Saint-Jean-Baptiste

There’s something timeless about this old-fashioned grocery store, where shoppers go as much for an ambiance of nostalgia as for restocking their provisions. Worn wooden counters, wicker baskets, and glass cases hold an eclectic selection of artisanal products, including hand-milled soaps, exotic spices, coffee beans, wedges of regional cheeses, dried and cured charcuterie, and house-made sandwiches and cold salads, which you can consume at the café's marble-topped tables.

An expertly curated natural wine list, hearty comfort food, and vintage wooden tables and chairs make this cozy wine bar on Rue Saint-Jean an ideal year-round option. Don’t be shy in engaging the servers, as this is the most fun part of a night here. You tell them (sometimes in very broad terms) what it is you’d like in a wine, and they’ll generously bring out a few bottles from which to taste. There’s food, too—and the oysters, charcuterie, terrines, and ratatouille are all excellent.