Natural wines and simple food served in a quirky space by handsome hipsters is the formula for many popular bars à vins in Paris. Seriously, there are enough of these places to form an athletic conference, something I would very much like to see: Uniforms would be graphic Ts and shaving would be forbidden on game days. Gatorade would be replaced by pineau d’aunis. Swimming events would be held in the Canal St. Martin. There would be non-athletic contests as well, including debate competitions to see who could most persuasively proselytize to the unconverted among us who do not believe that sulphites are the work of the devil. Le Verre Volé would be the perpetual champs, kind of like the Yankees, and loved and despised as much.
The winner in the decor competion would certainly be Aux Deux Amis, whose hideous, yellow-lit, mid-century formica room would seem to defy even the most serious hipster’s threshold for irony.
But — all irony aside — they would also be a strong contender in the food events. A bargain prix-fix lunch gives way to a tapas-style dinner, both featuring great products treated in ways that champion substance over style. Yes, there are the de rigeur plates of cured meats and cheeses. But a recent meal there included white asparagus swimming in piquant olive oil; a burrata that could barely contain itself; beets with cod liver (a bit bizarre); and a plate of sweetbreads, the most tender interior bits, pan-fried and strewn with chive blossoms in a sort of culinary jolie-laide, the pretty purple petals packing an oniony punch. Delicious.
I think we drank most of the Jean-Pierre Robinot catalog the other night at Tombé du Ciel, a tiny caviste/winebar near the passage Brady and another newish addition to the scene. Or we could have, if the service not been so very relaxed.
A bar at the back of the room and a few tables with high stools, the room was doubling as a gallery and mini concert venue on this particular night, impressive considering that the place is the size of my bedroom. We ordered a plate of Basque charcuterie, a silky tarama, marinated herring, and a cheese plate. Everything was what it was, which is just the way I like it.
Alas, my dream of an intramural tournament of hipster wine bars may never come true. But if it does, it goes without saying that I will be on the cheerleading squad.
Aux Deux Amis 45 rue Oberkampf, Paris 75011 +33 (0)1 58 30 38 13
Tombé du Ciel 7 rue Enghien, Paris 75010 +33 (0)9 81 74 77 17 website
Read my review of Aux Deux Amis on Girls’ Guide to Paris. Meg Zimbeck crushes on them too. Alexander Lobrano fell for Tombé du Ciel. Phyllis Flick likes Coinstot Vino, another in the genre.
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