à manger” which requires you to buy a small snack to accompany your wine as they dont have a full liquor license. typically you’ll have a small corkage fee “frais de bouchon” to open and enjoy the bottle there usually 5-8€. Or there’s always the wine bars that are more like restaurants, maybe with small plates but where eating is not only expected, but highly recommended.
my non-exhaustive, though very well researched favorites follow.
bottle shops
delicatessen cave - while it’s mostly a bottle shop, you can take a small plate of cheese or charcuterie and enjoy your bottle out front, on one of their old barrels they wheel out. not the most comfortable as you’ll be standing, but a really large selection of lovely wine, priced well. try anything by sextant julien altaber - i love his gamay and at 16€ a bottle i don’t have to sweat when it goes down too easy. 136 rue amelot, 75011 paris https://www.facebook.com/delicatessencave/
liquiderie cave - this became my wine shop last summer. i built a routine around picking bottles after a workout always scheduled for sunday afternoons. unique in that it also has a large selection of craft beers, which remains relatively new here in france. very curated selection with a good range of well known natural winemakers. will be able to find plenty of la sorga, partida creus and gut oggau. they’ve recently opened up a more enjoyable, bar like space in belleville but the small cave is worth a stop. 9 rue des trois bornes, 75011 paris https://www.facebook.com/liquiderie/
la cave de belleville - large by parisian standards, with a varied selection of wine—not necessarily natural. a great starting point to discover the neighborhood. if you dare start with a glass and a snack here, moving over to lao siam or ama siam next door for something spicy and round out your evening at combat for a cocktail. 51 rue de belleville, 75019 paris https://lacavedebelleville.wordpress.com/la-restauration/
caves à manger
le barav - a large wine bar (with terrace!) in the middle of the marais. can highly recommend stopping here mid-afternoon, enjoying a glass of rosé and sitting in the sun. also, if you aren’t here by mid-afternoon the chances of getting a table outside are slim. if you’re looking to put your palate to the test they run a wildcard wine by the glass both red and white, if you can guess the grape and region your glass is on the house (typically runs 6€) 6 rue charles-françois dupuis, 75003 paris https://www.lebarav.fr/
la buvette - there’s a reason this tiny wine bar is on everyone’s favorite list, opened in 2013, camille fourmont ushered in a new style of service, offering beautiful wines and basic, but lovely dishes. arguably, she single-handedly made rue saint-maur what it is today. with room for no more than 12 guests seated (and that’s pushing it) you’ll have to get there early. i always get the white beans drenched in olive oil and lemon zest, ask for some bread to “saucer” they have other items in rotation, usually a deviled egg and cheeses too. but keep in mind it’s a one woman, or man, show. start your evening there and then head to double dragon (hip-hop fueled and spicy) or le servan (brass bar and XXX ) for dinner - both run by the levha sisters. 67 rue saint-maur, 75011 paris http://www.labuvette.paris/
septime la cave - another atop the to-do list. while it’s nearly impossible to reserve a table at septime (restaurant), consider yourself lucky if you find a seat at their wine shop, but it’s basically a pilgrimage. any wine you take, by the bottle or glass will be delicious and accompanied by small plates of olives, cheese or charcuterie. on one of the more memorable visits i tried a glass of pipeño, a spicy, smoky red from chile, that tasted (enjoyably!) like mezcal. afterwards try to head to septime’s sister restaurant, clamato, that doesn’t take reservations. or head across the street and have a pizza (and a cocktail) at louie louie. 3 rue basfroi, 75011 paris http://www.septime-lacave.fr/
aux deux amis - a casual stop on rue oberkampf, i’ll sit at the bar and admire the e.t. (like, e.t. phone home) decor while drinking a glass off their monthly offerings, between 5 and 6 euros, with little snacks. in the summer you can snag one of their outdoor tables and camp out for an afternoon of people watching, we had visitors and drank a few bottles of marie and vincent tricot’s wine - the labels are drawn by their children and are equal parts terrifying as they are endearing, ‘les trois bonhommes’ is a favorite. 45 rue oberkampf, 75011 paris https://www.facebook.com/Aux-Deux-Amis-120307971356817/
bar à vins:
le denicheur - near sentier and rue montorgueil you can find this tiny gem tucked away with maybe 10 seats inside and a few more outside if the weather cooperates. this is also a one man shop, though slightly more complicated, as he’s taken on the challenge of serving some hot small plates. the menu changes often but we’ve been sticking to a bottle of “gronache” or whatever orange he has. 4 rue tiquetonne, 75002 paris https://www.ledenicheurparis.com/
yard - usually loud, usually busy, usually a bit of a scene but has a deliciously curated selection of natural wine from across europe. you’ll find hard to come by bottles from patrick boju, partida creus, frank cornelissen, etc. if you see an even louder man, typically behind the turntables, you can assume that’s clovis ochin, one of the og natural wine distributors and super bon vivant. expect tasty small plates and more of a sweaty vibe as the night goes on and the wine keeps pouring. best enjoyed planted at one of the tables outside in summertime with a bottle of BB by partida creus. 6 rue de mont-louis, 75011 paris https://yard-restaurant.com/
chambre noire - chef pop-ups, lipstick kissed walls and the art crowd. less about exploring wine, knowing what you like is helpful here. the owner is a part-time filmmaker much of the staff are friends—you’ll be better off with lowered expectations for service but feel safe to order any wines by kindelli (new zealand) michel guignier (bistere if you can!) or jerome balmet are sure bets. a funky, lovely-lit (that’s the filmmaker influence) space with regularly changing art and food. but they usually have shishito peppers if they’re between guest chefs. 82 rue de la folie méricourt, 75011 paris https://www.facebook.com/chambrenoireparis/
le verre volé - a real classic. right off of canal st. martin you can count on le verre volé for a great selection of wines and full dinner service, or go for lunch and make a day of it. i usually go for the entree + plat and if i’m feeling it go all in on the dessert. it’s a casual, but considered spot. not difficult to get a table but would recommend calling a day ahead to book. i’ve shared meals with friends over a bottle of patrick bouju’s “mol” more than twice. it’s a guarantee. if you’re not looking for the full meal, they can sell bottles to go, or they have a cave on rue oberkampf and an epicerie around the corner on rue de la folie-mericourt, i cannot recommend their valencia almonds enough, they are salty and perfect. 67 rue de lancry, 75010 paris https://www.leverrevole.fr/
frenchie bar à vins - it was here that i promised myself i’d move to paris. i had one night of a layover in october of 2015, i’d read about gregory marchand’s frenchie and while i knew the restaurant wouldn’t be an option for me (books far in advance) i tried early for a seat at their bar à vins. i ordered probably enough food for two or three people (the problem traveling alone) and enough wine to wash it all down. i was sat right next to the miniscule open kitchen and sat in awe of four people working in such close quarters in unison. frenchie is probably more american than parisian, with hip-hop blasting through the speakers. they’re not big fans of natural wine, preferring to stick to slightly more traditional picks, but the food is insane. small plates to share, it’s a warm and inviting atmosphere. they serve one cocktail - a gin and tonic you can open with, from there it’s wine and maybe digestif to cap it off. their pastas are always perfect and there’s usually a brioche with sausage or scotch egg or something that’ll really stick to your ribs. order too much food, an extra bottle of wine, hear an eminem song from 12 years ago and then end up staying out too late. 6 rue du nil, 75002 paris http://www.frenchie-bav.com/