Paris, France - Beer and the Cafe Culture

I saved the best for last this year. This past October, my husband and I were fortunate to spend a week in Paris. With 12,000 cafes to choose from in the City of Light, how do you ever expect to find the best place to enjoy beer, and perhaps a bite of traditional Parisian fare?  In truth, it's the Parisian experience that matters, not necessarily the specific cafe.

We stayed in the 17th Arrondissement, a high energy neighborhood away from major tourist areas, where stylish Parisians live and work. The cafe where we spent most of our evenings was located a block from our small hotel, situated right by a metro stop, perfect for non-stop people watching.

We became regulars at the Royal Periere Cafe

It only took a visit or two for the waiters to remember us (it helps to tip American style), so the service was excellent.  The Royal Pereire had several excellent Belgian ales on tap and our favorite was Grimbergen Dubbel. It tasted especially great accompanied with a plate of local cheeses and crusty French bread. Parisians spend hours socializing in cafes and it's great fun observing the talkative clientele as well as the folks passing by with bags of fresh bread from the bakery or colorful cut flowers from the nearby outdoor market. Our favorite seat was inside, where it was smoke free, right next to the front window.  By the end of the week we felt like regulars and we really hated to leave.

Perfectly French!  Goat cheese salad, olives, bread and Belgian Ale!

If you are lucky enough to visit Paris, here are my suggestions for a great beer experience.  First of all, unless you're fond of tour groups, stay away from the main tourist areas.  Find a cafe near lots of pedestrian traffic in proximity of shops or a metro stop.  Check to make sure they have a few great Belgian ales on tap.  Find a table outside, or by a window, order a beer and enjoy the show.

The Royal Pereire was hopping at night. 

There is one unique place to drink beer in Paris that I should mention.  And I recommend you climb there to really appreciate the experience.  That would be the Eiffel Tower.  We climbed up 1,652 steps, as far as we could go, then back down a level to the bar where there was only one choice of beer -Heineken.  Although not usually my favorite, that beer sure tasted good, and on a clear day, the view of Paris was spectacular.  This was definitely a beer tasting experience I'll never forget. 

The bar on the Eiffel Tower. 

Cheers to you from the Eiffel Tower!