We’re here “live” in Paris on a beautiful July morning…..at the start of the 2023 Wine Wanderings France press tour. In the next three weeks we will bring you news, wine and travel suggestions, and observations from Bordeaux, Champagne, the Loire Valley, Paris, and Normandy. We’ll be visiting some of the larger Champagne Houses and some of the smaller “grower” Champagne wineries. We’ll visit a cooperage where wine barrels are made. We’ll see four unique areas of Bordeaux with both large Châteaux and small family-run wineries featured. The underrated Loire Valley will be a special feature of the trip. Watch for news from Champagne Veuve Clicquot, Champagne Billecart-Salmon, Château Léognan, Château Laffitte Carcasset, Château des Annereaux and others. Don’t miss the tips on wine bars, shopping, digital art museums, and the castles of the Loire.
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In Paris: Passages and Rooftop Bars
My fellow wine expert, Wendy Hatfield, and I and have had previous trips to the usual tourist haunts of Paris, so we are bypassing the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum this year. Our goal is to bring you two unique perspectives: the covered “Passages of Paris” and some great rooftop bars. These represent two very different views- inside and outside - of the Paris summer scene.
The Covered Passages of Paris (Les Passages Couverts de Paris)
During the mid-1800s covered passages came to be very popular in Pari. They are much like a mini-Parisian shopping mall. By 1850, there were over 150 of them. Over the years, many disappeared. We are determined to visit some of the most charming in the city and those closest to the central Arrondissements of Paris – 1 and 2. Here is what we found.
*Galerie Vivienne – No list of covered passages would be complete without this exquisite place. Considered the most elegant of the passages and built in the 1820s , we found boutiques, bookshops, fabric stores, and lovely cafés. Please appreciate the original mosaic floor with the names of former businesses at the entrance of each shop. Our favorites were Alexis Mabille and Louvreuse.
Address: 4 rue des Petit-Champs, Paris 2
*Passage Colbert – This rival of Vivienne is on the same street. In 1826 it was built to compete with Galerie Vivienne, but it was slightly less successful. However, the striking neoclassical rotunda draws you in. This covered walkway does not have shops but hosts l’Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art and L’Institut National du Patrimoine- which trains curators and conservators.
Address: 2 rue Vivienne, Paris 2
*Passage du Grand Cerf is one of the most beautiful covered passages in Paris, but it is not easy to find. It is home to many artisan shops and lovely boutiques. We especially likedSatellite Boutiquewith its international jewelry.
Address: 145 rue de Saint-Denis, Paris 2
*Passage des Deux Pavillons Paris – this is the shortest of all the Paris Passages. The owners of Galerie Vivienne bought this passage and modified the layout to make it end just in front of his Galerie Vivienne!
The Top 25 Rooftop Bars Paris, by The Rooftop Guide, grabbed our attention. Fortunately, our hotel got us off to a quick start, with their own rooftop bar, as we started on this “arduous” tour for the best rooftop wine bars in Paris.
Perruche Rooftop Bar, Paris
Here are our favorites:
*Ilvolo Cocktail Bar, Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse (our great business hotel) – Rooftop bar has a close view of the Eiffel Tower and recalls a theme of a bird and its flight. The metallic structure on the edge lights up at night. It features the cocktail Paris Nest – a drink with Tanqueray gin, elderflower liqueur and cucumber hyssop tonic.
Address: 257 Rue de Vaugirard, Paris 15
*Perruche, (Parakeet in English) is up 500 meters on the top floor of the shopping center Printemps Haussmann, Men’s store, perfect for a post-shopping day. It offers a panoramic 360°. view of Paris. They have an array of dishes to share. We opted for both wine and cocktails.
Address: Printemps de l’Homme, 2 Rue du Havre 9ème étage, 75008, Paris
*l’Oiseau Blanc & Le Rooftop, (white bird in English). This is an elegant rooftop bar and a 2 Star Michelin restaurant overlooking the iconic monuments of Paris. This also features a 360° view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower in particular. This is The Peninsula Paris’ premiere rooftop restaurant, and one of the best fine-dining restaurants in the city. with a minimum of 30€ per person.
Address: 19 Avenue Kléber, 75116 Paris.
*ROOF, Journey to the 7th Heaven. This massive rooftop up 1000 meters overlooks all of Paris and particularly the Pantheon and Notre-Dame. It features Japanese-influenced finger food. The greenspace feels like a hanging garden in the sky. Try the Summer Garden cocktail with Hendricks Gin, St. Germain, Prosecco, garnished with lemon verbena leaves and lemon grass.
Address: 43 rue Etienne Marcel, 75001 Paris.
Summer Garden on the ROOF, on our very stormy day in Paris
A 5th-Generation Wine Shop in Paris
For an old-fashioned 5th generation gourmet grocery store and wine shop, discover Legrand Filles et Fils.Since 1880 the Legrand family began originally purchasing wine by the barrel, and now the store features a 3000-bottle international wine collection cellar. La Vinothèque.
Please do. Or wait for the Olympics next year.
Now I want to go back to Paris and visit all these recommendations!