Heading to Paris

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ChefJoeR

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Heading to Paris in about a month with the wife for a week. Seems kinda sacrilegious to not drink wine while we are there, but neither one of us is a big wine drinker. She fell in love with lambics, bier de gardes and saisons. So I figure while we are there, why not get something truly local. Does anyone have any suggestions on a great beer pub/restaurant/brewery in Paris or the near surrounding area. We are not planning on renting a vehicle since the city is pretty accessible through the metro. Saw a couple on Beer Advocate, but nothing caught my eye. We love the hole in the wall, out of the way places. Thanks
 
Sadly I don't have any specific reccomendations as far as places to visit but I will say Paris is an amazing city...the people are a little standoff ish but the city is so beautiful. When I was in the Navy one of the tricks I used for finding hole in the wall places was to just hop the subway or whatever and just ride to some random spot...hop off and explore...I found some really cool places that way.

Have a great trip!
 
Paris is not a good place for beer, everything is overpriced and there is not too much beer variety there to begin with. If you were heading to Alsace, Normandie, or Bretagne I could make some decent recommendations.
One thing you should do, though, is go to a McDonalds, have their beer (Kronenbourg 1664, decent mass-produced lager) and order a Croque McDo, the Croque McDo isn't listed on the menu, but every location has it, its pretty much the best grilled ham and cheese you'll ever get from any fast-food place anywhere.

As for specific beers, not much of quality on tap in most locations, but sometimes a place will have a good bottle selection. Most beers from Brasserie de Lancelot are pretty good, especially their Telenn Du, its made primarily from buckwheat. I've found some decent belgian brews in some restaurants/pubs, stuff like Delerium Tremens and La Mort Subite.

Find some good Breton cider, it is better than the Norman cider by leaps and bounds.

Honestly though, unless you're in the northwest of the country, where cider is king, wine is your best bet for a good beverage in France.

Bon courage.
 
Where might you go in Normandie? I know a couple small towns in the western part of the region, but they are a bit far from Paris for a day trip.
As for food there, any Creperie where you see a lot of locals eating is a good bet, and they will always have some excellent cidre. At most norman creperies you'll probably see beers from Brasserie de Lancelot, athough they're based in Bretagne, but again, in this part of France the apple is king.
If you are a fan of distilled beverages be sure to get some Calvados, perfect digestif after a hearty meal or as a pick-me-up in your morning coffe/espresso. Same for the Eau de vie de poire, only that should be consumed white, not aged like the Calvados.
If you want the perfect snack, get a round of strong Camambert, a bottle of strong cidre, and a fresh baguette and you'll be set.
 
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