As I settle back into Paris life, I'm once again reminded that getting a job here is nothing short of a nightmare, and am wondering if I will ever find permanent employment here. For the moment, I must kiss goodbye the days of the 10 euro maxi mojito at Les Etages in the Marais, or splurging on the perfect cocktail hand-crafted by resident mixologists at the chichi Hotel Costes. I'm going back to my early days of bar crawling, and discovering some of Paris' cheaper, and even more eclectic watering holes for folks like me on a budget. Even if you're broke, a girl's gotta drink, right?
I've always been a bit of a dive bar enthusiast. I'm not sure if it's because I'm more comfortable in modest surroundings, but I've always found myself drawn to them. Even when living in Hollywood where the glitz and glamour of bumping into A-list celebrities at clubs was accessible, I preferred the plethora of east side dives that drew in the anti-Hollywood crowd that were still totally in essence Hollywood, just you know, the artsy version. Hashtag Jason Schwartzman and Adam Brody.
To launch my Diva Does Parisian Dive Bars series, I was lucky to be in the presence of a bloggeuse that I have been itching to meet for now over a year. Like me, she's also a wine officiato whose fridge is currently stocked with six bottles, a girl gone wild per the observations of our mutual blogging buddy Garlic Keith, a closet diva who looked absolutely fabulous in her funky blue maxi dress that I'm obsessed with, and the perfect partner in crime to accompany me on my first dive bar in Paris investigation. Ladies and Gents, if you don't already know her, I introduce to you the lady of the hour who was getting all kinds of Twitter love last week, Miss Gwan of the humorous blog Where in the World is Gwannel Sandiego?
On this rainy Friday night, these two girls gone wild headed to Au Bon Accueil in the 11th Arrondissement for wine, gossip, and giggles. Let's see what they discovered....
Walking into this bar at first can be a bit intimidating. It's obvious that everyone knows each other by the cross-flow of conversation that went from the bar stools to the banquettes, giving the bar an ambiance of a private house party. The pile of stuff (presumably some of the owner's collectables), stacked in the back corner also lent to this idea of being in someone's cramped home rather than a bar in Paris. The scene is East Village circa 1984 with an eclectic mix of old punks, rock n' rollers, younger hipsters, as well as senior citizen locals enjoying low-priced drinks and conversation to the background of Joy Division, Tom Waits, and Gang of Four on vinyl - of course.
Gwan and I grabbed a seat at the bar and ordered two glasses of wine that came to 5 euros. That's right, 2.50 a piece. Quel rêve! The bartender/owner immediately detected our accent, and asked us in English where we were from. He shared with us that he had lived in Connecticut for 13 years, and if we didn't mind, it would be his pleasure to speak English. Not wanting to deprive him of one his little joys, we indulged in small talk about the bar where he confirmed that every patron is a local and he has served the same customers - with the exception of two English-speaking gals passing through - every night since he had opened.
With our little
glasses, we grabbed a seat at the back booth and got the girl talk
starting. We filed each other in on the more complex details behind the stories we post on our blogs, asshole babies, first dates gone royally bizarre, and men
that look like little rats or "ratty men" as Gwan called them.
At one point, we drew in a small crowd around our table of regulars who were intrigued by the two English-speaking cuties (I added that part) who took a dare on such a local bar, as well as the cheap wine that we were already three glasses into. Everyone was quite welcoming and forthcoming, and a few of the patrons even mouthed us a polite "bon soir" as they passed our table on their way to the bathroom; something I have never experienced in a Parisian bar. Could you see that happening at Hotel Costes?
Au Bon Accueil was a refreshing break from your typical brasserie, hot spot in the center of town, or in my case simply getting hammered at home, and I will definitely be adding this bar to my list of favorite spots in the 11th arrondissement. If you don't mind slumming it in a bar whose appearance is not for the faint of heart, and want to indulge in conversation with eccentric folk in a place with a lot of soul, Au Bon Accueil is your place.
Thank you so much Gwan for trekking over there with me to explore a different Parisian experience, and I look forward to seeing a slice of "your" Tours some day!
Au Bon Accueil
64, rue Alexandre Dumas
75011 Paris
