L'Ivress

This wine bar (also a wine shop and delicatessen) hidden in a tiny Sentier side street is a great alternative to the stuffy bars in Place de la Bourse and soulless pubs on the Grands Boulevards. For such a chic area, L'Ivress ('Drunkenness') is warm, friendly and well-priced. No drunken revellers, but an after-work clientele during the week and young middle-class regulars on the weekends. The short wine list features bottles from independent winemakers, like an excellent Lalande-de-Pomeroi or a white Vouvray demi-sec, both at €5 a glass, and the staff are happy to let you taste before ordering a bottle.
 
As well as the usual offering of charcuterie and cheese plates, the two young owners from Lyon offer foie gras with fig jam, smoked salmon with Provençal toast, tapenade and crudités. The décor is all beautiful lampshades, colourful, modern tables, exposed stone walls, a space with a library mural decorated with wine bottles, comfy sofas and huge wine barrels pressed into service as bar tables. The only thing lacking is proper ventilation – the place can become suffocating on busy evenings.