paris beer

Paris, France

Paris is usually a top destination when visiting Europe and for good reason—it is gorgeous and full of things to see and do!

City of Lights Tips: 

  • You do not need a car anywhere in Europe. Period. Point Blank. Simple. Even the cute little towns you want to visit you can do so on public transport. Use public transportation or Ubers/taxis if you’re fancy.

    • For public transport your tickets work on both the metro and buses, they are 1.90 each 

  • If you’re flying in, Charles De Gaulle Airport is 45 minutes north of the city. Le Bus Direct is $18 for a one way adult ticket. The pick up is directly out front and it comes every half hour. Follow the signs for the bus and you can pay either at the bus counter or the ticket machine.

    • You can also take the metro into the city depending on where you are staying. Google Maps can give you the best option to your destination for which form of public transit is best!

  • I found 3 days to be the perfect amount of time for me in Paris to see and do everything that I wanted. Some people spend 3 days just in The Louvre, so it really just depends on what your goals are.

  • Museum Pass: I usually don’t do museum or city passes but it financially made sense with all that I wanted to see in Paris so I would recommend looking into it. You can do a 2, 4, or 6 day pass and get it at any participating attraction. I got mine at The Louvre and it was super easy there.

  • London is a super quick train ride away and is one of my favorite cities! Check out my guide here! I enjoyed exploring the Alsace region of France after my time in Paris—check out my full guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Paris Recommendations: 

  • La Fine Mousse: A craft beer bar and sister restaurant across the street from each other. I visited the little rustic bar that has 20 taps of all great beers! They even had the ever-popular Cantillon on tap when I visited.

  • Liquiderie: An awesome craft beer shop and bar. They have a fantastic selection of beers, three taps, and a small food menu. It is a cute little spot right in the heart of the Folic-Mericourt neighborhood. Their staff is super nice as well!

  • Musee d’Orsay: An art museum in an old railway station. I loved this museum—the space is awesome and there is some amazing artists on display. My favorite area was the 5th floor gallery!

    • This was the longest I waited to get into any museum even with my museum pass, but I went on a Tuesday when The Louvre is closed, so if you have the option avoid Tuesdays so the masses don’t go to The Orsay with you. The Orsay is closed Mondays—so try to visit Wednesday-Sunday if possible.

  • Maison BAPBAP: A tiny little brewery with a super chill taproom and a small food menu. A 5 minute walk from La Fine Mousse!

  • Sainte-Chapelle: A gorgeous church! Be sure to go upstairs as well, the stairs are on your left when you walk in. The museum pass saved me a lot of time here as well

Au Vieux Paris

Top Touristy Paris Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

  • The Louvre: A must! So much art, be sure to get a map when you go in. Expect crowds always. I HIGHLY recommend reserving a time slot ahead of time online, which you can do here. You get to go in a much shorter line. You can also go in the back entrance through an underground mall, The Carrousel du Louvre.

    • Closed on Tuesdays!

  • Arc de Triomphe: Awesome views of the city from the top, definitely try to go on a clear day! If you have a museum pass you can skip both lines here. Access via the underground tunnel on the Avenue de la Grande Armee side of the circle.

  • Eiffel Tower: You can go up the tower for a fee and for a large chunk of your time, but I would recommend just hanging out in the gardens in front instead. Be aware of panderers in the area, they are quite annoying, but bring a picnic & some drinks and enjoy the view!

  • Jardin des Tuileries: Right near The Louvre, these gardens are super pretty and a great place to relax

  • Notre Dame Cathedral: Closed due to the fire, but still worth walking by as they work to repair

  • Explore the Latin Quarter: A bustling neighborhood full of bars and restaurants. Rue Mouffetard is a great street to explore here.

  • Luxembourg Gardens: Pretty gardens to relax in near the Latin Quarter

  • Pont de l’Alma Bridge: A historic bridge and a good spot for pictures of the Eiffel Tower 

  • Ô Chateau: A wine bar that offers wine tastings. I would recommend getting a flight to try a few different things. They also do a wine and cheese pairing lunch and dinner if you’re looking to treat yourself (it is quite pricey). Overall it is a bit touristy and a bit pricey, but I did enjoy my wine flight

Sainte-Chapelle

Other Things To Do in Paris:​​

  • Mozaic: A craft beer shop and bar. They have a great selection, including Cantillon, and a few beers on tap as well

  • Explore the Folic-Mericourt neighborhood: A cute area with a bunch of bars and restaurants

  • Paname Brewing Company: A brewery on a canal that is quite touristy and overpriced, but a cool place to hang out with solid beers. They have pizza and other food from 3pm onward.

  • La Cave de Bulles: A craft beer bottle shop with a few taps and good beer selection. The space is a bit odd if you’re looking to enjoy something onsite as there is only one table

  • Le Willi’s Wine Bar: A famous wine bar known for their posters, it can be a bit touristy but overall it was a nice spot for a glass of wine

  • We Are Brewers (WAB): A brewery with solid beers, happy hour, and a small food menu.

  • Explore the Montemarte neighborhood: Some cute cobblestoned streets full of bars and restaurants

  • Sacre Coeur: A large church on a hill. The inside is nothing special but the outside is gorgeous. Free to visit!

  • The Shoah Memorial: Paris’s Holocaust Museum. Not as impressive as what I’ve seen in some other cities, but it is free and if you haven’t visited many before it is worth a stop!

  • Explore the Pletzl neighborhood: A cool area with lots of bars and restaurants

A Day Trip to Fontainebleau:

  • I chose to visit Château de Fontainebleau over the Palace of Versailles because it is less touristy and crowded.

  • To get to Fonainebleau:

    • Go to the Gare de Lyon Station and then follow the signs for the main line train. There are ticket machines right by the platforms, get a ticket towards either Montereau, Montargis, or Migennes. Make sure to validate your ticket at a machine before boarding. The train takes about 45 minutes and you will get off at Fontainebleau Avon.

    • From the train station take the #1 bus towards Les Lilas or you can walk 35 minutes to the Chateau. Quai 1 is where the bus picks up outside of the train station, it comes every 15-20 minutes. You can check the schedule posted at the stop to see when the next arrival is. You use the same tickets for this bus as your Paris public transit tickets, just be sure to validate it when you get on.

    • Get off at the Chateau stop and use Hotel de Londres as your destination to walk to—it is very confusing to enter the Chateau, the main entrance is directly across from this hotel so that is much easier

  • You can use your Museum Pass here as well!

  • It is a very pretty chateau and the grounds are gorgeous as well. There are information cards throughout and audio guides as well.

  • To return to the train station you will get on the #1 bus again from the numerous stops throughout town towards Avon. The last stop is the train station!

The Best Craft Beer Bars

Obviously I love exploring breweries, but craft beer bars are always fun to hang out at as well. I love getting to try hard to find or obscure beers from breweries across the world!

My favorite craft beer bars each offer a little something different, but they all have delicious and unique beers! Check out my top picks globally below:

The Avenue Pub in New Orleans

The Avenue Pub in New Orleans

The Avenue Pub

Located in New Orleans, Louisiana this craft beer haven is open 24/7 365 days of the year! The Avenue has a fantastic tap list at both their main bar downstairs and their balcony bar upstairs.

The balcony is one of the best parts of The Avenue, it is a fantastic place to kick back and watch the streetcars roll by and soak up some Louisiana sunshine. Their location right on Saint Charles Avenue makes it a prime spot to watch parades during Mardi Gras season, but beware of beads flying into your beer!

The Avenue also has a full food menu that is typical bar food. The cheese fries are fantastic, especially after a beer or two. If you’re local to New Orleans their Mug Club is a fun feature to earn discounts on beers and get invited to special events.

Polly and her team do a fantastic job at The Avenue so be sure to show them some love the next time you’re in The Big Easy! Take note that The Avenue is 21 and up only.

Check out all of my New Orleans recommendations here!

Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte

Salud Beer Shop in Charlotte

Salud Beer Shop

This Charlotte, North Carolina beer bar and bottle shop opened its doors in 2012 and has been crushing the game ever since. Located in the NoDa neighborhood, they’ve got 16 taps and a plethora of cans and bottles for consumption both on and offsite.

Salud’s owners Jason and Dairelyn Glunt host frequent events such as tap takeovers, porch parties, and special releases in the bottle shop. They’ve also got natural wines, meads, and a food menu featuring Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Salud also won the top spot for Best Beer Bar from USA Today in 2019 and 2020 so don’t just take my word for how great they are! Be sure to check out their brewery upstairs too, Salud Cerveceria.

Liquiderie Bottle Shop in Paris

Liquiderie Bottle Shop in Paris

Liquiderie Bottle Shop

Liquiderie is located in Paris, France. It is a tiny little spot with a just a few bar stools, but it is full of some incredible beers. They’ve got three beers on taps and a slue of cans and bottles for sale to drink in-house or take to-go.

They’ve also got a small food menu for snacks. Liquiderie’s staff is super nice and friendly so don’t be afraid to ask questions or just hang out!

This cute little spot is located right in the heart of the Folic-Mericourt neighborhood.

The rest of my Paris recommendations are located here!

Torst in New York City

Torst in New York City

Torst Bar

Torst is located on Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn, NYC. With so many beer bars and breweries in The Big Apple, Torst sets itself apart with its killer tap list and unique environment.

Torst is classier than your average beer bar, with a sleek set-up and intimate atmosphere. They have 21 taps, a large list of can and bottle beer options, natural wines, and cocktails as well.

Torst also has a small food menu with snacks and a few sandwiches. They offer Happy Hour from 4-7pm every weekday.

Beer Street is another one of my favorite NYC craft beer bars with more of a dive bar atmosphere, cheaper prices, and still a fantastic tap list. Check out all of my NYC recommendations here!

The Whale in Greenville

The Whale in Greenville

The Whale Craft Beer Collective

The Whale has locations in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina. Each location has 20 taps and a large can and bottle list to enjoy.

On tap at each spot you will also find Whale Exclusives, which are beers they collaboratively brewed with local breweries for release only at their taprooms.

The Whale is dog-friendly and also offers, wine, mead, sake, and non-alcoholic craft beverages. Be sure to stop by next time you’re in AVL or GVL!

Check out my Asheville recommendations here and my Greenville recommendations here!

The Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta

The Porter Beer Bar in Atlanta

The Porter Beer Bar

Located in the heart of the Little 5 Points neighborhood of Atlanta, The Porter Beer Bar is a mecca for ATL’s craft beer nerds.

The Porter has been open since 2008, before the craft beer scene in the US really took off.

They have over fifty taps, a large selection of cans and bottles, wine, and cocktails. Be sure to bring your reading glasses with you to this beer bar—the tap list is a novel but it is worth the effort!

The Porter also has a full food menu to keep your appetite at bay while you peruse and enjoy your many drink options.

The rest of my Atlanta recommendations are located here!

The International Beer Bar in Zurich

The International Beer Bar in Zurich

The International Beer Bar

Located in Zurich, Switzerland, The International is a cozy little spot with indoor and outdoor seating options. They have craft Swiss, European, and global beers available.

Their staff is super friendly and they have truly delicious beers to try. They do tap-takeovers and also have cans and bottles available.

Check out my Zurich guide here!

State of Beer in Raleigh

State of Beer in Raleigh

State of Beer

State of Beer is in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. It is from the team at Trophy Brewing which has three taprooms as a part of their brewery as well.

State of Beer is a bottle and sandwich shop with 12 taps, a plethora of bottles and cans, small plates, salads, and sandwiches. You can also buy beer to-go here.

They have a nice outdoor patio to enjoy your beer and food on as well, it gets busy when the weather is nice. Check it out next time you’re in the area!

Pop The Top in Charlotte

Pop The Top in Charlotte

Pop The Top Craft Beer Shop

Another gem in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pop the Top is located in the South End neighborhood. Ketan and his fantastic team have 24 taps, cans, and bottles for sale to consume on or off premises.

Pop The Top does not have a kitchen so they are dog-friendly and you can bring your own food. They host frequent tap takeovers and you’ll frequently find a bottle share happening as well.

They’ve also got an outdoor patio for those sunny days, board games, and TVs.

Local Option in Chicago

Local Option in Chicago

Local Option

Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Local Option is—as you might guess—where the locals go!

They have 24 taps, a few of which are usually their own beer they brew as well. The food at Local Option is delicious, so be sure to come hungry and eat up!

Their taproom has some punk-esque vibes but is still welcoming and friendly to everyone.

They partner with AJ Maka Distributors to get some amazing craft beers and meads on tap and in the bar, so be sure to stop by next time you’re in the Chicagoland area!

Check out my Chicago recommendations here!

Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia

Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia

Monk’s Cafe

Monk’s Cafe is in downtown Philly and advertises itself as “The soul of Belgium in the heart of Philadelphia”.

They have 25 beers on tap and a bottle list, both with an emphasis on Belgian beers. The vibes are more pub-like with a full food menu and servers, but I would recommend just sitting at the bar to get the full beer nerd experience.

Monk’s Cafe also has a lot of special events, such as a special tapping of Pliny the Younger from Russian River that happens each year. Check it out next time you’re in Philly!

My guide to Philadelphia is located here!

What’s your favorite craft beer bar? Let me know in the comments!