What a joyful mess this Cave à Manger is! Outside, you’ll find a handful of tables scattered around on Place du Pouffre, under the shade of the plane trees; inside, funk music coming from the speakers and unfussy decor (teal walls, tables here and there, French school chairs, industrial lamps) for a lovely, casual atmosphere… Come explore the 300 bottles of natural wine, neatly organized on their shelves: Le Grand Pan, a Clairette from L’Estabel (€4 a glass), Cuvée Auguste, a Burgundy Pinot noir from Julien Guillot (€39 a bottle); Pheasant’s, a Georgian orange wine aged in an amphora (€23)… And to go with all that, utterly simple cuisine that gets the job done: gazpacho and tabbouleh, marinated anchovies, tielle handpies or even patatas bravas with mayonnaise and sumac. // Albert Gredinbar
The bullet-proof bottle: Grand Réserve, a Faugères from Binet-Jacquet, a local blend of Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache and Syrah (€19.50).
