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Le Cave

Longtime Le Chateaubriand sommelier Sebastien Chatillon opened this tiny wine shop in 2013. Sandwiched between Le Dauphin and Le Chateaubriand, Le Cave is a narrow space and a deceptively narrow concept: it sells only no-holds-barred natural wines from outside of France. Expect exotic glass selections ranging from skin-macerated Slovenian Malvasia to Assyrtiko from Santorini. While it may contain less intrinsic interest for visitors wishing to discover French wines while in Paris, Le Cave’s most ingenious selling point is its surprisingly involved plat du jour program, a rotating nightly dish for take-out only prepared in the kitchen of Le Chateaubriand. Octopus tandoori? Chakchouka(North African ragù)? We’d expect nothing less from Inaki Aizpitarte’s idea of comfort food. And if nothing else,  Le Cave functions as a cosy, well-run waiting room for anyone in line for a table at its neighbours.

Chatillon is soon to depart for the south of France to begin a winemaking project, but will continue to run the selection at Le Cave, aided by managing partner Paul Braillard.

Practical information

Address: 129 avenue Parmentier, 75011
Nearest transport: Goncourt (11)
Hours: Closed Sunday, closed Monday
Telephone: 01 48 74 65 38

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Reviews of interest

Aaron Ayscough (2014) “Food is sold to-go, but no food is available for consumption on premises… Yet a rotating cast of the shop’s exotic, borderline faddish wines are available by the glass… The wines actually displayed on Le Cave’s walls are precisely the same ones available at, say… any hip Paris restaurant with a young, curious somm who is nonetheless handcuffed by the limited amount of good non-French natural wines that make it into France.”

Vinoparis (2014) “L’originalité de Le Cave, c’est qu’on y propose des vins nature. Oui, mais pas que. Ici, vous trouverez  des vins 100% étrangers, sélectionnés par Sébastien Chatillon, le sommelier du Chateaubriand.”

Le Libération (2013) “Exit les vins traditionnels, place aux vins «propres» et étrangers chez Cave, le nouveau repère audiaresque du Chateaubriand, à Paris.”

Blouin ArtInfo (2013) “On pourra ici découvrir toute une gastronomie autant qu’une poésie de noms de lieux (Céphalonie, Santorin, Conca de Barbera, Swartland, Géorgie…), de noms de cépages (aleatico, ribolla gialla, mavrotragano, rkatsiteli, zacinjak), ainsi que des histoires fantastiques de popes qui font des vins depuis 1000 ans, de soleras de saké, de vinification en amphore ou de vins blancs faits comme des rouges.”

A Food Tale (Undated): “En un mot, des flacons de partout – hormis la France – et d’ailleurs, des découvertes, des surprises, et parfois des sidérations !”

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