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Restos for the rentrée
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Fun at la Tartine…
© W.A Dudley
Paris’ best wine bars
by Julie Baker
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In a period of tension and anxiety, the wine bars of Paris afford an atmospheric retreat from the grim weather and the even grimmer news, offering a haven of solace and companionship.

L’Ecluse
15 pl de la Madeleine, 8e, M° Madeleine, tel: 01 42 65 34 69, 11:30am to 1am, open daily. One of five elegant wine bars that only offer produce from the Bordeaux region... L’Ecluse’s pretty, old-style shop front — with its frosted glass and glowing tulip light fittings — gives on to a charming chocolate and coffee interior, leading to a lovely back room winter garden overlooking a paved courtyard, and to an atmospheric downstairs cut-stone cellar. The chilly welcome we received on a very busy Sunday afternoon was made up for by the quality of the well-priced wines and the excellence of our plat: a generous helping of succulent lomo, Serrano ham, sausage, and rillettes accompanied by a few pickled vegetables.

La Tour de Pierre
53 rue Dauphine, 6e, M° Odéon, tel: 01 43 26 08 93, closed Sun. Although it’s situated at the heart of one of the most touristic areas of Paris, the clientele here is so staunchly local and loyal that, on first entering, it’s hard to avoid feeling that you have stumbled into a private club. Persevere however, and you’ll soon feel at ease. Wines on offer are well-priced and cover some of the often-neglected regions, such as the Jura. The small entrance room is dominated by the well-laden bar, made from old wine crates and honied by time. Downstairs there is a small, whitewashed vaulted cellar that was full of laughter and cigarette smoke when we dropped by to sample one of the house specialties, the superb amber-colored vin jaune.

Taverne Henri IV,
13 pl du Pont-Neuf, 1er, M° Pont Neuf, tel: 01 43 54 27 90, 9am to 4pm and 6-9pm, closed Sat from 4pm and 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 as well as 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. Try some of the excellent value combination plates such as La Quercy, which offers goose rillettes, saucisson, wild boar pâté, wild hare pâté and crispy friton de canard: enough to keep most appetites at bay. The atmosphere is crowded and convivial especially around lunchtime but if you stop by mid-afternoon, you might find yourself all alone except for the friendly patron and his imposing moustache.

Aux Bons Crus
7 rue des Petits Champs, 1er, M° Bourse, tel: 01 42 60 06 45, 9am to midnight, closed Mon 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, hearty 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 back of 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 Baron Rouge
1 rue Théophile-Roussel, 12e, M° Ledru-Rollin, tel: 01 43 43 14 32, 10am to 2pm and 5-10pm, closed Sun afternoons and Mon. Set just off the bustling place d’Aligre markets, this popular wine bar has retained its working class feel thanks to the locals who linger at the zinc bar for a quick glass before filling their empty bottles from one of the large wine barrels that guard the entrance. During winter, regulars enjoy a quintessential Paris experience: standing around a wine keg, tucking into a tray of freshly-opened oysters outside while savoring the house’s flinty Chablis.

Le Sancerre
22 av Rapp, 7e, M° Alma-Marceau, tel: 01 45 51 75 91, closed Sat evenings and Sun. With its large mural of the village of Sancerre and regulars perched on stools, this pleasant wine bar has been a neighborhood favorite for years. As the name suggests the star of the show is wine from the famous village. The oyster corner 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.

La Tartine
24 rue de Rivoli, 4e, M° St-Paul, tel: 01 42 72 76 85, 9am to 10:30pm, closed Tue. Located in the heart of the Marais, La Tartine always attracts a pleasing mix of elderly regulars, battered 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.

Le Rubis
10 rue Marché St Honoré, 1er, M° Tuileries, tel: 01 42 61 03 34, 7:30am to 10pm, Sat 9am to 3pm, closed Sat evenings, Sun and national holidays. 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, slightly battered interior, it attracts heavyweight businessmen and lawyers at lunch, and well-heeled wine-lovers at night. The best time to visit is late in the afternoon when the streets are darkening and the regulars are installed at the bar, leaving the banquettes empty. Soak up the atmosphere over a bottle of Cheverny and a plate of home-made rillettes.

A La Cloche Des Halles
28 rue Coquillière, 1er, M° Châtelet, tel: 01 42 36 93 89, open 8am to 10pm, Sat 10am to 5pm, closed Sun. A popular hangout for music people and local eccentrics, this wine bar is named after one of the bells that used to sound the opening and closing of the nearby Les Halles markets, and is one of the last vestiges of the “stomach of Paris.” It has a family-type atmosphere thanks to the jovial good humor of the hosts, Annie and Serge, who serve a wide range of wine, including a fine St-Joseph in largish sniffer glasses. Even without the wine, their saucisson would be worth a visit.

Juveniles
47 rue de Richelieu, 1er, M° Pyramides, tel: 01 42 97 46 49, noon to 11pm, 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 an extremely friendly hangout with an elegant, warm decor. It also lays on one of the best Beaujolais Nouveau parties in town and is an excellent place to go if you want to try some superb wines from Australia, Spain and the Americas.



L'Ecluse by night
© Kolar Courtney


Taverne Henri IV
© W.A Dudley