Never was a bar more aptly named: this quaint café-resto, tucked away on place Sainte-Marthe, gets extremely packed. Expect to get fairly intimate with your fellow patrons here, rubbing arms with your neighbours and unavoidably eavesdropping on their conversations. La Sardine’s popularity has something to do with its location on Place Sainte-Marthe, Belleville’s answer to a village square, with a relaxing, tree-shaded terrace and hardly any passing traffic.
It’s also got a decent wine list, with a choice of several organic varieties (glasses from 4€), best accompanied by tapas (Serrano ham, creamy caviar of aubergine and blow-your-head-off chorizo). Live bands are occasionally booked throughout the year, but the café comes into its own in summer, when, on a balmy night, you can sit out on the terrace until the wee hours.
This is one of Time Out's 100 best bars in Paris. Click here to see the full list.