Septime Wine Bar

Our Trip to the Parisian Natural Wine Mecca

Septime is deceptive. If we were to tell you about a wine bar in Paris known as one of the most important hubs of Natural Wine in the world, you may expect something grandiose. A big, well decorated room with elegant clientele and an incredible chef. You may think of a deep wine cellar with hundreds of bottles on beautiful wooden racks.

Instead, at Septime La Cave, here’s what you get: a small room that can barely fit 15 people. An even smaller bar, complete with a few wooden stools and two overworked bartenders. There is no wine list; the best way to find out what wines they have is to worm your way through the huddled crowd of drinking patrons to either side of the room, where rickety cabinets display a few bottles of what’s in stock. Once a wine is gone, it’s gone - there’s no deeper cellar storage. And the food menu has five items, all small plates of simple ingredients thrown together by the bustling bartenders.

This doesn’t sound like a mecca. But it is. And to us, it’s perfect.

The experience is unlike any bar on Earth. The room is small, yes, but the patrons are all full of energy and passionate about good food and drink. A laugh fills the room with excitement. A good wine is often shared among strangers. New friends are made. People come from around the globe, and every night, happy drinkers spill out onto the street, merrily tasting and talking in countless international languages. 

The wine selection is limited because it’s only the best of the best in the Natural Wine world. Natural Wines that are impossible to find in the states because of their hyper small allocation make brief appearances on Septime’s shelves, before they’re immediately enjoyed. Every wine comes from low intervention growers crafting pure, honest expressions of their Earth. 

The food is also exquisite. No dish has more than a few ingredients, and they burst with simple, dynamic flavor. Their vivacity pairs beautifully with the wines, complementing without dominating. We loved the savory saucisson from southern France, which drank wonderfully with lighter reds. The anchovy toast was tasty too, with ricotta, zaatar and olive oil — we enjoyed it with both white and orange wine.

If you’re ever in Paris, Septime is a must. They have a restaurant, too, but the wine bar is a truly special experience. With authenticity, simplicity, and focus on terroir driven ingredients, you can enjoy a genuinely Natural experience. We certainly did.

Merci, Septime!