Apéro now: five top spots to raise a glass of natural wine in Paris
This article is part of a guide to Paris from FT Globetrotter
When the sun sets, Parisians never miss a chance for an apéro (aperitif), a moment to unwind and relax with friends over a glass of something and a nibble before dinner. The purpose of the apéro is literally to “open up the appetite” — an art the French have been mastering over the centuries.
In recent years, the apéro has been jolted by the natural-wine revolution, which has shaken up the Parisian drink scene. Initially an agrico-political movement advanced by wine iconoclasts in the 1980s against big corporations and classical châteaux, natural wine has become quasi-mainstream in bars and restaurants in the French capital in the past 10 years, with the 11th arrondissement as its epicentre.
The place is narrow and fills up quickly during peak hours, turning into a vibrant standing space where people often have to shout at the counter to place their order, rubbing shoulders with their neighbours. If you feel a little adventurous, the crispy pigs’ ears are a must, and the sunny-side-up eggs with mushrooms are a perennial crowd-pleaser. Staying close to the counter will allow you to grab a slice of bread and scoop from a giant mound of butter that is passed around the bar — an Avant-Comptoir signature that has truly built a reputation for the place.
L’Avant-Comptoir often welcomes people on the go before they catch a train, head to the movies or meet up for dinner. And if you can’t secure a spot there, try one of the sibling Comptoirs, L’Avant-Comptoir de la Mer, which specialises in seafood, or L’Avant-Comptoir du Marché.
Where to go next: Stroll 15 minutes or so along the Seine and past Notre-Dame to reach A.T, a Michelin-starred restaurant with contemporary dishes in a Scandinavian-inspired setting.
La Quincave (6th arr.)
17 Rue Bréa, 75006 Paris
Good for: Sharing a bottle of wine with other customers
Not so good for: Adventurous natural-wine drinkers — there are no “funky” wines on the list
FYI: Open Tuesday to Thursday, 5pm-11pm; Friday, 11am-1pm and 5pm-11pm; Saturday, 11am-11pm. Small plates, from €5. Wine by the bottle only, from €12
Booking: Reservations accepted until 7pm
Website; Directions
The offering at La Quincave is a good entry point for those new to natural wineIf the switch from grand cru Bordeaux to cloudy skin-contact wines feels too much of a stretch, La Quincave provides a perfect middle ground. It opened in 2003 as a ground zero of activism against classic wine institutions, but its selection of natural wines nevertheless leans on the traditional side.
Recently the bar has taken inspiration from the many intellectuals and artists who frequent the area and set up a series of literary salons. Eager “to combine wine and literature”, Priscilla Coutinho, a former customer who made her way up to propriétaire, has started periodic wine and literary sessions at the bar. If you are around on a Monday, try to sneak in behind the closed doors, and listen to excerpts from an author’s latest book while a small crowd of aficionados enjoy wine picked by the guest writer.
Where to go next: The hallowed La Rotonde, whose habitués once included Picasso and Ernest Hemingway, is a two-minute walk away.
La Retraite (10th arr.)
55 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris
Good for: A casual gathering with friends
Not so good for: Formal business dinners
FYI: Open Monday to Friday, 6pm-midnight; Saturday, 3pm-midnight. Small plates, €7-€13. Wine by the glass, €6-€8
Booking: Reservations via Instagram
Website; Directions
Co-founders of Le Retraite: Anastasia Bemposta (left) and Romi Flores (right)
Going for an aperitif at La Retraite, in the buzzy 10th district at the heart of Paris’s hipsterdom, is like hanging out at a friend’s apartment. The atmosphere is laid-back and cosy — bunches of flowers next to handwritten menus are dotted about hardwood tables, and the open windows to the street are an invitation to pop in.
“We wanted a place without frills that would feel like home,” says Anastasia Bemposta, who co-founded the restaurant with Romi Flores. For the two women in their early thirties, this cave à manger is a refreshing departure from the predominantly male-dominated Parisian wine scene. This friendly duo, who thrive on enthusiasm and spontaneity, juggle between front-of-house and the kitchen with ease.
The menu at Le Retraite is vegetable forward, with small plates such as this butternut, labneh and roasted grapes dish
Le Retraite is both an eatery and a wine shop, so natural wine can be purchased to take home
There are a handful of plates to sample from, with an emphasis on vegetables. The food is simple but well executed and attests to the owners’ creativity. The restaurant sometimes hosts visiting chefs for a week-long residency during which diners can experience different seasonal dishes.
Both a wine shop and an eatery, La Retraite offers an admirable range of low-intervention wines from all around Europe, with a focus on a new generation of winemakers. On my last visit, Flores opened a bottle of newly received Weiss, an assemblage of organic white grapes from German winemaker Glow Glow. It is floral, light, refreshing, and slightly sparkling — like the place itself.
Where to go next: Early June, a cosy restaurant around the corner and close to the Canal Saint-Martin, which welcomes resident chefs from all over the world.
Delicatessen Place (11th arr.)
5 Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris
Good for: Large hearty portions
Not so good for: Big groups — the interior is rather small
FYI: Open Thursday to Monday, 5pm-10pm. Small plates, €6-€25.
Wine by the glass, €6-€9
Booking: Good spot for the start of the week, as many restaurants aren’t open on Mondays. No reservations
Website; Directions
Belfast-born chef Hugh Corcoran offers his own take on classic French dishes at Delicatessen PlaceLocated in the 11th arrondissement — the hotbed of today’s natural-wine movement — Delicatessen Place was an old shoe-repair store before it was converted into a little eatery earlier this year. It’s a low-key wine spot in the upper Marais, where people in the know gather to sit on wooden stools and watch Belfast-born chef Hugh Corcoran manoeuvre his way behind the kitchen counter. Far from the standard wine and cheese board, Delicatessen Place takes traditional French classics to a new level, serving up pot-au-feu or leeks in vinaigrette revisited Corcoran’s way.
Delicatessen Cave, the eatery’s sibling shop next door, offers more than 1,000 different bottles of wine . . .
. . . alongside other tasty provisions
Wine comes from its sibling shop next door, Delicatessen Cave, which has a standout selection of natural wines. With more than 1,000 different bottles, with a spotlight on French and Austrian wines, there is something for every persuasion. The owner’s passion for cinema inspired the name of the place as well as the cave’s interior, where paintings and memorabilia hang on the walls.
Delicatessen is a successful family business run by Mireille Langlois, an eccentric and strong-willed mother, and her son Gabriel Bonet, a young self-taught sommelier. Together, the pair represent the whole spectrum of natural wines, from the funky l’Absurde Génie des Fleurs to the traditional Clos du Rouge-Gorge.
Where to go next: The Clown Bar, an innovative restaurant that used to be the canteen for artists performing at the Cirque d’Hiver next door.
Septime La Cave (11th arr.)
3 Rue Basfroi, 75011 Paris
Good for: Meeting people from the restaurant industry
Not so good for: Sitting down — there are only a handful of seats
FYI: Open 7/7, 4pm-11pm. Small plates, €7-€15. Wine by the glass, €6-€12
Booking: No reservations
Website; Directions
Septime La Cave is the popular wine bar and sibling joint to the Michelin-starred SeptimeRue de Charonne, a large street that runs from the Opera Bastille to the Pere Lachaise cemetery, is a popular destination for food and arguably Paris’s hottest spot for natural wine. Septime La Cave, the tiny sibling bar of Michelin-starred-restaurant Septime, has become fashionable with international foodies, as well as a go-to spot for the industry’s who’s who, where the most in-vogue chefs and sommeliers can be spotted sharing bottles of wine on a Monday evening. The place is considered a springboard in the natural-wine industry, and many of those who have earned their stripes at the Septime group now work in Paris’s finest restaurants.
The menu at Septime La Cave is largely centred around charcuterieWhile there is no kitchen, Septime La Cave serves top-notch products to share when hunger strikes, starring plates of cold cuts such as dried-beef Cecina or thinly sliced saucisson d’Ardèche. The wine selection is also incredible, featuring natural-wine superstars as well as lesser-known newcomers. One of the first places in Paris to source eastern European natural wines, Septime Cave also shines for its natural champagne selection.
Indoor seating is limited, but anyway the best place to enjoy a glass of wine here is alfrescoIndoor seating is competitive, but in any case a glass of wine is best enjoyed while standing on the pavement in front of the modest wooden storefront. Septime Cave is a perfect apéro spot if you want to socialise with other natural-wine connoisseurs before heading to dinner.
Where to go next: Clamato, famous for its raw seafood dishes, is around the corner
Where do you like to sample natural wines in Paris? Share your recommendations in the comments
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This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Sarah Andersen
