Hidden Wine Bar: Where the locals drink in Paris

Cute and cozy wine bar in Paris (12th arrondissement)

I’ve been getting a lot of questions from people asking me how I find out about the places that I go to in Paris. Many different ways for sure. Sometimes I honestly don’t even remember how I heard about a certain place. We have local chefs in Seattle that travel to France regularly and they often post restaurant pics on Instagram. I always assume that chefs have the inside scoop on where to go so I follow them and take notes. That may be how I heard about OLGA. A couple of years ago I had come across a book called La Buvette by Camille Fourmont. La Buvette, which means “the bar” or “refreshment stand” is a cave à manger (a wine bar where you can get some snacks) that Camille opened in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in 2012. The book’s cover photo caught my eye, it kind of reminded me of my own little wine bar that I owned at the time, Capri Cellars. I flipped open the cover and read the opening, written by Kate Leahy, then flipped through some of the pages. I needed this book. The book is part memoir, part wine tasting 101, part recipe book, with cultural and language tidbits scattered in between. I quickly added La Buvette to my list of places in Paris that I need to check out. When I first heard about OLGA I had no idea Camille owned both businesses. I will be writing another blog post about La Buvette soon.

A couple weeks ago in Paris, my friend and I decided to take a long walk along the Promenade Plantée. I knew that OLGA was nearby so we decided to go there afterwards. From the cardboard lady holding drinks out front, to the cute little tables lining the sidewalk, I knew I was going to love this place. What I found inside was all the things that dreams are made of. The shop is quaint and intimate. The space used to be a chocolate shop. The display shelves and drawers that once held an assortment of specialty chocolates are all still intact around the interior, giving the space a cool vintage vibe. There is a display fridge in the center with about 20 or so expertly curated cheeses. Shelves hold a variety of all natural red, white, and sparkling wines. A smaller fridge chills the whites, getting them ready for immediate enjoyment. Oh, and Geneviéve! It’s always enjoyable to get to spend time with people that I like to call “bright lights in the world”, which totally describes our lovely server, Geneviéve.

We decided on a bottle of dry Chenin Blanc and a bottle of Irancy. When I saw the Irancy I was like “oh ya, that!” I love the anomaly wines, like Saint-Bris (sonbree), the only white wine in Burgundy that isn’t Chardonnay, it’s Sauvignon Blanc. Irancy is a red from Burgundy, and red wines in Burgundy are almost always 100% Pinot Noir. Irancy is unique in that the AOC allows up to 10% of the César grape to be added into the blend, which gives the wine a little extra body and tannin. This is why I love small places like this. You know you’re going to get something really fun, really interesting, and really delicious. And it was all of the above.

With such an amazing selection of cheeses it was hard to pick only a few. Thankfully, Genvieve helped us select three that paired well with our wines. A tomme, a fromage bleu, and a Comte. The cheese came with a fresh baguette that was fluffy and soft on the inside with plenty of crunch on the outside. We also chose some honey and house-made confiture to go along with everything. You can also order a variety of sandwiches on this same lovely bread. We then settled in for a couple hours of sipping, chatting and solving all of the world’s problems. Genvieve joined in the conversation from time to time, and we shared stories and opinions on a variety of topics from natural wine to toddlers and teenagers.

It would have been downright criminal to leave without trying their house-made dessert, Fontainebleau. Fontainebleau is a mixture of a soft white curd cheese and whipped cream. Traditionally it is served either by itself or with berries or fruit compote. Their’s was really fresh and not overly sweet, served with an apricot confiture. It was the perfect ending to a little afternoon stroll in Paris.