Bottle chasers certainly seem to have la giclette (a French expression for “kicking it into overdrive” in cycling jargon) at this new wine bar in the 11th arrondissement, which joined the peleton of friendly spots and immediately claimed the maillot jaune! Opened by Guillaume Dupré (ex-Goguette) and Kaori Endo of Le Petit Keller, this alcohol-centric offshoot keeps customers well fed thanks to bistro cooking by Kaori and Mika Inaba. To go with all the wines on tap the night we went: indecently good inari (vinegary rice stuffed inside deep-fried tofu pouches) seasoned with capers, lemon, kombu and Cantabrian anchovies; plump mochi-gnocchis tickled by mentaiko mayonnaise – made with spicy cod roe. Also available à la carte: well-sourced cheeses, charcuterie and oysters, and, at lunch, an outstanding set menu for 15 bucks. A real winner! // Ana Kirpad
FEELING THIRSTY? In addition to wines available on tap, including Allez, bon vin!, the Muscadet from Alain Couillaud (€5 a glass) or Bascule, an Ardèche Carignan from Sylvain Bock (€32 a liter), there are some quality bottles (in exchange for a €9 corkage fee): Les Trouillots, a Jura Pinot noir from Valentin Morel (€34), Ixilune, a Pyrenees white produced by Imanol Garay (€45)…
PRICE: Set menus €15-18 (weekday lunch), à la carte €25-45.
