The vast majority of Paris restaurants will be closed through January 2, but a few will be open to help you celebrate the New Year. There are no bargains at this time of year, but we've broken down your options, most ranging from 90€ to (gasp!) 700€.
Inexpensive couples of quality grower's champagne served on a nice outdoor terrace overlooking... a gritty street lined with sex clubs and prostitutes. It's quite a combo. The charcuterie and cheese plates are standard, but it's the warm, witty personality of the proprietor and former comedienne Morgane Fleury that is the main draw for those looking for affordable, natural wine.
Shopping for Champagne fills me with embarrassment.
Every year, I promise myself I’ll swear off the stuff. There are, after all, dozens of other sparkling wine types available in Paris, all arguably better bargains than the world’s most famous wine. For along with Champagne’s uniquely chiseled acidity and grace, we pay for the fame, the name Champagne. And to find a broad selection of what I’d call serious Champagne – upper-tier cuvées from independent grower-producers, rather than the predictable, cola-like entry-level bottles of the big houses – I’m often obliged to patronise the Paris wine shops I otherwise avoid.
), David Lebovitz (Ready for Dessert
) and Heather Stimmler-Hall (Naughty Paris). Stop by to say hello, sip Champagne, nibble Comté from 6-8pm at 80 quai de l’Hôtel de Ville, 75004.
