Top 10 Caves à Manger In Paris

Best of both worlds … Paris’s caves à manger focus on great quality food and drink. Photograph: Allen Enriquez/Getty Images/Flickr RF

Paris is offering a fresh twist on the wine bar experience with the increasing popularity of its caves à manger, where you can savour impressive wines, provided you also sample something from their deli-style food menus

Caves à Manger – wine bars with a difference – are popping up all over Paris at the moment, offering the combination of a stunning selection of reasonably priced wines that are usually organic, biodynamic or “natural” low-sulphite, accompanied by French-style deli snacks. These new-generation wine shops have a special licence that allows drinking on the premises only if customers order something to eat. The deal is that wines display their takeaway price, usually starting at €8-€9 a bottle, then a droit de bouchon (corkage) of €4-€8 is added for serving along with at least one of the tempting list of sharing plates on offer:planches of charcuterie and cheese, or more gourmet dishes such as grilled octopus with aubergine. Here’s our pick of 10 great caves across the city, plus a tip on which wine to order from each caviste.

Le Barav

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 Photograph: John Brunton

Wine lovers are spoiled for choice in the Marais district, from Versant Vins in the buzzing Marché des Enfants Rouges to newcomers such as Monsieur Henri, already crowded every night. But it is difficult to find a better spot than friendly Le Barav, which still has the feel of a neighbourhood hangout rather than the latest bourgeois bohème (bobo) flavour of the week. At first, Barav looks like a classic bistrot as, apart from a host of tapas-style plates, it does a range of main dishes such as duck shepherds pie or grilled sausage with lentils. A dozen wines by the glass can be chosen from the blackboard but if you ask for a bottle you’ll realise this is a unique cave à manger as the waitress asks you to go next door and choose from one of the 300 vintages stocked in its cellar. The friendly caviste, Stan, gives helpful advice, and you take your bottle back to the table for the waitress to open.
• Corkage €6. 6 rue Charles-François Dupuis, 75003, +33 1 48 04 57 59,lebarav.frWine pick: Pithon-Paille chenin blanc from the Loire, €14

Le 5e Cru

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Although it is right by the Boulevard Saint-Germain and the iconic Institut du Monde Arabe, the 5e Cru is very much an under-the-radar address. This chameleon cave à manger attracts a loyal collection of colourful Rive Gauche locals at lunchtime, drawn as much by the changing plat du jour that owner/chef/sommelier Jean de Rotalier serves for just €10, as his stellar list of 250 organic wines. Then at night, a trendier, wine-fanatic crowd converges from all over Paris, along with a smattering of curious tourists. Jean does no cooked food in the evening, but there is still a long list of sharing plates like mackerel marinated in Sancerre, scallop rillettes, and duck breast with foie gras. There are always 10-12 wines available by the glass, starting at €4
• Corkage €6. 7 rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75005, +33 1 40 46 86 34, 5ecru.comWine pick: Domaine de Mouscaillo Limoux blanc sec, €17

Le Quincave

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 Photograph: John Brunton

The Quincave may be one of the few wine cellars that does not serve by the glass, but with bottles starting at €9 and a plate of saucisson from Ardèche, Cantal cheese or rustic terrine costing €5, it is no surprise that this cosy locale is packed most nights. Customers perch on bar stools made from barrel staves and garrulous owner Fred Belkamp is a mine of information as he has personally tracked down most of the makers of the couple of hundred wines he stocks. Fred is a pioneer caviste, opening 12 years ago in this lively Left Bank street near legendary Montparnasse brasserie La Coupole. Squeezed between the wine are bottles of craft beer, olive oil, artisan vinegar, rum, sake and potent fruit brandies. And don’t be surprised to see clients disappearing through a side door behind the bar counter – they are just heading for the outdoor loo at the back of the courtyard.
• Corkage €7. 17 rue Bréa, 75006, +33 1 43 29 38 24, quincave.pagesperso-orange.frWine pick: L’Amourier from the Minervois, €9

Pratz

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Pratz is one of the newer caves à manger. It is in the fashionable Sopi (south of Pigalle) neighbourhood. Owner Thomas Babot offers an inspired selection of biodynamic or natural wines and creates delicious tapas in an open kitchen. Apart from plates of chorizo, serrano ham, and mozzarella and burrata, he has a daily selection of gourmet sandwiches stuffed with the likes of truffle-scented ham, melted provolone and sun-dried tomatoes. His 100-strong selection of wines begins at €8.90 a bottle, while half-a-dozen by the glass are priced from €4-€7. Babot has also had the clever idea of offering a sac apéro, a chic cotton picnic bag of cheese and charcuterie, half a baguette, a bottle of wine and plastic glasses, all for €19.
• Corkage €8. 59 rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle, 75009, +33 1 77 10 67 03, pratz-pigalle.comWine pick: Entre Chien et Loup, dry white from Alsace, €12.50

La Cave à Michel

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 Photograph: John Brunton

Rue Sainte-Marthe and its cobbled square are a goldmine of cheap-and-cheerful bohemian restaurants and now La Cave à Michel is one of the hottest new addresses for wine and food lovers. It is a joint venture between chef Romain Tischenko and caviste Fabrice Mansouri. Tischenko shot to fame when he won France’s Masterchef and with the winnings opened his own restaurant, Le Galopin, in Place Sainte-Marthe. Last year he joined forces with Mansouri and, during the day, La Cave à Michel operates as a normal wine shop, but from 6.30pm Tischenko comes over from Le Galopin to spend the evening cooking gourmet tapas in a minuscule kitchen at the end of the classic zinc bar. The narrow, standing-room only joint buzzes at night, with Mansouri at one end explaining some of the 300 wines it stocks while, at the other end, Tischenko cooks up a storm with dishes such as Galician octopus grilled with organic aubergine, Basque peppers stuffed with yoghurt and tarragon, and a fresh, tangy mix of tomatoes, peaches and coriander.
• Corkage €8. 36 rue Sainte-Marthe, 75010, +33 1 42 45 94 47, FacebookWine pick: Piak! Domaine Bobinet Saumur-Champigny, €10

La Buvette

Everything in this enchanting tiny bar is minimalist but perfect, from the small 50-odd list of surprising wines to the half-a-dozen delicate sharing plates, handwritten on a mirror, often including broad beans and lemon zest, fresh goat’s cheese with black garlic and cherries, and marinated baby octopus with saffron. La Buvette used to be the local cheese shop, and owner Camille Fourmont has left the 19th-century decor intact, and runs the whole show all alone behind a simple wooden bar. She learned her trade as sommelier in the designer Mama Shelter hotel and restaurant Le Dauphin, owned by cult chef Inaki Aizpitarte. Although La Buvette is at the quiet end of hip Rue Saint-Maur, Camille already has a serious following, so be prepared to brave the crowds who cram in here most nights – with no reservations possible. By the glass, there is a choice of six reds and six whites, priced from €5-€6.50, and while the cheapest bottle of wine is €12, there is nothing more than €55, as she is determined not to stock really expensive vintages.
• Corkage €8. 67 rue Saint-Maur, 75011, +33 09 83 56 94 11, FacebookWine pick: Les Débonnaires, Chinon from the Loire, €14

Le Siffleur de Ballons

Not far from foodies’ favourite Marché d’Aligre, Le Siffleur is an offshoot of one of Paris’s classic bistrots, L’Ebauchoir, which is right across the street. The creative snacks served at Le Siffleur are overseen by L’Ebauchoir’s chef, Thomas Dufour, and it is difficult to resist tasty plates of potatoes smothered with melted reblochon cheese, organic Beluga lentils drizzled with truffle oil on a bed of rocket, and an unforgettable gâteau de riz grand-mère, like no rice pudding you have tasted. Then there are some 400 wines to choose from, many with great names like Rue de la Soif, French Wine is Not Dead and Tout Bu or Not Tout Bu. Fortunately, the bar is run by two young helpful sommeliers, Tristan and Fred, who also propose 13 interchanging bottles by the glass, from €3.50 for a sharp, fresh Muscadet to €9 for an elegant champagne.
• Corkage €7. 34 rue de Cîteaux, 75012, +33 1 58 51 14 04,lesiffleurdeballons.netWine pick: La Souteronne, gamay from Ardèche, €19

Lucien La Chance

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 Photograph: John Brunton

For the moment, Lulu is very much an insiders’ address, in a quiet street off the bustling Place de Clichy. But turn up even on a Monday night and you’ll find this romantic locale – originally an art-deco pharmacy – packed out. Created by the double act of talented chef Fabrice Mellado and wine fanatic Guillaume Blanchot, this is a rare cave à manger that does not charge corkage. Nine wines are sold by the glass or pichet. Blanchot says: “All of our 150 vintages can be bought to take away at 20%-40% less than their price on the wine list.” In a minuscule kitchen, Mellado prepares surprising dishes like beef grilled with strawberries and onions or white asparagus with succulent pig’s cheek in a prune and orange sauce. Guests are welcome from 5pm each evening until midnight, and this is a rare Parisian address that stays open seven days a week.
• 8 rue des Dames, +33 09 73 52 07 14, 75017, FacebookWine pick: Grains 2 Sable, a rare red gamay from Mâcon, €38 in the restaurant, €20 to take away

En Vrac

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 Photograph: John Brunton

En Vrac is a cave à manger with a difference, boasting 10 shiny steel vats balancing on tree stumps where high-quality organic, zero-sulphite wine is sold to take away – bring your own container or the bar staff will fill one of the retrolimonade bottles. The brainchild of Thierry Poincin, who has a second outlet in Pigalle, En Vrac also has a varied wine selection of 150bottles, and locals crowd round a vast wooden counter laden with crusty loaves and long saucissons. It’s in a corner of Montmartre rarely visited by tourists, and there is a hearty plat du jourfor €10.50, homemade soups and salads, plus a brilliant Parisian classic: ajambon-beurre sandwich with crunchy gherkins. A deli corner stocks everything from gourmet tins of Portuguese sardines and mussels to La Parisienne craft ale and huge jars filled with rum, whisky and vodka marinating aromatic herbs and fruits. It also runs wine appreciation courses and guidance on making your own wine – something that has been pretty much heresy in France until now.
• Corkage €6. 2 rue de l’Olive, 75018, +33 1 53 26 03 94, vinenvrac.frWine pick: Popsec bubbly chenin blanc from the Loire, €18

Au Bon Vingt

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 Photograph: John Brunton

Rue de Bagnolet is like a hidden village in the far-flung 20th arrondissement, and there are a couple of great neighbourhood bars near Au Bon Vingt, Le Piston Pelican and Le Bar de la Réunion, which are well worth a visit. Agnès Baracco is a guru of vins naturels, and sommeliers from all over the city pop in to check out her latest discoveries. At the latest count she stocks over 360 natural wines in her tiny shop and customers have to squeeze in between the piles of cases she is always unpacking. This is a one-woman show, so during the day Agnès operates a simple wine boutique, but from 6pm-9pm it becomes an animated cave à manger, where she prepares generous plates of cheeses and charcuterie and gives informal wine tasting lessons. Only one red and one white are offered by the glass, but the corkage is so low that most people crack open a bottle.
• Corkage €4. 52 rue de Bagnolet, 75020, +33 1 43 56 94 55, no websiteWine pick: Coup de Coeur, gewurztraminer/riesling from Alsace, €12

By John Brunton, www.theguardian.com

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