Septime La Cave

A few minutes' walk from Septime, on the quieter rue Basfroi, the empire's wine bar runs on a different rhythm: open every afternoon from 16:00, no reservations, a curated rotation of about 90 mostly-natural bottles, charcuterie and tinned fish and the kitchen's spillover snacks. The room is tiny — a long zinc, a few barrels, sidewalk standing in summer. It functions as the neighbourhood's living room for chefs, sommeliers, and anyone holding a Septime reservation later in the night. The pricing is gentler than the restaurants and the gatekeeping is non-existent.