Shall Sharable Plates – Paris by Mouth

Cheval d’Or

Disregard what is written on the window of Cheval d’Or’s elegantly-preserved red façade, for what restaurateur Florent Ciccoli (of Jones and Café du Coin, among other endeavors) and chef Taku Sekine (of Dersou) have created on a quiet side street near the Parc des Buttes Chaumont is not a Chinese restaurant. Cheval d’Or is, rather, a tasteful and welcoming luxury small-plates restaurant offering a delicate synthesis of pan-Asian and Parisian cuisines, more middle-ground than Middle Kingdom.

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La Buvette

La Buvette, opened in 2013, is perhaps the most stylish and intimate wine bar of its generation in Paris. Its Lilliputian confines are the size of the average e-cigarette shop, and yet manage to contain four small tables, a thin zinc bar, a prep kitchen, and in the rear, an authoritative-looking wine fridge. Scrawled on a wall-mounted mirror is the menu: a rotating array of highbrow nibbles, ranging from orange-zested white broad beans in olive oil to thick-cut nubs of andouille au lard, or intestine sausage laced with lardo. >> Read More

Café du Coin

Fresh off Paris’ greatest resto reboot of recent years - transforming the defunct destination Restaurant Bones into the beloved seven-day mainstay Restaurant Jones - chef-restaurateur Florent Ciccoli doubled down on the Voltaire neighborhood in late 2017, opening Café du Coin with the aid of frequent collaborator Greg Back (L’Orillon, Les Pères Populaires).

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Café de la Nouvelle Mairie

For the wine-indifferent, Café de la Nouvelle Mairie is merely a timeless, picturesque terraced café on a shady lane beside the Panthéon. Wines are inexpensive and available by the carafe, like in the old days. The café’s simply-executed bistrot cuisine is well-sourced and agreeable: oeufs mayonnaise, chicken liver terrines studded with grapes, and hearty Angus steaks for pressure-free meals on long summer evenings.

But for alert wine geeks, Café de la Nouvelle Mairie might as well be the Panthéon itself, as pertains to natural wine. >> Read More

Aux Deux Amis

There’s a boisterous, fun vibe at this Oberkampf dive, where you’ll find a compelling selection of natural wine, outstanding charcuterie, and a short list of small plates that varies in quality depending on who’ve they’ve got working in the kitchen (it changes a lot). Expect loud music and great people watching. Don’t expect to snag a table. A great place to begin or end an evening, belly pressed against the bar, sharing snacks and bottles. Note: they used to do a great lunch service, but as of August 2018 they’re only open at night, serving cold tapas from 4:30pm until the kitchen opens from 7:30-11pm. >> Read More

Martin

Former Au Passage bartender Löic Martin opened his eponymous bar-restaurant in late 2014 in the shell of a former PMU betting parlor, placing his money on sincere small-plates, a populist booze program, and a boldly central location. Over the course of a few years and a few conceptual tweaks, Martin the bar-restaurant has blossomed into a booming shabby-chic nightspot, the social anchor of the haute-Marais, one of the few wide terraces in Paris offering truly excellent cuisine at accessible prices. >> Read More

Le Rigmarole

Le Rigmarole opened in October 2017 and delighted me more than any other restaurant that year. A recent return visit confirmed my feeling that Le Rigmarole is honest, inexpensive and delicious. It's casual and a bit chaotic, and it deserves to be packed every night.

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Le Grand Bain

Le Grand Bain currently holds the #2 spot in our list of favorite restaurants for small sharable plates.

I became a fan of chef Edward Delling-Williams when he was cooking at Au Passage, and so I was thrilled when he opened Le Grand Bain on one of the grungiest / coolest streets in Paris. Like at Au Passage, there’s an ever-changing chalkboard menu of small plates, many of them vegetable driven (if not always vegetarian). You’ll also find massive hunks of protein to share. On a recent night, my friend and I competed for the last bite of a beautiful (entire) sole for only 30€, while vowing to return for the whole lamb shoulder that had us drooling on the neighboring table. This delicious drama played out while sitting outside on a street that’s a destination for graffiti tourists. Le Grand Bain is a great place to eat well and to drink natural wine while surrounded by the joyful cacophony of Belleville. >> Read More

Le Bel Ordinaire

We have not yet visited Le Bel Ordinaire, which combines an épicerie (grocery and wine shop) with a wine bar and cave à manger. Scroll down to read some of the early reviews.

Practical Information

Address: 54 Rue de Paradis, 75010
Hours: Closed Sunday & Monday. Open for lunch & dinner Tuesday-Saturday.
Telephone: 01 46 27 46 67
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What people are saying

Le Fooding (2017) appreciates the selection of natural wines but say that “there were some ups and downs the day we went for lunch, seated around the lone, long oak table… overcooked penne with leeks and haddock; Morteau sausage couscous with hints of butternut squash and daikon radish, seasoned with a spellbinding veal-harissa broth.”

TimeOut (2017) raves about the silky œufs mayo, the plump duck croquettes with Chinese cabbage, and a delicious but overpriced minestrone of vegetables with stracciatella. They find the to-go groceries, particularly the cheese, to be overpriced as well.

Atabula (2017) interviews Sébastien Demorand, who explains that many of their products come from his sourcing work for the failed Jeune Rue project, including the vinegars of Laurent Agnès and duck from Basque producer Jean Michel Berho. He also shares his hope to open another Bel Ordinaire in the 17th arrondissement.

Le Figaro (2017) calls this one of the best tables for Summer 2017 and says not to miss the salade piémontaise.

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Sauvage

Practical information

Address: 60 rue du Cherche Midi, 75006
Nearest transport: Rennes (12), Vaneau (10)
Hours: Closed Sunday & Monday; Open Tuesday-Saturday for lunch & dinner
Reservations: Walk-ins Welcome
Telephone: 06 88 88 48 23
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 20-39€
Style of cuisine: Small plates, modern French
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Reviews of interest

Time Out (2016) “As soon as you enter this well-presented cave-cum-restaurant on the Rue du Cherche-Midi, you get an inkling you’re going to eat well. There’s something about all those interesting wine bottles stacked on the walls, the friendly intimacy of the main room (just 15 tables) and the small kitchen nestled at the back that immediately gives a good, homey impression.”

Le Monde (2016) “L’assiette est comme un écho. Elle correspond à des appétits curieux de tout avec une innocence qui est revenue de tout: des palourdes avec du cidre et du citron, du porc avec carottes et bergamote, des ris de veau, racines et cueillettes. C’est biblique, nature, sans chichis. C’est du Doux Jésus. Une sorte de chant tranquille, fredonné.”

Not Drinking Poison in Paris (2015) “Bare-bones, boxy, and cheerful, Sauvage resembles a small-town Scandinavian coffee shop. But owner Sebastien Leroy outdoes himself with a surprisingly uncompromising natural wine selection, and an improvisational menu that grasps beyond the usual cheese and charcuterie to include – at least on the night I visited – a bright and vivid lobster salad.”

Le Figaro (2015) “Des casiers à vins bien fournis, des produits hyper sourcés en arrivage direct, quelques chaises et tables en bois et une atmosphère camarade…”

Paris Bouge (2015) “Velouté de chou-fleur et œufs de saumon, jambon fumé de la Manche, saucisse du Jura et son bouillon de légumes, joue de porc au cidre, fromage normand, riz au lait à la flouve ou encore crème de butternut…”

Le Fooding (2014) “Une vraie potée, du jambon bien cochon, des fromages qui puent, une soupe pour faire chabrot et un coup de rouge en plein quartier chochotte ? Si ce n’est plus possible chez Gérard, ça l’est chez Sauvage, la cave à manger de Sébastien Leroy, ex-décorateur de cinéma, aujourd’hui chercheur de goûts.”

Photo via Sauvage’s Facebook page

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Clown Bar

=&0=&The team from Saturne has taken over the historic bar near Cirque d’Hiver. The beautiful Belle Epoque space remains (tastefully) decorated with clowns, but the menu has been seriously revived by Sota Atsumi’s intriguing small plates. Wines are heavily natural, with good options by the glass as well as the bottle. Don’t expect to get a table without calling a couple of weeks in advance.

Practical information

Address: 114 rue Amelot, 75011
Nearest transport: Filles du Calvaire (8), Oberkampf (5, 9)
Hours: Closed Monday & Tuesday; Open Wednesday-Sunday for lunch & dinner
Reservations: Book a few weeks in advance
Telephone: 01 43 55 87 35
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Clown Bar in photos

What people are saying

Eater (2017) Alexander Lobrano includes this in his roundup of 38 Essential Paris Restaurants, saying that “the menu changes according to the season and the chef’s inspiration, but you have to order anything with Banka trout and the veal sweetbreads, if they’re on the menu. One way or another, it’s consistently a stand-out showcase of the best casual contemporary French cooking in town.”

Eater (2016) Ryan Sutton calls this “the most thrilling restaurant in Paris” and recommends ordering the veal brain.” You won’t find anything more exciting, innovative, fun, or (literally) cerebral.”

Le Fooding (2015) says that “Sota Atsumi (ex-Vivant Table) does double duty as a contortionist in the marionette-sized kitchen to the delight of curious diners. The evening of our visit: a striking meager ceviche with cilantro and bottarga; shredded tourteau crab with feta in a tomato gazpacho bath; foie gras with smoked eel and button mushrooms. And for game lovers, an incredible pigeon from Mesquer with smoked herbs and sautéed potatoes, or a juicy and rare duck and foie gras pithiviers sweetened by a date jam.”

TimeOut (2014) says “The short, seasonal menu doesn’t do descriptions, just lists ingredients in that contemporary style, so if you’re unsure or queasy about some of the more adventurous parts of French cuisine, get the staff to help you out. Another thing to note before ordering is that the portions – including the opening ‘snacks’ – are extremely generous.” They add that “Clown Bar isn’t a cheap and cheerful bistro, but it is something rather special – original cooking in a historic location from a powerhouse team – and it’s open on Sundays.”

The Financial Times (2014) says “this listed 1902 clown-themed wonder, with its ornate glass ceiling, painted wall tiles and original zinc bar, transports you to a different era… The staff are warm, welcoming and knowledgeable and the list is perfectly curated, including bottles specially created for the group such as a delicious pétillant naturel from Le Petit Domaine de Gimios.”

John Talbott (2014) calls this “A great resuscitation of a grand old lady.”

Alexander Lobrano (2014) says that the “turbot with razor-shell clams, white asparagus and rhubarb in salted butter was one of the most satisfying dishes I’ve had for a long time, since the product was impeccable and the constellation of tastes made sense on the palate but was pushed just off-center enough by the rhubarb to be unexpected.” >> Read More

Ellsworth

Ellsworth currently holds the #3 spot in our list of favorite restaurants for small sharable plates.

Following their success with Verjus, where the more elaborate formula of dégustation + wine pairings has drawn a loyal following of happy locals and visiting celebrities, Braden Perkins and Laura Adrian have decided to open something more casual. Let’s call it “serious casual” because at Ellsworth (named for Perkins’ grandfather), foods that you might see at a county fair are elevated through careful sourcing and a sincere spirit of DIY. The fried chicken from Verjus Bar à Vins has moved over to Ellsworth, leaving the former as more of a place for drinks and snacks before or after dinner at Verjus. >> Read More

Freddy’s

One of our Favorite Paris Restaurants (small sharable plates).

Boasting one of the city’s best selections of wine by the glass, Freddy’s is a great call when you want to share some delicious nibbles while perched on a stool, especially at odd hours or on Sunday & Monday when many other places are closed. With high quality and reasonable prices, this place draws a serious crowd. Come with a large group or at peak hours (anything after 7:30pm) and you’re not likely to find a spot. Come early to dine alone or with a friend and you’ll be in for a treat with interesting food and wine plus great people watching. >> Read More

Frenchie Bar à Vins

One of our Top 50 Paris Restaurants (small sharable plates). If you want a taste of Gregory Marchand’s cooking without the challenge of scoring a reservation at Frenchie, this sister wine bar is a great option. However, there are caveats. A victim of its own popularity, Frenchie Bar à Vins is often chaotic, loud, and (for folks who don’t wish to perch on stools) a little uncomfortable. But chaos and noise, when combined with creative and delicious small plates, not to mention a fascinating wine list, can combine to make for some wonderfully memorable evenings. You shouldn’t go if you need to be seated and fed right away, or if you’re not willing to flag down a friendly server to beg for what you need. Go for rowdy fun, and by all means go early, like right when they open at 6:30pm. Either that, or after the major rush passes, after 10pm. Arrive during peak hours and you can expect to wait for a fairly long time out on the cobblestones.

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Verjus Bar à Vins

This tiny space near the Palais Royal functions functions both as a neighborhood wine bar and as a holding tank for those waiting for their table at the restaurant upstairs. The printed wine list is filled with so many interesting bottles, and the ever-changing chalkboard list has plenty of options by the glass. The food options have changed several times over the years. Their famous fried chicken is no longer available here, having moved over to Ellsworth, but you can still order small plates to nibble with your wine. Options on the menu right now include veal tartare, house-made pork and duck terrine with pistachios, and warm Mont d’Or cheese with pickled mushrooms. Groups of more than two will have a hard time squeezing in, but the intimate space is perfect for an apéro before dinner upstairs or elsewhere in the neighborhood.

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Le 116

Practical information

Address: 2 rue Auguste Vacquerie, 75016
Nearest transport: Kléber (6), George V (1)
Hours: Closed Saturday & Sunday; Open Monday-Friday for lunch & dinner
Reservations: Book a day or two in advance for dinner only; Reservations not accepted for lunch
Telephone: 01 47 20 10 45
Average price for lunch: 20-39€
Average price for dinner: 20-39€
Style of cuisine: Small plates & tapas, Japanese
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Reviews of interest

Le Figaro (2015) “Cuisine foisonnante misant sur la braise (poulpe, poulette et ventrèche de porc en brochettes, grillés au barbecue japonais) et la malice: burger de bœuf wagyu, blé façon risotto, calamars en tempura…”

Le Fooding (2015) “Lorsque Le 116 ranime les braises rougeoyantes du sumibiyaki (barbecue) au rare charbon Binchotan, et envoie sur céramiques Mami un tentacule de poulpe grillé à la chair attendrie, un calamar saisi à point, trait de citron et feuilles de persil, une ventrèche de saumon d’Ecosse ou de porc ibérique, une poulette du Pâtis, et de très belles pièces de bœuf wagyu Ozaki servies avec légumes grillés et « frites maison » – de gros quartiers de bintje cuits à l’eau, farinés et mis en friture.”

Photo via Le 116’s Facebook page

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avant comptoir de lar mer | parisbymouth.com

L’Avant Comptoir de la Mer

Practical information

Address: 3 carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006
Nearest transport: Odéon (4, 10)
Hours: Open every day for lunch & dinner
Reservations: Reservations not accepted
Telephone: 01 42 38 47 55
Average price for lunch: 10-19€
Average price for dinner: 10-19€
Style of cuisine: Seafood & oysters, small plates

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Reviews of interest

Le Figaro (2016) “Poissons, coquillages, crustacés mijotés, marinés, tartinés où Saint-Jean-de-Luz croise le yuzu, la Sardaigne surfe à deux plats du Cap Ferret et l’huître Bloody Mary partage son roulis avec les bulots en mayo wasabi. Il y a du Tokyo et du parigot dans ce grand plongeon. Un océan planqué derrière le bar.”

Time Out (2016) “Like its older sibling, here you eat standing up, and everything happens at the bar – from ordering to getting stuck in to the quality wines and tapas-style dishes. It all happens in a relaxed, old school atmosphere where it’s easy to make friends with the other diners.”

Le Fooding (2016) “Toujours tabous les tabourets, on gouaille, on tutoie et on s’arrime au zinc sur ses deux cannes pour des tapas à se taper le cul par terre. Et c’est la mer qu’on voit danser dans ces couteaux rôtis soulignés d’une machiavélique poudre d’orange sanguine, tandis que beurres Bordier multicolores et pains de Breton font rugir les pétoncles noires de Normandie relevées d’un jus savant. Tout en saveurs d’ailleurs, d’ondulantes tagliatelles de seiche en bouillon et pâtes à l’encre envoient Marco Polo à Osaka…” >> Read More

Jones

Small plates and natural wine from Florent Ciccoli, the owner of Café du Coin and Cheval d'Or. Formerly known as Bones, Ciccoli changed the name when chef James Henry departed and the offer became more simple and casual. The wine bar up front is a great place to gather and nibble with friends.

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Tiger

On a busy street lined with touristy pubs near Saint Sulpice, Tiger is a cocktail-focused breath of fresh air. Gin & tonics are the specialty here, with more than six variations on the standard available, all made with Tiger’s homemade tonic. Other gin-based cocktails make up a strong part of the menu (think French 75 or martinez), and, as one might expect, the selections for individual gins are excellent, including a version from noted calvados producer Christian Drouin. Those seeking a little variety have other options in the form of a short classic cocktails menu, too. Vaguely Southeast Asian small plates are available, too, if you’re hungry, but the laidback atmosphere and fun cocktails are the true draw.

Helmed by the gregarious Stanislas Jouenne, formerly at La Maison du Whisky, Tiger is a relaxed alternative to the other more serious (and more uptight) cocktail destination nearby, Prescription Club.

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black truffle deviled eggs cave paul bert | parisbymouth.com

La Cave du Paul Bert

Practical information

Address: 16 rue Paul Bert, 75011
Nearest transport: Rue des Boulets (9), Charonne (9), Faidherbe-Chaligny (8)
Hours: Open every day
Reservations: Reservations not accepted
Telephone: 01 58 53 50 92
Average price for lunch: 10-19€
Average price for dinner: 10-19€
Style of cuisine: Small plates

A photo posted by Paris by Mouth (@parisbymouth) on May 25, 2016 at 7:47am PDT

Reviews of interest

Le Figaro (2016) “À la Cave Paul Bert, les coudes contemporains trouvent à lever les classiques et les inattendus de cette vigne dite dynamique (même si parfois carrément éteinte) tout en scrutant le jour le jour d’une petite cuisine d’ardoise, vive, percutante, pertinente, un peu courte dans l’assiette mais généreuse à rappeler que le nouveau comptoir parisien balance aussi bien que les tapas ibères, izakaya nippons et autres cicchetti italiens.”

Le Fooding (2016) “Des charcu-tueries et bien plus, car le chef montréalais, Louis-Philippe Riel, ancien du 6 Paul Bert, fait mieux qu’éponger l’apéro: œuf mayo aux truffes ; dinguerie de ris de veau aux coques et rattes; épaule de cerf braisée aux carottes et aïoli ; génial pressé de queue de bœuf, vinaigrette aux anchois et navets marinés…” >> Read More

Le Pigalle

We have not yet reviewed this wine bar, but you’ll find practical information about location and hours on this page, along with links to other reviews. Feel free to share your own opinion in the comments.

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Gravity Bar

Practical information

Address: 43 rue des Vinaigriers, 75010
Nearest transport: Jacques Bonsergent (5)
Hours: Closed Sunday & Monday
Reservations: Not Accepted
Telephone: 06 11 84 21 76
Average price for a cocktail:12€
Average price for dinner:10-19€
Style of cuisine: Small plates
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Reviews of interest

Le Figaro (2016) “Un comptoir arrondi derrière lequel des barmen à casquette s’affairent à préparer des mixtures bien dosées, à base de gentiane notamment (12€ le verre). La clientèle de jeunes barbus et belles bohèmes apprécient l’ambiance un rien scandinave.”

Le Fooding (2015) “Le Gravity, bar à manger du frais, exerce déjà son pouvoir d’attraction: c’est plein à craquer, extérieur compris.”

52 Martinis (2015) “The selection is packed with ingredients that won’t be immediately recognizable to the average drinker: Gentiane Salers, Maurin Kina, Galliana Ristretto, etc. These kinds of non-mainstream ingredients (well known in the craft cocktail world, less so outside of it) can either elevate or crush a menu. And it takes a skilled professional to pull this off with aplomb. Fortunately, that’s exactly what they have with Michael Mas behind the bar.”

Time Out (2015) “Les assiettes à partager finissent de nous séduire. De la vraie cuisine, imaginative et goûteuse, pour l’apéritif. Bonbons de saumon à l’érable et cacahuète, tataki de canard figue et pistache… Nos papilles frétillent et notre carte bleue se porte bien : toutes les assiettes sont à moins de 10 €. On mange bien, on boit bien et c’est beau.” >> Read More

La Fine Mousse Restaurant

It should come as no surprise that the Parisian craft beer pioneers behind La Fine Mousse bar would be the first to open a restaurant dedicated to beer and food pairings. Slightly more surprising is just how refined, inventive, and delicious the food here is. Knowledgeable beer sommeliers work closely with the talented chef to present an intelligent set of seasonal small plates, paired with beers from one of the 10 taps or the extensive bottle collection.

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Yard Wine Bar

We have not yet reviewed this wine bar, but you’ll find practical information about location and hours on this page, along with links to other reviews. Feel free to share your own opinion in the comments.

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Le Triangle

In an exciting step forward for the craft beer scene in Paris, Le Triangle has opened its doors to become Paris’ first-ever gastrobrewpub. With brewing kettles on display behind the bar, an excellent selection of guest beers on tap (house-made brews are slated for early 2015), and enticing seasonal dishes coming out of the kitchen, the respect for good product is evident. The welcome is warm, the staff enthusiastic, the prices reasonable, and the menu changes daily – what more can a beer-loving foodie ask for? >> Read More

Au Passage

It’s so nice when a restaurant delivers more than they need to, more than you expect to receive. When looking at a chalkboard menu filled with cheap small plates, one rarely hopes for anything more than simple products. But here at Au Passage, your 8€ octopus dish has undergone three days of preparation. There’s a quiet ethos at work beneath the blaring bustle of the dining room: staples are homemade (butter, bread, stock, charcuterie), vegetables and fish receive priority attention, and meat is served in a nose-to-tail spirit with every last offaly bit turning up on the menu. So much heart and creativity for so little money. Au Passage is not for everyone, nor is it trying to be. If the loud music, frenzied service, and worn-out interior turn some people away, that leaves more space for me. >> Read More

Kouign Amann at La Pointe du Groin restaurant in Paris | parisbymouth.com

La Pointe du Grouin

Named for a pig’s snout (and not its other end), this dirt-cheap Breton wine bar is sandwiched between Thierry Breton’s two other eateries Chez Michel and Chez Casimir. Don’t worry if you don’t understand the system–it’s not clear that there is one. Just sidle up to the bar, let them know how hungry you are, and wait for the small plates to roll out. >> Read More

Dersou

Maybe there’s a right way to do Dersou, one that involves sharing a sixty-day aged steak and a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage, as the happy couple next to us was doing at 11pm. We who had signed up from the tasting menu – offered for 90€ from 7:30-9pm, were less pleased. Chef Taku Sekine’s food – a series of five inventive, generous and mostly delicious plates, each paired by with a cocktail from barman Amaury Guyot, is not well-enough supported by an adolescent staff that seems to be more enthralled with their own vibe than with the banality of service. >> Read More

Gare au Gorille

Just steps from the train tracks leading to and from the Saint-Lazare train station, this is the new project from two Septime alums, Marc Cordonnier (Grébaut’s former sous-chef) and his front-of-house partner Louis Langevin. With a hip hop soundtrack and aspirations no grander than to be a good bistro, the quality of food they are putting out will nonetheless attract the sort of globetrotting gastronome crowd that they are fleeing from at Septime. >> Read More

Cave a Michel Restaurant in Paris | Paris By Mouth

La Cave à Michel

There is no real “Michel” behind La Cave à Michel – the name of this lively, standing-room-only Belleville wine bar uses the name in its French sense of “everyman.” And indeed, the bar is as welcoming and informal as its product standards are rigorous and precise. The product of a friendly collaboration between caviste Fabrice Mansouri and Romain and Maxime Tischenko, the brothers behind next door tasting-menu restaurant Le Galopin, La Cave à Michel rivals the Left Bank’s L’Avant Comptoir for the best Parisian cuisine you’ll eat standing up. Romain Tischenko reins in his more maximalist impulses in the bar’s tiny kitchen, and turns out small plates of jewel-like delicacy: beef tartare beneath ricotta salata, bass céviche, or mozzarella with salmon roe. Mansouri’s selection of natural wines is well-considered and well-priced. If service can become a little sluggish at times, it’s because the bar is reliably packed with restaurant industry regulars and Mansouri has a gift for banter. Serious cuisine is rarely this fun.

— Aaron Ayscough, January 2016

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