We’ve rated Augustin Marchand d’Vins as GOOD with two stars * *

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There are wine bars in Paris that feel like they were designed to be photographed, and then there’s Augustin. The room on rue des Grands Augustins is small and candlelit, with just a handful of tables and an atmosphere that makes you want to lower your voice and stay for hours. It’s one of the most romantic addresses in Saint-Germain, and that hasn’t changed in the seven years I’ve been coming here.

What has shifted, slightly, is my understanding of how to eat here well.

A clarification first: Augustin isn’t a wine bar in the casual Paris sense. There’s no dropping in on a whim, no quick glass at the counter. You reserve, you commit, you stay. This is a place you settle into for the better part of an evening — with a bottle worth lingering over and food that deserves your full attention.

Chef and artist Elsa Fabrega is the creative force behind Augustin’s kitchen, and she is genuinely talented — not just as a cook but as a sculptor. Her signature creations arrive as works of art: a clay vessel destroyed tableside to reveal a roasted quail, or a whole pork and anchovy preparation encased in pastry shaped to look convincingly like a fish, complete with fins and a tail. These are theatrical and fun, and the room lights up when they appear. I’ve ordered them. I understand the appeal.

But after several visits, I’ve come to believe that Augustin’s greatest strength is something quieter. When the kitchen focuses on exceptional sourcing and a light hand — a carpaccio of scallops with oscietra caviar pooled in good olive oil, ten-year aged sardines on toast, a plate of cheese in peak condition — it’s hard to beat at any price.

On my most recent visit, the scallop carpaccio with a spoonful of caviar at the center was the best thing on the table: simple, cold, clean, and worth every euro of the 48€ it cost. The lamb on a previous visit was equally good (39€).

The pastry creations are a different proposition. They are spectacular to look at and fun to share, but the gap between the visual promise and what’s inside can be significant. On my last visit, the plat du jour — pork and anchovy in a golden pastry fish — arrived impressively and fell quietly flat. At 49€, that’s a miss worth avoiding.

Here’s a (very red) shot of the menu from my most recent visit. I’ve tasted everything on it over many years of visiting, and would always return for the scallops (often offered in winter as a special), the asparagus, the anchovies, the lamb and any of the cheese. What you won’t see on the menu is the “Prise de Terre” dish of quail inside a clay sculpture - that needs to be ordered online at the moment of booking (for 99€). It’s an incredible spectacle — especially for someone who isn’t expecting it — but other dishes are more rewarding to eat.

THE WINE

The wine list is the real reason to come, and the pricing model is one of the most interesting in Paris. Bottles are sold at take-away prices — what you’d pay at a good cave — with a flat 10€ corkage fee added for the privilege of drinking on site. This means genuinely serious wine at genuinely fair prices. We drank a Condrieu that would have cost multiples of what we paid anywhere else. It was extraordinary. Order something that scares you a little. The owner Augustin, who seems always to be there, is a passionate ambassador for the wines he sells. He’s happy to offer descriptions, choices and tastes, and his enthusiasm is the reason this little spot feels special.

THE VIBE

The room is tiny, reservations are recommended even for a weekday, and walk-ins are often turned away. They’re open Sunday evenings, which makes them one of the more useful addresses in a neighborhood that still closes too early.

THE VERDICT

Come with someone who gets excited about wine, ideally on a Sunday evening when the neighborhood is quiet and the room feels like a discovery. Order something special to drink and just enough food to keep the party going. The small plates are where the kitchen shines — the scallop carpaccio, the anchovies from Cantabria, the aged sardines, a cheese or two in peak condition. The theatrical pastry or clay creations are worth seeing once, but on a return visit I'd let the wine do the heavy lifting and keep the food simple. That's when Augustin is at its best. Book in advance and arrive without a tight schedule.

AUGUSTIN MARCHAND D’VINS

26 rue des Grands Augustins, 75006
Open Wednesday-Sunday from 5-10pm
Closed Monday & Tuesday
Reservations online or at +33 (0)9 81 21 76 21

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