La Cave des Abbesses – Paris (75018) en

A wine bar that allows you to also eat at the back of the room: good atmosphere, raw, good plates for a good price, the boss and the server from Perou were both very cool.

The Abbesses have become so over the top these last 20 years, that I rarely ever go there anymore. I’ve had this place in mind for a long time now, but I was still reluctant.  And then the time came: perfect for this Sunday night!                                                                      It’s small, in the back, but that day it wasn’t packed, we weren’t cramped.

Even at first glance, the server from Perou was really nice, and it continued: new bottle of water brought back when done no problem, bread basket replenished without being asked, all these small details count.                                                                                                                 The boss was cool too, he came to inform us on the wines because I needed to ask a couple questions. He asked us: light? dry? oaky? Ok, oaky, I don’t know what it means, but I imagine that it’s between light and dry, smooth and warm for winter so I say yes :).            As I’m leaving, I admit to the boss: ” I have a hard time with what happened to the area in these last couple of years, that’s why I didn’t come here sooner, even though I’ve wanted to for a long time”, he totally agrees. Definitely happy here!

La planche et le vin

The board and the wine

I was just coming from another pretty cool bar, la Bascule, however their board at 16 euros didn’t stand out for me ( the cheeses were mozzarella and smoked mozzarella, and I wanted more than that).                                                                                                                   Here the board is at 14 euros, and it commands attention!                                                                                                                                                It’s too bad that with the food safety rules we have to have the President butter, it’d be so much better with the real thing on the side instead. But either way, it’s good, and it certainly looks it.

The bread is delicious. In the shitty areas, the only thing they get right is the bread :), because there are good boulangeries.

To go with it we had our oaky wine, Haut Médoc “Cru Artisan”, 20 euros for the 50cl pitcher, but the wine was so full-bodied  in taste, that I was surprised I had a hardt time finishing it; all that to say that there was enough for two to be full. The wine was good in taste, nice to drink, full-bodied like I said. It however left me with a slight headache, unless it wasn’t the wine that was responsible, since the person with me didn’t feel anything. It left me divided, but I enjoyed drinking it, and it doesn’t take away my desire to come back here and try other wines. I’ll have a clearer opinion about it all when I get the time to explore the wine list more in detail.

Trouver un endroit sympa ouvert le dimanche soir, à fortiori un bar à vins! dans Abbesses!, ça tient de Koh Lanta, Fort Boyard et Paris Dakar réunis. Là ce fut fait et on s’en souviendra. Paris peut être si simple quand elle est elle-même.

Finding a cool spot open on a Sunday night, a wine bar no less! in Abbesses! That’s the stuff of legends. Well it happened, and it wont be forgotten. Paris can be so simple when she lets herself be herself.