Wine Walk of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements

Transcription

1 Wine Walk of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements page 1

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4 This is a walking tour, or rather wine crawl, for the young, brave and tireless. You won t, and shouldn t, be able to visit all these bars and clubs in one night, but there are plenty for several nights on the town based on your mood, budget, energy level and tolerance. So pick a few that sound appealing to you, and make sure to hydrate in between! Start your tour at the beloved American institution 1. Harry s New York Bar (5, rue Daunou), frequented by expats and Parisians alike for the range of cocktails and more than 300 whiskies available. The story goes that a patron enjoyed the original bar in New York so much that he asked for it to be dismantled and brought to Paris. In 1911, Harry s New York Bar debuted in Paris, and a range of notable writers and Parisians were big fans. Turn left onto rue Daunou and make another left onto rue de la Paix, continuing until you hit the 2. Ritz Hotel (15, Place Vendôme) on the north side of the beautiful Place Vendôme. Unfortunately, the Ritz is undergoing a massive two-year remodel and won t reopen until 2014, but you can imagine the stories and scandal that happened behind the currently closed doors. Plan your next visit to the Hemingway Bar when it reopens. Continue through the Place Vendôme and do some fabulous window-shopping along the way at the designer boutiques, then turn left onto rue Saint-Honoré and make another left at the next street to find 3. le Rubis (10, rue du Marché Saint- Honoré). Le Rubis is a down-home, hearty French wine bar, serving locals and visitors stick-to-your-ribs meals at lunchtime only, along with a large selection of wine by the glass or bottle. If you come after lunch, you can still enjoy the zinc bar and burgundy banquettes for a snack and some vino. Return to rue Saint-Honoré and turn left, then make another left onto rue de Richelieu. Turn right behind the Comédie Française and left onto rue de Montpensier. At the end of the street, you ll find one of the tiniest wine bars in Paris, but also one of the best. 4. Verjus (47, rue Montpensier) is owned by an extremely friendly and knowledgeable American couple, with the husband overseeing the cooking in the upscale, upstairs dining room and the wife serving as sommelier for the wine bar downstairs, which also serves delicious small bites from the same kitchen. Turn right onto rue de Beaujolais and left onto rue des Petits Champs, continuing until you hit 5. Willi s Wine Bar (13, rue des Petits Champs) on the right side. Willi s always has an interesting wine selection to choose from, including Wine Walk of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements page 4

5 French, Spanish and Italian varietals. You can pop in for a glass and bite at the bar, or make a reservation to sit down in the newly remodeled dining room. When you exit Willi s, turn right and continue along rue des Petits Champs, turning right onto rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, where you ll find 6. O Chateau (68, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau) on the left. It s run by the author of Stuff Parisians Like, a fun read, O Chateau offers a range of enjoyable offerings. You can learn about French wine by ordering a flight of wines from a specific region, or for more formal training, sign up for one of the entertaining and educational wine classes. Continue along rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau until you reach rue du Louvre, then turn left. Make another left onto rue Saint-Honoré, then turn right onto the small street named rue de l Arbre Sec. Here you ll find a few good options. On the right side of the street is 7. le Garde Robe (41, rue de l Arbre Sec). Strap into this down-and-dirty bar for some natural wines with a plate of charcuterie, and your evening will be off to a great start (or will continue down a great path). A little farther down the street on the right is 8. Racines 2 (39, rue de l'arbre Sec), a good stop for a more serious meal with your wine. The open kitchen and long communal table offer a great spot for a friendly meal while you sample more of France s great wines. Across the street is the épicerie and wine shop 9. Spring Boutique (52, rue de l'arbre Sec), the cousin to the highly popular restaurant of the same name around the corner. You can usually find a few bottles open that you can have a glass of while browsing salts, mustards and vino, and Spring also offers a wine club that includes home delivery of some of your favorite bottles. Retrace your steps back along rue de l Arbre Sec, taking a right on rue du Louvre and another right on rue Etienne Marcel. Turn left on rue Montorgueil and you ll immediately find many lively places for your evening. One option is to turn right on rue Marie Stuart and head to 10. l Art Source (6, rue Marie Stuart). Inside are a bar and high-topped tables to sample the interesting collection of wine from 15 countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Argentina and Chile. There s also a well-chosen menu to match, with charcuterie, and warm, seasonal dishes. Continue up rue Montorgueil, crossing rue Réaumur and making a right onto rue du Nil, where you ll find the popular 11. Frenchie (5 6, rue du Nil) restaurant on Wine Walk of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements page 5

6 one side of the street, and the Frenchie wine bar opposite. The wine bar opens at 7 p.m. and does not take reservations. The line to get in can start at 6:30 p.m., but it s well worth the wait for the inventive dishes and a stellar wine list to match. If you re ready for something a bit more clandestine, head back along rue Montorgueil and make a left onto rue Saint-Sauveur, where you ll find some cozier bars. Look for a bouncer outside the nearly unmarked 12. Experimental Cocktail Club (37, rue Saint-Sauveur). Inside, the warm brick walls encourage you to tuck into one of the corners with an expertly mixed cocktail and peoplewatch while listening to the latest tunes the DJ is spinning. Only the true diehards can think of going beyond this point, but if 2 a.m. comes and you re not ready to call it a night, head down to the 13. VIP Room (188 bis, rue de Rivoli). To get in, you ll need to be either on a list or (a woman) dressed to impress. Once inside, you can dance the night away at this club, open until the wee hours, complete with revolving dance floor and DJs extraordinaire. 1. Harry s New York Bar, 5, rue Daunou; Sun Thurs, noon 2 a.m.; Fri Sat, noon 3 a.m. 2. Ritz Hotel, 15, Place Vendôme, Le Rubis, 10, rue du Marché Saint-Honoré, ; Mon Fri, 7 a.m. 10 p.m.; Sat, 9:30 a.m. 3 p.m. 4. Verjus, 47, rue Montpensier, ; Mon Fri, 6 p.m. 11 p.m. 5. Willi s Wine Bar, 13, rue des Petits Champs; ; bar, Mon Sat, noon midnight ; restaurant, Mon Sat, lunch and dinner. 6. O Chateau, 68, rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, ; Mon Thurs, 4 p.m. midnight; Fri Sat, 4 p.m. 1 a.m. 7. Le Garde Robe, 41, rue de l Arbre Sec, ; Mon Sat, open until midnight. 8. Racines 2, 39, rue de l'arbre Sec, ; Mon Fri, lunch and dinner. 9. Spring Boutique, 52, rue de l'arbre Sec, ; Tues Sat, noon 8 p.m. 10. L Art Source, 6, rue Marie Stuart, Tues Sat, 6:30 p.m. 2 a.m. 11. Frenchie, 5 6, rue du Nil, ; Mon Fri, 7 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 12. Experimental Cocktail Club, 37, rue Saint- Sauveur, VIP Room, 188 bis, rue de Rivoli, Wine Walk of the 1st and 2nd Arrondissements page 6