Septime’s Bertrand Grébaut and Théo Pourriat converted a shoe-repair shop to open this intimate, impeccably-designed wine bar just around the corner from their renowned restaurant. The well-informed staff serve a limited menu of exquisite small plates (ranging from cheeses and cured meats to foie gras stuffed with smoked eel) alongside a sizeable selection of well-priced natural wines from France and abroad.
On any given evening a mixed crowd of locals and tourists – some waiting for tables at Clamato, others just enjoying apéro-hour – perch on bar stools and repurposed grocery crates, mingling to a soundtrack of reggae and vintage jazz classics. For years more a way-station than an outright destination, Septime Cave has since summer 2015 been open for business on Sundays, rendering it all the more indispensable to the rue de Charonne neighborhood.
Practical information
Address: 3 rue Basfroi, 75011
Nearest transport: Charonne (9) or Ledru Rollin (8)
Hours: Closed Monday
Reservations: Reservations not accepted
Average price for lunch: €10-19 (small plates from €4-14)
Average price for dinner: €10-19 (small plates from €4-14)
Style of cuisine: Wine bar/small plates/tapas
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Reviews of interest
The Financial Times (2014) “A dozen or so wines are available by the glass (from €4.50). The bottles to take away or drink in (€7 corkage) include an especially strong selection of Italians, including Radikon, the king of orange wines. A good aperitif hangout.”
Telerama (2013) “…Une belle sélection à prix raisonnables de quatre-vingt-dix vins à consommer sur place ou à emporter, dans un esprit vignerons indépendants et créatifs.”
Not Drinking Poison in Paris (2013) “If Septime is the mothership, exerting a gravitational pull on diners citywide, Septime Cave is the dinghy : a little escape pod for tasteful rue de Charonne locals seeking a random weeknight tipple.”