3 wine bars to try

Discover 3 Unique Wine Bars You Must Visit!

We completely agree with you. However, it's true that choosing can be challenging given how many places there are (especially in big cities). That’s why we’re suggesting 3 wine bars with original concepts that you should definitely try. Let’s get started!

1) Just One Glass, Please!

The name is modern, and the place is even more so. Far from traditional wooden tables and bottles stacked on the walls, the first thing that catches your eye when you enter Wine by One is the high-tech machines. Here, there’s no menu or server, but rather vending machines that offer the chance to taste wine by the glass.

Feel free to wander among the machines and explore wines categorized by their characteristics (full-bodied reds, light whites, sparkling wines, etc.). To pour yourself a glass, simply insert a smart card given to you at the entrance into the slot corresponding to the wine of your choice. The advantage? You get to taste the wine before committing to a bottle! Quite handy, right?

Where?

Wine by One (2 locations)

9 rue des Capucines, 75001 Paris

2) A Glass of Wine in One Hand, a Book in the Other!

Who says you can only drink tea in literary cafés? While some stereotypes persist, La Belle Hortense will make you see things differently. This small wine bar in the Marais invites you to discover genuine wine treasures while devouring literary masterpieces. On the shelves, you’ll find books… and right below them, bottles of wine.

Once you’ve made your selection, settle at the counter or, if you prefer, in the back room for some privacy. Either way, you’re all set for a reading session paired with wine tasting. Brain food and wine to sharpen your palate what more could you ask for?

Where?

La Belle Hortense

31 rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75004 Paris

3) The Ladies' Delight

Anti-feminists, look elsewhere! At the Bordeaux restaurant and wine bar La Robe, you’ll find only wines from female winemakers. Carefully selected, there are around a hundred wines with diverse characteristics (rosé, white, red) from all over France, prominently displayed on the "Les Loges des Viticultrices" shelf (we especially appreciate the play on words with “éloges”).

For gastronomy, the owner offers fresh, typical French terroir products: oysters, homemade foie gras, duck rillettes with porcini mushrooms, etc. And to top it all off, La Robe features a charming terrace with around thirty tables that opens as soon as the nice weather arrives…

Where?

La Robe

3 Quai Louis XVIII, 33000 Bordeaux

FAQ - Wine bars

Where can I try an original wine bar in Paris?

Two Paris spots stand out. Wine by One, at 9 rue des Capucines (75001), offers self-service tasting by the glass through vending machines. La Belle Hortense, at 31 rue Vieille-du-Temple (75004), pairs books with bottles in the Marais district.

How does tasting by the glass work at Wine by One?

There is no menu and no server: vending machines pour wine by the glass. You insert a smart card handed to you at the entrance into the slot for your chosen wine. The idea is to taste before buying a full bottle.

Is there a wine bar inside a literary café in Paris?

Yes. La Belle Hortense, in the Marais district, lines books along its bookshelves with bottles right underneath. Once you pick your wine, you settle at the counter or in the back room to read.

Where can I drink wines from women winemakers in Bordeaux?

The restaurant and wine bar La Robe, at 3 Quai Louis XVIII (33000 Bordeaux), serves only wines made by female winemakers. Around a hundred cuvées (rosé, white, red) from across France sit on the "Les Loges des Viticultrices" shelf.

What can you eat at La Robe in Bordeaux?

The menu features fresh products typical of French terroir: oysters, homemade foie gras, and duck rillettes with porcini mushrooms. When the weather warms up, a terrace of around thirty tables extends the dining room.