I treasure this little spot near the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, and come often for the selection of natural wines and simple food. It’s neither expensive nor ambitious nor crowded, and the welcome from Nafouel is always sweet.
Aux Verres de Contact might be fine for certain occasions (if you’re strolling near Notre Dame and want some better-than-average wine and charcuterie), but on the whole it doesn’t add much to the gastronomic landscape. As my table mate observed, it’s too expensive to be a neighborhood joint, and too boring to be a cross-town destination.
Au Passage is what happens when some business minded wine nuts open a large and relatively inexpensive space and spend their money on ingredients and talent. Prices are low, there enough tables and turnover to make booking a real possibility, and the menu changes every day. All this will probably add up to a habit. The rentrée will bring loving reviews and longer waits for reservations, so go and get it while you can.
A look at the small plates, interior and terrace at Frenchie Bar à Vins, Greg Marchand’s new wine bar across the street from Frenchie restaurant.
Last night, I took a peek at the new wine bar Le Dauphin. It was opening night and cheerfully mobbed, so we didn’t stay to eat. I did, however, snap a few dishes and the tapas list so that I could share what’s on the menu. This list looks very promising. The cured meats are expected [...]
The rentrée (post-summer season) is upon us, bringing cooler weather, crippling strikes, and a host of new openings. One that will surely generate a lot of buzz is the wine bar at Spring. When chef Daniel Rose began to renovate a former skate shop on the rue Bailleul, he discovered a wealth of subterranean possibilities. His [...]
I recognized Nat(halie) the moment I walked into la Bodeguita, a newish wine bar on the rue Quincampoix. I spent many nights in the palm of her hand back when she worked at Le Garde Robe. “I remember you, too” she said, narrowing her eyes into a French girl’s version of “here comes trouble.” I [...]
Caroline Mignot, a French writer who I like quite a lot, recently wrote about this little wine bar in the 9th. “I’m surprised that I haven’t written about it before,” she said, and I know exactly how she feels. Autour d’un Verre is a place I’ve visited many times and one that I often recommend. [...]
The evening began with an apology over the phone: “the owner is gone this week, so we’re only doing tapas.” It finished with some nail-in-the-coffin Crozes-Hermitage, taken while standing at the bar and listening to this song: I think I may have found my happy place. In this place, men who are handsome enough to have [...]
Le Verre Volé is a shoebox-size wine bar along the banks of the Canal St.-Martin. Its name means “the stolen glass.” I don’t know about the missing stemware, but I can attest to having lost many other things at this joint, including my natural wine virginity. Colorful tables are crammed into a space that’s likely smaller than [...]
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