It didn’t take Pierre Forest, Benoît Baud and Clément Vezat long to transform the old Capitale coffee shop into their wine haven. Now you’ll find a simple bar, where the trio who trained at some beautiful Parisian establishments (Bambino, Jones, Double Dragon) only serve low-intervention gems, sourced from the Loire hillsides (a Saint-Pourçain white from Le Clos de Breuilly, €6.50 a glass) to the foothills of Caucasus (a Saperavi Budeshuri by Okro’s Wine, €43 a bottle), passing through the Mediterranean along the way with a lively selection of vermouths (Catalan skin-contact rosé with thyme and tangerine zest from Cellar 9+, €7 for 60 ml). Sip it all while snacking on shared places, served on old-fashioned china (Perche rillettes tickled by mustard seeds, grilled squid and new potatoes in a vivifying ‘nduja jus, chocolate mousse drizzled in vermouth syrup) or a sandwich at lunchtime. // Pica Bidon
The bullet-proof bottle: The Americano from the Piedmont-based producers Mauro and Tommaso Vergano, a combination absinthe, gentian, orange peel and chinotto macerated in a natural red wine (€8 for 60 ml).
