Le Sancerre

This fantastic little cafe is just a short walk down the hill from Montmarte but is far enough away to keep healthy ratio between tourists and Parisians. However if you are making the trip up here just to eat then your closest Metro stop is actually Abbesses.

Whilst you can still find the more classic bistro fare, one of the things that sets Le Sancerre’s menu apart is the inclusion of items beyond France’s borders. Or, at least, items that have their inspiration beyond France’s borders. We had lunch there and ordered a Croque Sicilien among many, many other things. Fantastic.

Think of it like a French take on ‘Pan-Euro’ cuisine. It’s definitely the sort of place where you have to inflict a bit of your ‘menu French‘ on the waitstaff, as well. There was a large table of Japanese tourists next to us who did not speak a word of French and the waitstaff didn’t speak any Japanese. Oddly enough, these were the exact two languages I studied in high school but it still didn’t help me untangle the train wreck that was their lunch order.

Of course, you don’t have to eat there. The wine list is affordable, they do a mean cocktail and the bar staff are friendly. So you can just perch yourself on a stool, order a pastis and watch the village of Montmarte go about its business. In fact, this is one of the things I love most about visiting Europe; absolutely no judgement whatsoever if you order an alcoholic drink before midday.

Le Sancerre has free wifi as well, which makes it a good place to avoid data roaming charges while you send a few emails. I can’t be the only person that goes into digital withdrawal whilst on holiday.

In the evening this place turns into a humming local bar that is well worth seeking out if you are staying in the area.

Thank you to Gorden for sharing his story with us on Little Break Big Difference. If you would like to find out more about George please visit his blog.