There are two types of people: those who adore Paris and those who do not. I am of the first variety; I can’t get enough of it. I’ll be the first to admit though that it wasn’t always like that. Visiting Paris on your own can be quite daunting and it’s not an easy city to engage with. My relatively recent beer obsession changed that. Wherever I go, the craft beer environment is inclusive and familiar, and Paris is no exception. Nowadays when I visit, I always meet new friendly people or am happy to be reacquainted with those I have met on previous trips.
In this blog I share some of the wonderful beer bars I was lucky enough to visit and some other highlights that I can recommend if you have enough time. For easy reading I have grouped them by neighorhood. I am still discovering the ever-changing craft beer world in Paris, so in no way is this a complete overview. I will update it whenever I have something new to share. Enjoy and please leave recommendations in the comments section if there are bars that should be added.
At the bottom of the page you will find a map of craft beer bars and bottle shops marked by purple icons.
Near Gare du Nord
If you are only in town for a short visit and don’t have time for some serious craft beer adventures, you’ll find three beers spots about a ten minute walk from Gare du Nord train station where the Thalys departs to Amsterdam. La Binouze Rochechouart is a beer store with a nice selection of beers from all over the world (even The Netherlands!) and twelve taps. They serve bar food and snacks. They also host events such as beer tastings and have a big screen to show sports matches. Just down the street from La Binouze is the Mikkeller Bar, which is open every day of the week and has 19 taps for you to choose from. A little more to the north in the Goutte d’Or neighborhood is the Brasserie Goutte d’Or taproom, a very laid-back bar with simple decor, open from Thursday through Saturday.
A little further east next to Gare de l’Est, about a 13 minute walk from Gare du Nord, you’ll find bottle shop Superbières. I haven’t visited yet myself, but I hear they have a nice selection of (French) craft beer.
Around Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre
This is my favorite area in Paris and I try to visit whenever I am in the city. Even if it doesn’t quite fit the schedule, I always make time to walk up the steps to the Sacré-Coeur and marvel at the amazing view. Montmartre has such a wonderful history and is a lovely spot to walk around. If you like museums, I can recommend the Musée de Montmartre. It’s not big (so doesn’t take a lot of time) and hosts interesting exhibitions. Recently on my walk up to the cathedral I discovered a new small brewpub in the area called Patoche. They had just opened in the summer of 2022 and I was the first one to try their new L’Ipatoche batch! They have 12 taps: 7 with their own beers and 5 for guest beers. On your walk from there to the metro Abbesses you’ll come across some lovely little shops and boutiques. Make sure to also stop at the Wall of Love near Place des Abbesses. Not far from there is the Moulin Rouge. Right across the street (with a great view of this bling bling red windmill) is the Brussels Beer Project Pigalle bar. Since I visited they have opened a second bar, off of Canal St Martin, called BBP Canal. Both are open all days of the week, have 20 taps and serve bar food.
Around the corner from BBP Pigalle is L’Intrepide Bar, the taproom of brewery Demory-Paris with 12 beers on tap. There is no real food menu, but they do serve bar snacks. The brewery itself is located somewhere just outside of the city’s Périphérique.
Downtown and Le Marais
Downtown (1st and 2nd arrondissement) is known for its shopping and the most famous museum in the world, the Louvre. It is also home of Hoppy Corner, the first craft beer bar I ever visited in Paris in 2018 when I was there for Paris Beer Week. Everyone was so friendly that I instantly fell in love with the Paris beer scene. Not far from there (in the direction of the Mikkeller bar) is the World of Banksy, which is quite fun to check out.
The Louvre is a must-do if you have never been and the adjacent gardens are well worth a visit. I was so impressed with the Christmas market they had installed there in December where I found Liefmans glühkriek, I never expected that! Not far from the museum is one of three Bières Cultes craft beer stores, which sell a selection of both international and French beers.
The most stunning thing I have seen so far in Paris I think are the magnificent windows of Sainte-Chapelle. They are even more impressive than those of Notre Dame. The Christmas market near there, just across the water in a little park next to the wonderful English bookstore Shakespeare & Company, was also an absolute delight!
Le Marais (3rd and 4th arrondissement) is probably my favorite area for shopping. I love the clothes and jewelry boutiques near Place des Vosges. There are several museums in the neighborhood, like the excellent Carnavalet Museum on the history of Paris. The only craft beer bar in the area that I know of is BrewDog Le Marais, which I have yet to visit (and get my BrewDog passport stamped!).
The hipster neighborhoods of the 11th and 12th arr.
Just to the east of Le Marais you’ll find the once-gritty-now-hip neighborhoods of the 11th and 12th arrondissement with plenty of craft beer activity. I have yet to visit them all, but one definitely not to miss is La Fine Mousse Bar, the oldest craft beer bar in Paris, established in 2012 with an exciting beer selection on tap ranging from French beers and other European brews to trendy US beers. Across the street is its sister venue, La Fine Mousse restaurant, with an equally thrilling beer selection.
Not far from there is Liquiderie Bar, one of the best in Paris and managed by Valentin Leroy, probably the most passionate beer and wine person I know. He has a magnificent selection of exclusive beers, like Antidoot, Bofkont and others. He was the first beer friend I made in Paris!
A fun attraction to visit in the neighborhood is the Atelier des Lumières, an immersive art experience. The first of its kind and now succesfully copied to many other locations in the world, including Amsterdam. Beer bars in the 11th that have been recommended to me are Outland Bar and Fauve’s brewpub Les Cuves de Fauve; their locations can be found on the map below. A bit further south, in the 12th arr., is the location of the Paris Beer Festival held at Ground Control near the Gare du Lyon.
The east side
Further to the east running from the north side of the Périphérique to the south side are the 19th and 20th arrondissement. Two craft beer bars that I hear have a good selection and are fun to check out in the 19th are L’Atalante and Paname Brewing. In the 20th arrondissement I don’t know of any special beer places, but the Père Lachaise cemetery is definitely worth a visit. As dark and disturbing as that might sound, the cemetery is actually quite beautiful and there are many famous people buried there, like Edith Piaf, Gerda Taro, Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison and Frederic Chopin.
The south side
Last but certainly not least in terms of sightseeing is the area on the south side of the Seine. Admittedly I don’t make it over there that often when I’m in Paris, but there are two beer bars there that are high on my wish list the next time I visit: La Robe & La Mousse just off of Boulevard Saint-Germain. It is part of La Fine Mousse and open daily, with 16 beers on tap. The other one is Brewberry Bar. Both are in the vicinity of some worthwhile sights, such as the Pantheon, the medieval Cluny museum, Musée d’Orsay and the Jardin du Luxembourg. There is some fun shopping on Rue Mouffetard, which is especially lively on market day.
All photos were taken by Tina Rogers.