If you’re like me and LOVE wine, then you’re going to want to sample some French vin while you’re in Paris. You can try different types at classic Parisian cafés, but you’ll have better quality and variety if you go to a wine bar. There are a whole bunch of great ones around the city, so it’s a bit tricky making a short list of the best wine bars in Paris, but I’ve narrowed it down to these ones that, as a 20-year Parisian, I think stand out above the rest, across different price points and with a variation of vibes.
But before we get into it, here are a couple of hot tips to know before hitting up your first Parisian wine bar.
Many only open in the late afternoon (except for some that are also shops) and tend to stay open until 11pm or midnight. Also, some have a specific liquor license that requires you to have some food with your wine. In these cases, the bar will usually have some small options like olives or cheese you can order, in case you don’t want something bigger from their menu.
(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)
Image Courtesy of Le Baron Rouge
Le Baron Rouge, 12th Arrondissement
Located near the fabulous food market le Marché d’Aligre, this wine bar has a LOT of personality. A local favorite and definitely one of the best wine bars in Paris, right inside the door are large barrels where regular customers can bring their own bottles and refill. Other wine barrels serve as tables to stand around, and there are a few tables at the back as well. I do have to say, it’s a bit scruffy, so it’s less of a good fit if you’re looking for a classy or romantic place, but it’s definitely on the more affordable side. It’s a great place to stop in after visiting the market, or as you’re doing the walking route on Day 5 of our Paris Itinerary.
Les Enfants du Marché, North Marais
Paris’s oldest covered market, le Marché des Enfants Rouges, gets a LOT of buzz on social media, so you may have seen it if you’ve been watching our Instagram in the lead up to your trip. Within the lively market is this great wine bar, whose name is a word play on the name of the market. It focuses on natural wines that you can try along with their creative small plates, like scallops with black garlic, veal tongue carpaccio and more. It’s ideally located for apéro, which is a before-dinner drink here in France, at the end of Day 3 of our Paris Itinerary.
Image Courtesy of Septime La Cave via Instagram
Septime La Cave, 11th Arrondissement
The famous Michelin-starred restaurant Septime is one of the hardest restaurants to get into in Paris and so they’ve smartly added a wine bar around the corner. If you did manage to land reservations at the restaurant, you could stop in here for a drink before your meal. Otherwise, coming here is a more affordable and more casual option than their gastronomic restaurant. You can pair their selection of high-quality wines with some carefully selected charcuterie, cheese, and seasonal small plate dishes. It’s a good fit for foodies, big wine fans or if you’re looking for a cozy wine bar in eastern Paris.
Septime La Cave | WA
Image Courtesy of L’Avant Comptoir du Marché via Instagram
L’Avant Comptoir du Marché, Saint-Germain
If you’re looking for one of the best wine bars on Paris’s Left Bank, make your way to this fun venue on the edge of the Saint-Germain market. This is one of three wine-bar/small-plate venues owned by renowned chef Yves Camborde, but I like this one the best. The other two are very small and usually packed with tourists, while this one offers fantastic wine and top-notch food to a mixed clientele of locals and tourists in the know. Camborde sources his ingredients directly from top producers around France, so you’ll want to try some options like homemade tarama fish spread with lemon confit and mini-croque-monsieur sandwiches with truffles and aged comté cheese.
Included on Day 2 of our Paris Itinerary, unlike many of the others on this list, L’Avant Comptoir du Marché is open all day, but you might want to go in the early evening when it gets pretty hopping.
Image Courtesy of La Mal est Fait via Instagram
Le Mal est Fait, 11th Arrondissement
The Bastille area is known for its bars, which can get a tad rowdy, so this nice, more relaxed wine bar offers a happy medium. It’s found on a small side street, just close enough to the Place de la Bastille, but just far enough from the area’s party street, Rue de Lappe. The space is spacious and open, which means you might start chatting with your neighbors in the bar. It can get a bit lively on weekend evenings with louder music and dancing.
Image Courtesy of Cave des Abbesses
Cave des Abbesses, Montmartre
This great old-school wine bar is tucked away at the back of the local wine shop on Montmartre’s market street, Rue des Abbesses. Included on Day 3 of our Paris itinerary, they’ve got an amazing selection of wines at pretty affordable prices. On nice days, you can try to snag one of the few tables they’ve got outside, but I also like the bustling ambiance in the back room. If you can, come before 6pm, because it’s popular with the locals and so it fills up fast. You can get some cheese and charcuterie boards, but they also have a delicious red pepper and artichoke “tapas”.
Cave des Abbesses | WA
Image Courtesy of Le Vin au Vert via Instagram
Le Vin au Vert, South Pigalle
If you’d like to spend an evening in the hip South Pigalle area, this cool wine bar is a great place to start. Its wine list is made up mainly of smaller independent wine producers, so you’ll likely discover some wonderful new wineries and even some French wine regions you didn’t know about. It’s also a wine shop, so you can pick up some bottles here if you were hoping to take a few home with you.
Le Vin au Vert | WA
Image Courtesy of L’Ébéniste du Vin via Facebook
L’Ébéniste du Vin, Les Batignolles
I really like this very local wine bar in the nice Les Batignolles neighborhood. It’s got a nice decor with exposed stone walls and lots of shelves lined with wine bottles, but it’s the laid-back, friendly vibes that I’m most fond of. You won’t likely run into any other tourists here, except if they’ve stopped in here on Day 5 of our Paris Itinerary. It’s part wine shop and part bar, so if you like what you drink, you can also take a bottle home with you. If you’re feeling peckish, they also have cheese and charcuterie boards and a couple of other snacks.
L’Ébéniste du Vin | WA
Image Courtesy of Sobremesa via Instagram
Sobremesa, Montmartre
If you’re looking for a more modern wine bar, then try this lively spot on the back side of the hill in Montmartre. It’s got a really nice cozy feel, with only a couple of tables and some bar seating. The crowd is mostly in the late-20s to mid-30s range, and there’s often cool music playing, so it’s a bit more festive than some of the other bars on this list (without being a party place). They specialize in natural wines and have chefs-in-residence. I LOVED the inventive twist on Southern Chinese noodle dishes when Rachel Jiang Shan was recently the chef-in-residence. Every month, the menu changes, designed by the new chef, so this gives you a reason to come back to Paris soon to try out what’s new.
Image Courtesy of Freddy’s Wine Bar via Instagram
Freddy’s Wine Bar, Saint-Germain
Although this wine bar is a bit known by tourists, it’s still a great option in the Saint-Germain district. The wine bar is next door to the trendy restaurant, Semilla, and so they share similar recipes, just more casual at the wine bar side. They don’t take reservations, so it’s a good idea to come before 7 or 7:30 pm. You can just get a class of wine, or ordering a few different small plates can stand in for dinner. I had some amazing asparagus and sweet potato and hazelnut fritters the last time I was there.
Freddy’s is a tad on the chic side, but all seating is on tall bar chairs, which is useful to know in case you don’t like these.
Freddy’s Wine Bar | WA
If you liked this article on the best wine bars in Paris, you might want to check out my other articles on food and wine experiences. Read next:
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