We have a project with some friends of ours. They are enthusiasts for “natural wine”. They are no wine experts and certainly no bearded hipsters grown up with takeaway moss dishes with pickled ants from Noma. They just like “natural wine”, whatever that may be. So, we regularly meet in one of the restaurants or “wine bars” (which are often more like restaurants) in Paris that have some natural wine. This is the list of the places we’ve been to. Plus a list of other restaurant suggestions. And our list of the ones we like the most. Please feel free to add your suggestions for new places for us (and others) to explore in a comment.
This Natural Wine Bar and Restaurant project has been going on for well over ten years now, so we have seen quite a few of this kind of restaurants and wine bars in Paris. We have a few requirements (or more like desires) for the places we go to.
This is a longer version of an article published on Forbes.com.
Here’s what we’re looking for:
- The places we visit are actually more restaurants than wine bars. We want to be able to sit down and have some cooked food. Just offering cheese or charcuterie platters (or similar) doesn’t cut it.
- We don’t really like the trendy places often written up in the international press. They tend to be more trendy than good and too often be the same-same ones mentioned in different texts, although there are plenty of others (that never get a mention). There are a lot of restaurants in Paris…
- We like the at least slightly ambitious, not-well-known places that are more like neighbourhood restaurants rather than cool places for the hip crowd.
- However, it doesn’t have to be sophisticated; just good food and a nice atmosphere are enough.
- We only go to each place once. This doesn’t always work. But we’d rather try a new place than return to somewhere we’ve been. It doesn’t always work out like that, though.
- In summer, we really like it if it has outside seating, although it is not necessary, of course. It doesn’t always work out like that, though.
- Not all places are oriented explicitly towards natural wines. Actually, most are not, but there’s usually something “natural:ish” on the list.
- We rather shy away from the places that are religious in their belief that “natural wine is the only TRUE and AUTHENTIC wine”. We don’t believe in the natural wine religion. We believe in good wine and good food.
- IMPORTANT: We hate loud music. Preferably, the restaurant should have no music at all. We’re there to talk to our friends over a nice meal, not to shout at each other across a table and guess what the other said.
- IMPORTANT: We don’t go to restaurants that oblige you to choose your seating time and then have you leave before a second seating, for example, “you can have a table from 19h30 to 21h00”. Then we go elsewhere. It destroys the enjoyment of talking to friends.
- Maybe some more that I haven’t thought of.
We’ve done quite a few restaurants as well as natural wines over the years!
Our list with natural wine bars and restaurants in Paris
Here’s the list of the places we’ve been to. Some are good, some are fabulous. Some have been a bit of a disappointment. I’ll continue adding to the list as the project continues. I’ve also noted some short comments.
I’d suggest that the way to use this list is to see it as an inspiration and look up the restaurant yourself to see if it fits what you’re looking for.
(By the way, this is as much a list for us and our friends to keep track of where we’ve been as something that might inspire you.)
With 26,000 restaurants in Paris, knowing where to go is not always easy. If you read the international press, you will get some recommendations for good restaurants, of course. But it tends to be the same restaurants that are mentioned again and again. Maybe it’s because if it’s been written up once, it’s likely to be picked up again (by someone who reads what others have liked). And it tends to be those restaurants that are in the parts of Paris most frequented by tourists.
It really doesn’t matter if you are into natural wines or not; these restaurants have good food and good wine on their menu. They are usually very relaxed Paris-neighbourhood style, certainly not luxury or fine dining, just a place to go with friends.
Please add your suggestions for new places in the comments!
Our favourites
Favourites, among those that still exist:
- Bistrotters – for the atmosphere and genuine neighbourhood style
- Willi’s Wine Bar – for still being one of Paris’ top wine bars!
- Macéo – for the wine list and the calm and elegance
- Tadam – for its charm and simplicity (but good food)
- Chez Nathalie – for the outside seating
- Simone – for the excellent food and the terrasse
- L’Amarante – for its traditional French food
- Le Nom m’Echappe – good food in a sometimes too posh part of Paris
- Mamagoto – for the Asian inspiration (and a good wine list for a small place)
Bon appetit!
2024 — year 13
Brasserie Valma — 47
45 Quai Valmy, 75010, Paris. 18 January.
Yet to visit.
2023 — year 12
Bistrotters — 46
9 rue Decres, 75014 Paris. 9 August.
It’s a really nice small restaurant behind the Gare Montparnasse. Very much “neighbourhood” style.
Café Compagnon — 45
22-26 Rue Léopold Bellan, 75002, Paris. 25 May.
Very central, not far from Les Halles in a part of Paris that is very “busy” with lots of restaurants. A bit too “trendy” for my liking, and loud music, but the staff was very perceptive and gave us a separate room where they turned off the music. Huge plus for that. Good wine selection and good food.
Le Petit Sommelier — 44
49 Av. du Maine, 75014 Paris, 30 March.
A classic French bistro (although not as big and fancy as the famous ones) with an absolutely amazing wine list. I’ve been there before, and I had the impression that this time their menu was very much reduced and not quite as exciting as it used to be. Some classics, of course.
2022 — year 11
Willi’s Wine Bar — 43
13 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris. 21 December.
A long-time classic and favourite run by Mark Williamson for more years than he’d like to admit. Not particularly oriented towards natural wine but an outstanding wine list and excellent food. And that we happened to bump into two Finger Lakes (New York) winemakers that we had dined with the previous day, together with wine writer Stuart Pigott, made the evening even more fun.
Read more on Willi’s Wine Bar and Macéo in this BKWine Magazine article.
Café Compagnon — 42
22-26 rue Leopold Bellan, 75002. 11 May.
See above. On this occasion, we were less fortunate with the music but the staff was still very nice and accommodating.
Tadam — 41
14 Rue du Jura, 75013 Paris. 11 March.
A tiny neighbourhood restaurant close to Salpetrière and rue Monge. The kind of place that you wish you had around the corner to pop into when you don’t care for cooking. Good food, short wine list.
2021 — year 10
Les Petits Parisiens — 40
49 Avenue Jean Moulin 75014 Paris. 17 December.
The address used to house La Régalade, what became a famous restaurant run by Yves Camdeborde, one of the pioneers of Paris “bistronomy”. It is certainly still, under new owners and with a new name, a very nice classic French-style restaurant. Good wine list.
Zebulon — 39 — closed
10 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris, 13 November.
Next door to Le Louvre. Elegant bistro but of the tiresome style where the waiter feels the need to explain in detail every dish. That the two first wines we chose were no longer available did not help. Food was good though.
Now permanently closed, it seems.
Macéo — 38
15 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris. 10 September.
Back at Macéo. See below, under 2020.
Chez Nathalie — 37
45 Rue Vandrezanne 75013 Paris. 14 August.
Another charming “neighbourhood” restaurant, this time close to La Butte aux Cailles, a little bit behind Place d’Italie. Lovely outside seating (no cars) on a warm summer evening. Short menu with Asian inspiration. Short wine list.
Café des Peupliers — 36
1 Rue Charles Fourier, 75013 Paris. 1 June.
Actually, more of a regular café-bistrot, but lovely location with big “terrasse” on a square that doesn’t have much traffic. In the part of Paris called Les Peupliers. Definitely worth taking a walk to discover some of the amazing houses, for example, rue du Docteur Lery and La Cité Fleurie.
2020 — year 9, the year of covid
A year where dining out was difficult, due to covid restrictions.
Macéo — 35
15 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris. 8 October.
Sister-restaurant to Willis Wine Bar, also owned by Mark Williamson. If the Wine Bar is casual, this is elegant. Outstanding value for money in a lovely calm and quiet atmosphere. With Mark’s amazing wine list, of course.
Simone — 34
33 boulevard Arago, Paris 13. 10 September.
We had been there before and had an outstanding dining experience with their tasting menu (five courses). This time, it was good too. It was not quite as exceptional, but definitely worth visiting. Small, very ambitious neighbourhood restaurant. Very nice outside seating that we could enjoy in September. Good wine selection – they also have a wine shop next door.
Café des Peupliers — 33
1 Rue Charles Fourier, 75013 Paris. 13 August.
This was the first diner after covid close-down. You were only allowed to eat outside, and this place has lovely outside seating. And you had to finish by 21h00. Which we did. More like a classic café-resto. The choice was mainly guided by the covid restrictions (nice outside seating) but it was also a nice place to eat.
2019 — year 8
Le Saint Sebastien — 32
42 Rue Saint-Sébastien, 75011 Paris. 11 December.
It seems this never happened. I think it might have been a metro strike day so we cancelled.
La Cannonière — 31 — closed
57 Rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 75011 Paris. 24 July.
This, we discovered, was a sister restaurant to La Poudrière, a very “natural” restaurant close to where we live in Issy les Moulineaux. It was a nice and simple place (simple can be good) with a good “natural” wine selection, just like La Poudrière, but…
Now permanently closed, it seems.
L’Esquisse — 30
151 Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris. 21 May.
On the back side of the Montmartre hill, so, not that many tourists find their way here (a good thing). Very small, very simple (in style – we like! – no designer tables and fancy lighting), and very ambitious food. Lots of interesting wines too. A pity it is so much on the wrong side of Paris (from us). Paris 18 (and neighbouring arrondissements) are very good hunting grounds for natural wine restaurants / wine bars.
Simone — 29
33 boulevard Arago, Paris 13. 9 January.
This was our first time at Simone. See more above. It was very, very good. Five-course surprise tasting menu.
2018 — year 7
Encore — 28 — closed
43 rue Richer, Paris 9. 6 December.
Nice classic and simple Paris bistro.
Now permanently closed.
Le Grand Bain — 27
43 rue Richer, Paris 9. 29 August.
Very busy. A trendy place in a very restaurant-dense part of Paris with the young crowd. Unfortunately, one of our worst dining experiences was due to the horribly loud music. I don’t remember the food or wine, just that we had to shout to each other over the table.
Café de la Nouvelle Mairie — 26
19-21 Fossées St Jacques, Paris 5. 31 May.
Also, a trendy place that is often written up when talking about natural wine or wine bars (restaurants) in Paris. Been around for a long time. Just a stone’s throw from Panthéon. Crowded and a bit cramped. Short menu in very classic café style (oeuf mayo, for example), extensive wine list. Okay terrasse but with uncomfortable chairs. Too natural-wine-hip and cramped for my taste.
Le Timbre — 25 — closed
3 rue Sainte Beuve, Paris 6. 27 March.
A tiny restaurant justifying the name Le Timbre (the stamp). Ambitious food, nice wine list but…
Now permanently closed.
Mamagoto — 24
5 rue des Petits Hotels, Paris 10. 17 January.
Very small, a slightly Asian and Latin touch (“Japanese fusion”?) on the very short but well-composed menu. Nice food. Interesting wine list. Close to Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est. Also close to l’Eglise Saint Vincent de Paul around which there are some other interesting restaurants.
2017 — year 6
Le Coude Fou — 23 — closed
12 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, Paris 4. 15 December.
This used to be one of the classic “French style” bistros. Crowded, often recommended to tourists, but fairly nice. Except for the cramped space and noise (we were last time seated next to – very close – a group of boisterous Finnish women.)
Now permanently closed.
La Rallonge — 22 — closed
16 rue Eugène Sue, Paris 18. 19 September.
Rallonge, as in extension. Typical neighbourhood restaurant, friendly atmosphere. Slightly Asian touch, very well done (although I didn’t like the fried polenta). Good wine selection.
Now permanently closed.
Le Grand 8 — 21 — closed
8 rue Lamarck, Paris 18. 8 June.
Just behind Sacre Coeur. Very nice traditional café-restaurant. Stunning views (even from the toilets). But sadly…
Now permanently closed.
L’Amarante — 20
4 rue Biscornet, Paris 12. 18 April.
In the “unfashionable” 12th arrondissement, a good restaurant a stone’s throw from La Bastille on a quiet street.
Les sourires de Dante — 19
37 rue du Couedic, Paris 14. 18 January.
Recently opened when we were there. Italian, actually, but that’s not very evident on the menu, with a focus on natural wines on the wine list. Small, simple, nice. Again, far away from the touristy areas. Close to Place Alésia in the 14th.
2016 — year 5
Café Trama — 18 — closed
83 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris. 7 December.
A small and friendly neighbourhood restaurant on one of the small streets between Bon Marché and Hopital Necker.
Now permanently closed.
Jéroboam — 17 — closed
10 rue Saint Sébastien, Paris 11. 25 August.
Up in the 11th between République and Bastille. Excellent wine selection; it’s also a wine shop. Short on cooked food but still some nice things to eat.
Now permanently closed.
Lucien la Chance — 16 — closed
8 rue des Dames, Paris 17. 28 April.
Close to Place Clichy. Interesting wine list. Friendly, simple neighbourhood resto. Is no longer… But instead, in the same place, there is La Franquette, which seems similar, interesting wines but with a menu more with platters to share. Not my fancy.
Now permanently closed.
Sauvage — 15
60 rue du Cherche Midi, Paris 6. 27 January.
Very small, very simple interior. You pick the wines from the shelves (good selection), food with a touch of elegance and focus on fresh produce. Is it still the same?
2015 — year 4
Le nom m’echappe — 14
28 rue Notre Dame des Victoires, Paris 1. 27 August.
Close to La Bourse (Palais Brongniart), so, rather stylish interior. The name means “I’ve forgotten the name”, but the restaurant is not forgotten and still there. Well-made food.
Les Quilles — 13 — closed
123 boulevard de Ménilmontant, Paris 11. 19 June.
Quilles means bowling pins but also bottles of wine, so the name raises the game. Short and classic menu at this pleasant neighbourhood restaurant, certainly with some good wines.
Now permanently closed.
Tandem — 12
10 rue de la Butte aux Cailles, Paris 13. 10 April.
In the part of Paris called La Butte Aux Cailles – not very well-known but well worth exploring (more exciting than the Champs Elysées…). Plenty of restaurants here, close to Place d’Italie. Traditional (old-fashioned?) café-bistrot.
Les Canailles — 11
25 rue de Bruyère, Paris 9. 27 February.
« Votre bistro de quartier », yes, indeed, a friendly neighbourhood restaurant (that is still there!), the kind that you only find in France. Between Pigalle and Gare St Lazare.
Le Petit Platon — 10 — closed
4 rue Paradis, Paris 10. 30 January.
Adding to Dante (see 2016), we thus also have Platon. Very close to Gare de l’Est. But…
Now permanently closed.
2014 — year 3
Le Rubis — 9 — closed
14 rue Léopold Bellan, Paris 2. 5 December.
A neighbourhood restaurant of the kind we like. Close to Les Halles. Recently closed (September 2023).
Now permanently closed.
Yard — 8
8 rue de Mont Louis, Paris 11. 6 June.
Close to the Père Lachaise cemetery on a small side street. Classic small bistro that seems to have several places in Paris, even on Champs Elysées.
La Machine à Coudes — 7
35 rue Nationale, Boulogne Billancourt. 30 January.
One of the top restaurants on the list for the quality of the cooking. However, it seems to have been transformed into a much more sophisticated (and a bit more expensive) restaurant that only serves set multi-course menus.
2013 — year 2
Le Caviste Bio — 6 — closed
50 rue Maubeuge, Paris 9. 14 November.
A wine shop that also served Asian food. Very small and very nice. But has been replaced by Autour du Vin.
Now permanently closed.
La Cave de l’Insolite — 5
30 rue de la Folie Méricourt, Paris 11. 28 August.
It is quite a spacious (unusual !) neighbourhood restaurant that, it seems, even has a fireplace. Classic French, good wines. Fantastic that it’s still there. You pick the wine from the shelves in the restaurant.
Bang! — 4 — closed
112 quai de Jemappe, Paris 11. 31 May.
Along the Canal St Martin. Specialised in different kinds of meat from different origins. Sadly…
Now permanently closed.
El Picaflor — 3
9 rue Lacépède, Paris 5. 19 March.
To be honest, we went there mainly to eat Peruvian (said to be the best Peruvian restaurant in Paris) and to drink pisco sour. We were not disappointed.
2012 — year one
Les 3 Seaux — 2 — closed
58 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, Paris 11. 21 December.
The three ice buckets? Well, we liked this tiny restaurant on a small street in the 11th. But…
Now permanently closed.
Au Nouveau Nez — 1
104 rue Saint Maur, Paris 20. 22 June.
Quedubon — 1
22 rue du Plateau, Paris 19. 22 June.
The first dinner in our Paris natural wine bar and natural wine restaurant project. We were so ambitious, so we started with an aperitif in a small wine shop, very natural wine focussed, where we happened to bump into a natural winemaker. The place still exists, but it is now something totally different. Apparently, an Italian restaurant serving the cucina povera, whatever that is. Still very much natural wine place, though.
Then we continued for dinner to one of the perhaps now legendary bistronomique restaurants up at the Butte Chaumont. Excellent wine selection and good food (but a bit disappointed by the service). It’s still there, so it must be doing something right.
Candidates for future dinners in the Paris Natural Wine Restaurant and Natural Wine Bar Project (PNWRNWBP?)
This is a list of places that could be potential new restaurants for our dining project. Collected from a few different sources (or our own ideas). They are not vetted or investigated in any way (unless it’s specifically mentioned), so, for example, I don’t know if they are particularly good for natural wine.
From a Facebook source:
- Le Villaret
- 13 r. Ternaux, 75011 Paris, M Parmentier / Oberkampf, https://www.levillaret-restaurant.fr/
- beaucoup de grands vins à point pour pas grand-chose
- Le Bistrot du Sommelier
- chez Philippe Faure Brac, a legend
- Aux Deux Amis à Paris
- 45 Rue Oberkampf, 75011, https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054450042162
- Le Baratin
- 3 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris
- La Cave à Michel
- 36 rue Sainte Marthe, 75010 Paris, https://www.lacaveamichel.fr/
- Le Dauphin
- 131 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris
- L’Avant Comptoir du Marché / de la terre
- 14 Rue Lobineau, 75006 Paris / 3 Carr de l’Odéon, 75006 Paris
- Yves Camdeborde
- Bistrot Paul Bert
- 18 Rue Paul Bert, 75011 Paris, https://bistrotpaulbert.fr/
- Verjus
- 52 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris, https://www.verjusparis.com/
- Frenchie
- 6 Rue du Nil, 75002 Paris, https://www.frenchie-restaurant.com/
- Chez la Vieille
- 1 Rue Bailleul, 75001 Paris, M Louvre, http://www.chezlavieille.fr/
- Freddy’s
- 54 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris
- Redd Montorgueil
- 8 rue Saint Sauveur, 75002 Paris, Opera / Bourse, https://reddparis.com/
- Tiny wine bar
- Garance
- 34 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, Invalides, http://www.garance-saintdominique.fr/
- Semilla
- 54 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris, Mabillon, https://www.semillaparis.com/
- “Contemporary, intricate French cuisine with Mediterranean accents amid exposed ducts & brickwork”
- Au Passage
- 1bis Passage Saint-Sébastien, 75011 Paris, Bastille, http://www.restaurant-aupassage.fr
- Loud music.
- Jones
- 43 rue G.Cavaignac 75011 Paris, http://www.jonescaferestaurant.com/
- Rustic café style
- Le Servan
- 32 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris, M Voltaire
- “French-Asian dishes like blood sausage wontons & ginger pork belly, in a space with a vintage vibe”
- Le Petit Celestin
- 12 Quai des Célestins, 75004 Paris, M Sully-Morland, https://www.lepetitcelestin.fr/
- “Quaint stop with wood accents & red tables, making typical bistro fare like tartare & steaks.”
- Soon Grill le Marais
- 78 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris, https://soon-grill.com/marais/
- Korean
- L’Ami Jean
- 27 Rue Malar, 75007 Paris, M Ecole Militaire / Invalides, https://lamijean.fr/
- L’Office, rue Richer
- Restaurant 52
- 52 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris, https://groupe-compagnon.com/pages/le-52-faubourg-saint-denis
- By the same who started L’Office and Le Richer
- Le Richer
- 2 Rue Richer, 75009 Paris, M Bonne Nouvelle / Gds Boulevards, http://www.lericher.com/
- Similar to L’Office and Le 52.
- Le Repaire de Cartouche
- 8 Bd des Filles du Calvaire, 75011 Paris, Republique / Bastille
- Traditional
- Le Vantre
- 19, Rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 75011
- Le Prince Racine
- 22 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 75006 Paris
- Chez Marcel
- 7 Rue Stanislas, 75006 Paris, https://chezmarcel.cool/
- Sauvage
- 55 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris
- « Excellente carte des vins à des prix exceptionnellement raisonnables. »
- Has it changed since we were there in 2016?
And some other candidates, or just meriting a mention
- La Cagouille
- Close to Montparnasse, on a quiet square – good in summer
- Mainly fish
- Juveniles
- A classic close to the Louvre. “Natural” – no; but very good wines, yes.
- Close to Palais Royal
- La Poudrière
- A bit off-centre in Issy les Moulineaux. Classic café-bistro style but with a very good selection of wine-focused to some extent on “natural”.
- Les Colonnes
- Also in Issy. An early starter in the bistronomy trend, a bit pricey but very good and with an excellent wine list (but you have to ask for the “special” list if you want something special).
Le Saint Sebastien
42 Rue Saint-Sébastien, 75011 Paris.
- The one we should have gone to but cancelled due to strikes.
2 Responses
Great list, thanks for compiling it! I saw you tried but failed to go to Le Saint Sebastien… I went with a (non- wine pro friend) last November, on the suggestion of Christian Holthausen. It was outstanding, apart from perhaps uncomfortable chairs (but am getting old!). Loved the vibe, loved the food, loved the wine list and advice too. Do go!
Thanks. Next time will be in April. Perhaps we’ll try it then.