Got a yearning for the scenic beaches of Southern France? Nostalgic surfer stuck in Paris? You should probably lay down your towels at La Surferie, near Oberkampf. With wooden boards plastered across its walls both inside and out, this bar doesn’t feel like it’s in the 11th arrondissement. So there’s no terrace and we’re miles from the coast, but La Surferie still has an atmosphere reminiscent of beachside cafés in Biarritz or Cap Ferret.
The friendly owner, Christophe, united his professional life with his long time passion for surf, and the dream has clearly paid off: the bar is heaving. The menu is quite typical (beer, good cocktails, wine) and all reasonably priced, especially at happy hour: pints are €5 (and bottles are ‘buy three get one free’), cocktails €7, bottles of wine €20 and soft drinks €3.
As you get on the outside of your order, enjoy the cheery rock playlist, admire the photo exhibits and enjoy footage of surfing competitions projected onto the back wall. The ceiling is strewn with surf-related philosophical quotations, spewed out of a wave-shaped fresco and lapping up against the top of the bar. This gesture neatly encapsulates the very essence of the place: a near-perfect marriage of surfing and fun.