Revived: August 25, 2026 (Published: February 26, 2017)

Southern Pigalle is among my favourite corners in Paris, and Pratz is one of its best addresses for natural wine & small bites!

Just a few steps down from the Pigalle metro station, Pratz is one of the loveliest wine bars I know in Paris. If tasty tapas and low-intervention wines make your heart beat, this cave à manger is the place to be.

A WINTERY ENCOUNTER

I still remember my first time in Pratz. A chilly day in February 2015. A slight midday hangover after a work trip to Champagne with a photographer and a chef. For the 3rd article, we were browsing wine bars in Paris with a way too tight schedule I had set up.

As I open the door of Pratz and see a nice-looking man with a smiling face, life seems immediately brighter. The guy behind the counter is Thomas Babot, Pratz’s half-Catalan owner – and as it turns out, a fantastic guy to chat with.

At first, I order a whole pan-fried Reblochon cheese with a – very decently priced – glass of Champagne Louis Barthelemy Amethyste Brut. This sinfully greasy and bubbly breakfast feels just perfect for a slow day in Paris 9th. We stay two hours at Pratz and promise to come again.

Perfect for hot summer days

On a hot August 2016 afternoon, I pop into Pratz for the third time; “just for tapas and white wine” before climbing up to Montmartre for sunset.

Excited as always, I explore the wine shelves that concentrate on French natties. However, Babot’s Catalan roots are visible in the selection of which 10 wines are available by the glass. For such a tiny place, 10 wines is quite something! As the selection varies, ask Thomas what he has in mind for you. 

Even though other customers seem to know each other, at Pratz you don’t feel like an outsider. That’s the skill of the owner: creating such an atmosphere.

Just like many locals who pop to Pratz to buy things to take home, before leaving I end up buying a bottle of young and tight Anjou Blanc.

Heading up to Montmartre, I ask Thomas if he has tips for places nearby. As much as I love the views from that hill, I often feel a bit lost when it comes to food and wine scene on Montmartre. Also the crowds in summer can be unbearable, but only on the streets surrounding the Sacré-Coeur.

Thomas immediately comes up with a name.

NEW FAVOURITE PLACE IN PARIS 18TH

On the other side of the Montmartre hill, this place called La Rallonge steals my heart. Arriving too early with my friend Anu, we meet a smiling guy who asks us to return at seven.

Punctually at seven we stand at the door, hungry and excited. After our first chat with Kevin, I understand why Thomas recommended La Rallonge. Both guys have stellar service attitude! And insider tips are the best: I hadn’t heard of La Rallonge before – although it’s the “little brother” of popular fine-dining mecca, La Table d’Eugène.

I don’t know whether it’s Kevin’s roots, but Iberian influence shows on the menu of La Rallonge. Here you can enjoy first-class chorizo. Also, I see one of my favourite dishes, pulpo a la gallega, on the menu. However, we start with squid. Still +30 outside, the squid plate is a wonderfully fresh start for our soirée.

HOT STUFF FOR HOT WEATHER

Our second choice, instead, is nothing but summery. It is hot and steamy, with one of the best broths ever! It looks like risotto, but is made of tiny macaronis.

The moment we taste it, we are speechless. This super simple dish is so astonishingly delicious that Anu and I have to order another pot to share.

Looking back, I still haven’t managed to figure out how that “macaroni risotto” was so tasty? There were mushrooms and truffle in it, I think?

Besides tasty food, nice wines and lovely atmosphere of both places, Pratz and La Rallonge, I have to admit that Thomas and Kevin are strikingly good-looking guys. But just after a few minutes with them, you forget about their looks. Unlike many men with looks (and egos), these two come from another universe.

So, those who still stick with the saying that one gets rude service in Paris must live in another reality – or hang around in wrong places?

At least I have always been treated nicely in Paris. Everywhere. And greeting local people in French never does any harm…

Pratz
59 Rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle
Tue-Sat 18–00
Tel: +33 (0)1 77 10 67 03
Métro: Pigalle (lines 2, 12)

 

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UPDATE (2024): Pratz is open in the evenings, and still superb, with great Italian staff. Lunch hours are, unfortunately, history. La Rallonge closed for good in November 2020 – apparently, due to the challenges posed by the pandemic (and was followed by the closure of La Table d’Eugène in 2021). Luckily there are memories, that macaron pot, to cherish!