I think I misspoke slightly - I thought the list was quite good, and fairly deep, I just didn’t find many wines that I felt were priced super compellingly! I’ve been a bit quieter on the board for a bit (which I’m trying to fix now) but in the interim have become very much into the hipster Burgundy folks!
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I did not know Tanat is Kawa. That’s very interesting. I recently picked up a Panamanian washed Geisha from them and it was incredible. Great roaster.
Septime Lunch #1 was a spectacular as always. We have a second lunch there tomorrow. Will provide more thoughts then.
A friend in NYC told me Le Pinceau was his favorite meal in Paris. I looked into it and it seemed intriguing. Very small 15 or seats in the 20th. Chef does the cooking, FOH and wine a true one man show. Also really digging what is happing in Bellevue these days. So with just a little trepidation I booked a Monday reservation. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. Simple, soulful cooking. We had a wonderful time and despite getting up nearly 10x to step outside for calls and breaking a glass we really clicked with the Chef and shared all of our wine with him and he reciprocated. At the end he came up to us and said I am sorry but have to tell you I sold the restaurant! UGH! Heartbreak. We loved it. What an experience. He did say he is close to signing the lease on a larger spot.
He might be in this spot for awhile longer just not sure how long.
Simple lunch today at Dauphin. Love what they are doing under the new ownership which is essentially the same team that ran it before but now they own the business.
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This is great, thanks.
I have eaten at Villaret quite a few times, but lost interest as the wines prices crept up.
That said, maybe in the big picture they are not so bad.
I do remember them telling me (maybe ten years ago) that the reason that their allocations were so strong was because their wine prices were favorable and the producers took note and rewarded them.
Also, I think that the 6th is underrated for wine, there are quite a few good spots that fly under the radar.
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Indeed! There are places where you can get, eg Lamy-Caillat for cheaper, but those places are not in Paris - if they are in Paris they’re inevitably sold out long before you visit! At the end of the day, there’s a certain price I’m willing to pay for access, and I thought Villaret struck the right balance with their list.
Interesting anecdote on their allocations, thanks for sharing.
What are your top hits for wine in the 6th?
Chez Fernand, Relais Louis XIII, Otto.
I need to spend more time over there.
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Enjoyed a pre-dinner stop at Cave Paul Bert and thoroughly enjoyable meal at Bistro Paul Bert. Wine list is still fantastic and every dish was just perfect.
Chez Fernand Christine also has a very solid wine list.
Oddly, Hôtel de Crillon had a nice run as one of the spots to drink L-C.
Thanks for this - I noted it for next time. Looks like a great traditional place for our next trip. So many great restaurants in the city, no way to get to them all.
Their claim to fame is beef bourguignon.
The wine list has a little tourist upcharge.
Had dinner last night at Cendrillon in Belleville. It is the type of place you might find in Bushwick or these days Bed-Stuy. Really well done food but with attitude (not bad, just attitude). The Soft Shell crab was excellent. Portion sizes were very large and we slightly over ordered. It is one of those we don’t have a wine list places. We managed to get through to the other side of this unpleasant exchange with two nice bottles that paired well with the food. I am so tired of hearing we serve natural wine…
We sat outside and had an absolutely lovely evening.
One of my goals this trip was to explore Belleville more and we have done just that and really love the carefree youthful energy. The area is just buzzing with life!
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Brings back memories of Cendrillon in Nyc!
I always associated that name with Filipino food, I forgot it’s actually a French word!
le baratin is the only place that has ever pulled this off. i think in order for this type of service to work a rather large cellar is needed (as well as exceptional knowledge and experience with the wines). i feel like a lot of the places that opt for it actually might be trying to disguise the weakness of the wine program.
The fact that it’s a challenge even for someone line @Robert_Dentice , who is extremely well versed in natural wine options, speaks volumes.
Of course, it’s tough ground for everyone, with the number of natural producers out there. I heard a funny story from a friend who owns a restaurant in San Sebastian and is a huge wine guy, traveling to Burgundy with the somm from another famous restaurant, and they more than once found themselves totally stymied by the wine lists.
To be fair there are others. Le Verre Vole comes to mind. And oh boy is Le Baratin tough. I have been there many, many times with lots of close friends with them and it is always a bumpy ride!
Apologies in advance for the totally uninformed question…but can you explain what you mean by this and/or how it works? Like, it’s a restaurant and they have a wine cellar, and (maybe?) want to sell you wine, but they don’t have a list? Do they play guessing games to determine what might be a good match for you? Or are they actually not all that interested in selling you wine? Totally confused! 
Lots of restaurants do this. Particularly in the Natural wine world. They don’t have the time to write up a list and keep it updated. So they ask you do want white, red, light, heavy. It is silly…
Then there are restaurants like Le Baratin where part of the reason is they will not sell their rare bottles (e.g., Mugnier) to just anyone.
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i guess i do not count le verre volé as i have mostly picked from the cold room myself and usually find something fun (and have never been told ‘no soup for you’). the first time i went to le baratin i went through 3 bottles before arriving at something good but it was a great discovery i had never heard of at the time. nicolas reau victoire chenin! they were very willing to keep opening bottles too. it was none of the ‘this is what we think you should drink’ attitude.
yeah i imagine if robert does not recognize something standing out perhaps it is not a great list as he definitely keeps his finger on the pulse of many of the newest producers around.
We asked the person who announced that they sell natural wine and said what do you want, how about a cool Beaujolais, maybe Metras? She said I have never heard of that! We did end up with a nice Julien Guillot Les Crays and an Italian white I had never heard of that was good. The slightly chilled red turned out to be the best pairing. To be clear we loved the entire experience and would go back.
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