There’s no need to wait for dinner to be over to enjoy yourself at Sobremesa (which means the time spent lingering around the table after dinner in Spanish), this neo-wine bar on Rue Caulaincourt that brings together thirsty Parisians at the end of the day. After work, come admire the uncorking skills of Émilien Quéméner, a former employee of WeWork who switched careers to hunt down low-intervention gems, and who pops them open at apéro hour: In Silvae Umbra, a juicy mourvèdre from Le Bois Dieu (€8 a glass); Aïgine, a Luberon ugni blanc / vermentino blend produced by L’Or Vert (€33 a bottle); Khallina, a skin-contact terret bourret by the Hérault winery Mada (€41.50)… Sip on all those natural nectars while seated on the chrome barstools at the (double) bar or on the sidewalk terrace. And when hunger strikes, there are shared plates that hop back and forth between Asia and Europe: anchovies from Cantabria, miso-infused deviled eggs, Vietnamese beef carpaccio, gingery pork and shrimp wontons… Strange alchemy at work? Not at all: Marie Nguyen, Émilien’s accomplice, simply stews things up according to her inspirations of the moment. Our top tip? Take any of the wines to go for half price. // Albin Nycta
THE BULLET-PROOF BOTTLE: Encore, a syrah and grenache blend from the Ardèche producers Sarah Patricia and Rémi Bonneton (€33 in house).
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