Sure, there’s wine everywhere in Paris, but it can be hard to find a properly quiet and cosy corner to hole up with a good old verre. Wine cellar-cum-tapas bar Pratz, in aperitif-central the 9th arrondissement, is the happy exception. Despite offering an excellent and very tempting range of natural wines (to drink in or buy for later), it’s the hefty charcuterie plates that really win us over. The ‘Parisian’ is the best of the lot, teaming ham smoked in truffle with beans dotted with pink salt and berries, ewe’s milk cheese, marinated artichokes and a generous spoonful of taramasalata. The staff don’t shy away from offering helpful drink recommendations, like a Montlouis white (€6.50 a glass) or an Ancenis red (€5.50), while the atmosphere is – for Paris standards – relatively stress-free.
TRANSLATION: FLORA HUDSON