Le Verre Volé
GO HERE: for hearty French dishes—or delicate Japanese ones—and natural wine in a zero-frills space. This is one of the original natural wine bars, opened in 2000, and still hard to get into at peak hours.
ORDER THE: Boudin blanc with mashed potatoes (any saucisson, really); tuna with cucumber water and seaweed; bottles and bottles of affordable natural wine (try anything by Patrick Bouju); chocolate mousse with crispy buckwheat.
THE VIBE IS: very Canal Saint-Martin: creatives of all ages, hipster natural-wine tourists (they now print the menu in Japanese), and die-hard regulars. It’s relaxed enough that you can actually start a conversation with the next table, a rarity in Paris.
PRACTICAL STUFF: Reservations recommended, especially for weekend lunch. Open every day from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. If they’re full, get a taste at their nearby épicerie and sandwich shop.
