Le Tire-Bouchon, -the corkscrew- is a perfect name for this magnificent café on the square Franz Liszt. Nice, original decoration. A curious aquarium divides the room in two parts, the bar on one side, and the restaurant on the other side. No water and no fish inside the aquarium but a sample of French typical wines appreciated in the Parisian bistros for decades. Like for example, the wines of Beaujolais, as Morgon, Chinon, Brouilly, those of Lire River wine like Saumur, and those of southwest wine like Gaillac.
Jean-Philippe Bruel who reigns here has three passions.
First, is his native country of Cantal. Born in Aurillac, Cantal in Auvergne Region,he is like hundreds of young Cantal boys who came to Paris to work in cafés. Arriving in 1989 to work as a bartender, he is the boss of le Tire-Bouchon since 2005. He is very keen to bring and share the best produce and recipes of his native country. Cantal cheese and country ham of course, but also Cantal dishes prepared by the Chief, Marc Cornet, another native of Cantal, like "truffade", a traditional recipe of potatoes with Cantal
cheese.
But with a name like "Tire-Bouchon", everybody understands that his place is devoted to the wines. Le "Tire-Bouchon" is the kind of bistro where there is each month a new wine to discover, sometimes with the vine-grower. Here you can start a bottle of wine at the bar with friends, and simply take it to your dining table.
The third passion of the boss is rugby, as you can imagine seeing the collection of oval balls. He shares the passion with many Native Cantal bosses of bistros in Paris, who are fond of rugby. And so it could be an interesting experience to come during the Six Nations Rugby Tournament...
But you do not have to love Cantal, wine or rugby to stop at "Le Tire-Bouchon". If you like simply having a rest on a large terrace facing the superb Saint-Vincent de Paul church, it will be the right place.
