While Paris remains the greatest city in the world in which to drink French wine (no surprise here), where you can experience some of the country’s best wines has changed dramatically. Gone are the days when drinking well meant succumbing to lengthy tasting menus in dusty, heavily draped dining rooms. Today, you can drink rare wines in a casual brasserie setting or  Overnoy alongside craft cocktails at an oyster bar. Below is a list of some of Paris’s best restaurant wine list—and best places to drink, period.  (Special thanks to PUNCH friends Rajat Parr and Lucas Wittman who have provided invaluable insight.)  1114 Faubourg at Le BristolFew wine lists are as comprehensive as Chef Sommelier Marco Pelletier’s collection of wines distributed across Hôtel Le Bristol's properties. Pelletier (who worked at Taillevant before moving to Le Bristol six years ago) has worked diligently to build a thorough French list that’s as well stocked with Tissot as it is with Raveneau.

A man who understands that not everyone can afford a three-Michelin-star dining experience every week (as at Epicure), Pelletier created Winemaker Mondays at 114 Faubourg (the hotel’s elegant, but less-fancy restaurant). Each week, a winemaker hosts a tasting of her/his wines and the ...MORE INFO →KNOWN FORfull menubar foodlow wine markupsChampagnebottle servicehotel barlots of whiskeyday drinkingoutdoors / patiovintage wine2Brasserie Thoumieux At the Hôtel Thoumieux's glamorous all-day brasserie, designer India Mahdavi’s style transports guests back into the art deco era. best wine country vineyardsBrass railings, walls of mirrors, red banquettes and jade-colored table lamps set the scene for classic brasserie fare reinterpreted to match a wine list that includes everything from Champagne Agrapart to Beaujolais's rising star Anne-Sophie Dubois.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORnatural winebar foodfull menuChampagnelow wine markupshotel baroysters / raw barday drinking3La CagouilleThe façade is more reminiscent of an Auto Grill than one of Paris’s great (if off-the-beaten-path) restaurants. best wine with seafood

Tucked into the 14ème, this restaurant is known for its fresh and expertly prepared seafood dishes, like classic moules frites, oysters and grilled mullet. And the wine list—particularly the white section—is exceptional and underpriced.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORnatural winelow wine markupsvintage wineoutdoors / patiooysters / raw bar4La Tour d'ArgentAsk any winemaker or sommelier in France which restaurant boasts the greatest list of French wines in the world, and--unless they have a financial stake elsewhere--the answer will be  La Tour d’Argent. best affordable wine for giftThe restaurant, which is said to have been the inspiration for Pixar’s Ratatouille, is one of Paris’s most historic. what kind of red wine is best for weight lossThere are legends that it was founded as early as the 16th century and was frequented by Henry IV, but documentation dates its existence only as far back as 1860. pictures of wine colour

The list is a leather-bound tome no less than ten inches thick, and is so heavy that it arrives tableside on a guéridon.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORfull menuvintage winelow wine markupsChampagnehistoric5Le BaratinA Parisian staple for more than two decades, Le Baratin boasts a deep cellar of natural wines curated by husband-and-wife duo Raquel Carina and Philippe (Pinouche) Pinoteau, both of whom were devotees of these wines long before they became trendy. top wine list chicagoA cozy bistro typified by a long zinc bar, rustic wooden table, simple glassware and Carina's soulful cooking make the place itself as down to earth as its owners.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORfull menunatural winevintage winelow wine markupshistoric6Le Mary CelesteLe Mary Celeste is named for a 19th-century French ship that went adrift after a wrong turn home from New York, a nautical homage that is supported by nuanced crudo dishes and an excellent selection of oysters.

Chef Haan Palcu-Chang is half-Chinese, half-Romanian, and his culinary training comes from experience cooking in Thai and Classic European kitchens. So it makes sense that his food is a patchwork of ingredients and inspiration, with inventions like Chinese crepes stuffed with pork knuckle and kimchi. The wine list reads like a who's who of the natural wine world right now, with the likes of Arianna Occhipinti, ...MORE INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datenatural winelow wine markupsday drinkingoysters / raw barcraft cocktailscraft beerChampagnefull menubar food7Le SéveroWhen former butcher William Bernet spotted a void in Paris's market for expertly butchered and aged steak frites, he created this tiny venue for meat and wine lovers. With its red leather banquettes, zinc bar and endless parade of steak tartare and entrecôte, the place feels like classic Paris. Add to that a thoughtful selection of competitively priced classic wines, selected by Bernet himself.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORcheap datefull menulow wine markupsvintage winenatural wine8Passage 53Japanese chef Shinichi Sato’s Passage 53, a tiny space tucked away under one of Paris’s oldest passageways, has been an under-the-radar favorite of some of the world’s most discerning winemakers for years.

The restaurant is no longer a secret, but the Burgundy selection is especially deep, and wine markups pleasantly low. Close friendships with some of Burgundy’s most estimable producers means you’re likely to find back-vintages of wines that came direct from the domaine.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORgood winefull menuChampagnelow wine markupsvintage wine9SeptimeEqual parts Copenhagen cool and French countryside charming, Septime has been on nearly every must-eat list since it opened in 2011. Chef Bertrand Grébaut's modern food paired with Théo Pourriat's spirited selection of natural wines from around the globe has made this one of the most coveted reservations in town. If you can't snag a reservation, head to Pourriat’s wine bar-slash-wine shop, Septime Cave.MORE INFO →KNOWN FORnatural winefull menulow wine markupschampagneThe Ten Best Restaurants in Paris for Wine lovers- Cellar Tours Selection Paris is a city of over two million people, and is today the undisputed economic, political, artistic and gastronomic hub of France.

Citizens of Lyon would undoubtedly disagree, but as far as we are concerned no other city in France offers as much variety of places to eat and drink: be it high-end haute-cuisine or brasseries off the beaten track. And of course, wine lists containing both country reds and the big names of Bordeaux and Burgundy have always been an honored part of at the Parisian high-end restaurant experience. However, a revolution in the city’s gastronomic scene has been taking place over the last three years, as a new generation of bistros and bars are making the wines far more important than the food — which has to be up-to-scratch nonetheless, but now you choose the wine first and then the chef will match appropriate dishes. So it’s a very exciting time to be a wine lover dining out in Paris. The classic Encyclopedia size wine lists at venues like La Tour d’Argent still exist for those who love freedom of choice, which is exactly what a top wine list provides for oenophiles. The other key factor, which elevates Paris above most cities is the sheer volume of educated sommeliers in Paris, who will help you navigate those giant-size lists with ease.

These venues are joined by the new kids on the block, smaller restaurants that serve a wide section of good value wines by the glass, often specializing in one region or wine style, natural wines being currently in vogue. Their numbers are growing so we’ve done the hard work for you and selected the best below. This was a hard list to make, but here are our ten favorite restaurants in Paris for wine lovers: 15-17 Quai de la Tournelle Established in 1582, La Tour d’Argent has recovered its top-class status after a slightly shaky period following the death of Claude Terrail in 2006. The main event, other than Chef Laurent Delarbre’s exquisitely refined cooking is the 15,000 bin wine list, surely one of the largest in the world! Head Sommelier David Ridgway is a true professional and will guide you toward the perfect pairing as this list literally has a wine for every eventuality. A must visit for every wine lover once in their lifetime. Sip a superior wine with your excellent meal here at barely above retail prices, in a fantastic atmosphere!

This venue is a dream for locals and tourists alike — great food, polite, attentive service (not always a given in Paris) and a wide selection of affordable wines. The owners generally stay away from the big names, so expect to find unexpected and hidden gems in their fantastic list. A wonderful restaurant — if you can get a table – Spring has been wowing the Parians food establishment since 2006 with American born Daniel Rose’s take on classic French cuisine. The wine list is a similar delight, carefully compiled by Joshua Adler and presented with aplomb by sommelier Sandra de Barros. Their selections are extensive without being unwieldy, well-chosen and include plenty of affordable options by the glass. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée One for the traditionalists, Alain Ducasse’s restaurant at the hotel Plaza Athénée serves 3 Starred Michelin cuisine as refined and mind-blowing as any you’ll find in Paris. The opulent, formal surroundings are complimented by a classically styled, elaborate wine list which is a Bordeaux lovers delight.

Extensive selections of older Bordeaux vintages are on offer, as well as an impressive selection of vintage Champagnes. Sommelier Laurent Roucayrol can assist with your choices but make no mistake, this is a place for a wine splurge, not a place to go on a budget. Blink and you’ll miss it, Frenchie is a tiny haven of great bistro style cooking and fantastic wine pairings from small domaines and family enterprises, no big names to be found here! Sommelier Laura Vidal likes to focus on non celebrities, so expect lots of natural wine choices and wines from regions you probably won’t have heard of. A great place to seek out the lesser known. A monument to the importance of Paris as a capital of Gastronomy, Le Grand Vefour is a 3 Star Michelin restaurant founded in the 18th century. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Paris and has a very long, extensive wine list to match. The bias to French wines is understandable, considering that every major region in France produces long-lived classics.

Burgundy lovers are in for a particular treat, but we would head to the Loire for the best value. Epicure at Hotel Le Bristol 112, Rue du Fauborg Saint-Honore Undoubtedly one of the finest hotel dining experiences in Paris, Epicure is a hard act to follow with chef Eric Frechon’s impeccably executed take on the French classics. Locals wait months to get a table at this coveted restaurant, which also houses an extremely fine wine list with a good mix of French and international wine choices. The sommelier is one of the most helpful and obliging we’ve ever met in this city. Rising star Guillaume Dupre is as far removed from the sommelier stereotype as can be: warm, friendly and not at all intimating! He has opened a fantastic bistro and wine bar in the heart of St Michel that serves delicious fusion cuisine and some more traditional favorites. His wine list is a delight, imaginatively put together and reasonably priced, he insists on promoting the lesser known and less celebrated.