12 exceptional Paris bars for natural wine

What else is there to do in the City of Lights besides having du vin en terrasse in one of the many, many Paris bars? It makes little difference whether your preferred poison is natural wine or intricate cocktails, or even a local beer from a nearby microbrewery. If sitting town on a terrace whist gossiping, people-watching, writing postcards or simply going over the following day’s itinerary is something that you could see yourself doing once or twice (or every day), take note of these Paris wine bars and speakeasy/cocktail-driven watering holes for your next visit.

Personally, it’s one of my favourite things to do in Paris and I religiously make a point in indulging this tradition each time I’m in town. For research purposes, of course.

Baron rouge

1 rue Théophile Roussel / 12^e arrondissement
lebaronrouge.net

The characterful owner serves French wines quite heavily for a handful of euros; either ask for his suggestion or take your pick from the from the hand-written blackboard. On weekends, the crowd spills out onto the sidewalk, where fresh oysters are heaped in baskets and served by the dozen.

Clown bar

114 rue Amelot / 11^e arrondissement
clown-bar-paris.com

The historic bar near the former Cirque d’Hiver retains its beautiful Belle Epoque flair (tastefully) decorated with clowns; wines are heavily natural, with good options by the glass as well as the bottle. Get there early or book well ahead.

Hôtel Amour

8 rue de Navarin / 9^e arrondissement
hotelamourparis.fr

The late-night brasserie has a coveted outdoor garden with an irresistibly high dose of sultriness in Paris’ former red light district. Try the signature cocktail, Amoureuse volcanique, with tangy Chambord. It’s a sexy place but hey, what’s sexier than Paris?

La cave du Paul Bert

16 rue du Paul Bert / 11e arrondissement

One of the most classic yet lively wine bars in Paris, complete with a short menu of French-inspired plates to share and a lengthy list of organic wine by the glass. If you can get there early enough to snag one of the six bar seats, do. You’ll be in for a fantastic experience and conversation.

Le verre volé

67 rue de Lancry / 10e arrondissement
leverrevole.fr

Having been open since the turn of the millennium, this is one of the original wine bars in Paris and pretty much a mandatory stop. You can’t miss the bright lavender facade along the hip Canal Saint-Martin area! It offers a menu of fresh small plates that changes every day served with a selection of 400+ handpicked natural wines from the utter best, most passionate organic vignerons in Europe. If you’re on a budget, that’s also a good spot for you; Le verre volé has a prix-fixe lunch menu at just 21€. Check their fine grocery on rue de la Folie Méricourt around the corner—-the perfect place to grab a few gourmet souvenirs!

La cave à Michel

36 rue Sainte-Marthe / 10e arrondissement

Minuscule, convivial, inviting. Their sommelier knows how to make people feel welcome, and how to show them a wine-fuelled good time. Plates range from just 2 to 10€ and are served on the narrow zinc counter that runs the length of the standing-room-only space, a classic Paris feature. Wine-wise, expect the top picks of natural wine, from zesty Cheverny to juicy Gamay and just about everything in-between, with a few odd picks from underrated wine regions across France. Bonus: it’s one of Rachel Signer’s favourite wine bars in Paris, and I mean, she’s pretty much a world expert in natural wine. Enjoy her read, You Had Me at Pet-Nat.

Pompette

15 rue Hippolyte Lebas / 9e arrondissement
pompetteparis.com

My new favourite place for vin nature in Paris. Australian-born wine lover Jess Hodges to open this small, intimate wine bar (yay, a women-owned space in Paris!) whose name is a colloquial way of saying tipsy. And that could not be closer to the reality of this place. Not one person walks out of Pompette sober, or hungry, for that matter; last time I went, it was for a friend’s birthday, and we literally ordered everything on the menu. We regretted nothing. Wines are from Jess’ vignerons friends she made over the years across Europe, and they’re all excellent, especially if you’re into macerations/orange wines.

Juvéniles

47 rue de Richelieu / 1^er arrondissement
juvenileswinebar.com

30 years in the making, this fuss-free, no-nonsense wine bar prides itself on delivering on its promise of great food and even greater wines. Expect friendly service, chatty locals — and even an English cheese pairing menu! This is a genuinely great place to spend an easy-on-the-wallet, all-around-enjoyable evening fueled by European vintages.

Le p’tit pinard

18 rue Saint-Ambroise / 11e arrondissement
leptitpinard.fr

Tucked away on a quiet corner deep in the 11th, not many tourists venture here and it’s somewhat of a well-kept secret. Charlotte and Julien did a wonderful job with this new wine bar (with almost exclusively French wineries, including orange wine, pet-nat and rosé) and shop, that goes from cozy brunch spot to romantic date night in the matter of a few hours. Good to know: pinard is French slang for wine. The place is gorgeous, too, with an L-shaped wooden bar, exposed brick walls, and large windows that open onto the leafy back garden.

Compagnie des vins surnaturels

7 rue Lobineau / 6^e arrondissement
compagniedesvinssurnaturels.com

Tucked away behind the iconic Marché Saint-Germain is a chic, cosy, dimly-lit wine bar. It’s not the cheapest but wine lovers will make wonderful discoveries not just from France but all over Europe. Why not get one of their famous charcuterie plates while you’re there?

La cave de Belleville

51 rue de Belleville / 19e arrondissement

If you find yourself in Paris on a weekday, head to La cave de Belleville. They have tastings every Thursday at 8PM, which includes a handful of wines and a charcuterie plate, served on a massive wooden table for 20 people. Expect loads of natural wines, with highly competent sommeliers that know everything that needs to be known about winemaking with as little intervention as possible. One of the most well-known wine bars in Paris, and still one of the best.

Le Barav

6 rue Charles-François Dupuis / 3^e arrondissement
lebarav.fr

A French tongue-in-cheek pun about drinking too much. That might happen at Le Barav, with its neighbourhood feel (not to mention sprawling terrace), its dozen or so picks by the €5 glass or its 300+ vintages stocked in the cellar next door.

Wine tastings in Paris

If you’d rather take part in a group tasting led by a maître sommelier in order to discover wines with a more educational, scholarly approach, these tours might be more interesting to you:

• Paris wine tasting + cheese board (with an expert sommelier)
• Champagne tasting on a Seine River cruise
• Grand Cru wine tastings with a sommelier
• Art of pairing cheese and wine tasting
• Burgundy wine tasting tour in Chablis with local winery visits
• Small-group wine-tasting trip to the Champagne region from Paris

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