Wine bars in Paris

Most visitors to Paris go with a list of recommended restaurants, but I thought ITN readers would like a list of wonderful wine bars, part of the true Parisian experience. I visited all of the wine bars listed below from January to September 2009, most several times.

Reporting on the prices is somewhat of a problem. For years, the tax on restaurant meals was 18.6% while the tax on fast food was just over 5%, which led to riots in the streets, literally, with chefs in white toques throwing eggs. Finally, very recently, the government reduced the tax at regular restaurants to the same five-plus percent that it had been for fast food. (The tax on alcohol has not changed.)

All restaurants are required to post their prices in the window, and in September I saw many that had crossed out the old prices and entered the new ones. Others printed new menus. Some reduced the price 10%, others did so by the full amount of the tax and still others did nothing. So the prices I’ve given may not be entirely accurate. Also, the euro has risen significantly, so the prices today are slightly higher than those I noted in dollars six months ago.

• Taverne Henri IV (phone 01 43 54 27 90) — nearest Métro is Pont Neuf. Located on the Pont Neuf bridge, this is a 17th-century building at the entrance to the Place Dauphine, a triangle built by Henry IV.

Down the stairs opposite the restaurant wine bar is a river cruise line, Vedettes du Pont Neuf. Since this is France, the boats do not run during lunch. Your best bet is to have a late lunch, or dinner, then take the sightseeing boat.

Here there is a choice of more than three dozen wines by the glass, ranging from €2.50 ($3.75) for a simple wine up to €10 ($15) for an excellent Sauternes.

My favorite meal here is the tartine SudOuest, a slab of country bread piled with smoked duck breast, foie gras and cheese, then grilled (€8).

Open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9-7 Saturday. It is jammed weekdays at lunch, as it is close to the Palais de Justice and is a favorite of lawyers and judges.

• Le Rubis (12 rue du Marche St. Honore; phone 01 42 61 03 34) — nearest Métro, Pyramides or Tuileries.

The wine selection is excellent, with a specialty on Beaujolais. There are about 30 wines by the glass, from €2.50 up.

The downstairs dining room is small, but there is a staircase hidden behind a door at the end of the bar that leads to a large upstairs dining room, so even if it looks full, there is probably still room for you to sit down and enjoy the wine and food.

You will also see, in good weather, one of the unique features here: people eating and drinking outside off tablecloths on upended barrels of wine.

Open 7:30-9 Monday-Friday, but meals are served only at normal meal times. The rest of the time, you can get plates of cheese or cold cuts.

• Aux Tonneaux des Halles (18 rue Montorgueil; phone 01 42 33 36 19) — nearest Métro, Etienne Marcel or Les Halles.

This remnant of the old Les Halles, which Zola called “the belly of Paris,” has retained its atmosphere and good food and wine. There are a dozen other restaurants on this walking street, but this is the best.

It has an excellent wine list with almost two dozen wines by the glass, but you can also buy full bottles, a bargain if two or three of you can drink a couple of glasses each.

Wines by the glass range from €5 and up. I had 25cl, a double glassful, for €8. I also had a steak tartare for €16 ($24), which was large, with a raw egg on top plus all the proper condiments, and came with a large salad and a lot of French fries, nice and crispy.

Open 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next morning, Monday-Saturday. It has a very wide range of interesting wines.

• La Cloche des Halles (28, rue Coquillière; phone 01 4236 03 80) — nearest Métro, Louvre Rivoli or Les Halles.

Again, this is a leftover from the glory days of Les Halles. There are over 25 wines by the glass, from €2.50 and up.

The interesting feature here is you can buy a small glass of wine, about two-thirds as much as a regular glass. This meant that I could drink a nice light white Sancerre to start, then a Morgon with my meat plate and a heavier St. Émilion with my cheese plate, all for the same price as two regular glasses.

The dinner meals are good, but I like the snack plates better: the cheese, the cold cuts and the sandwiches. It is very pleasant to sit outdoors in nice weather. Open 8-10 Monday-Friday and 10-5 Saturday.

The most famous cooking supply house in Paris is just two doors away, E. Dehillerin (18 et 20, rue Coquillière; phone +33 1 42 36 53 13, www.e-dehillerin.fr), which carries restaurant supplies, although anyone can shop there. It is well worth a look to see what is available.

• Le Baron Rouge, or Baron Bouge (1 rue Théophile Roussel; phone 01 43 43 14 32), directly opposite the famous Marché d’Aligre. Nearest Métro is Ledru Rollin. The young lady behind the bar assured me that the bar would answer to either name, as both appear in various guides.

This is a great location, but it means you cannot go there on Sunday when the market is in full swing, as it is jammed to the gills.

There is no menu card; you must read the choices off a chalkboard above the bar in French handwriting, a somewhat daunting task.

There are about 28 wines by the glass (a fairly large one), from €2.50 and up. I had a glass of Morgon and some cheese and my bill was €8.50.

This is a neighborhood hangout and it can get quite crowded. I was last there on a Friday at 3 p.m. and it was empty. No point in making a reservation. Again, in good weather there are tables outside.

Open at normal meal hours Tuesday to Thursday, 10-12 Friday and Saturday and 10-10 Sunday.

Incidentally, Marché d’Aligre, half covered and half open, and the side street are well worth visiting at an off hour on Saturday. Lots of exotic food from around the world!

ABBIE SALNY

Wayne, NJ