Le Ballon Rouge

Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville


Sleek new-generation wine bar Le Ballon Rouge has dozens of natural-wine references covering every major French region, and hosts regular tastings with winemakers. Wines by the glass and bottle pair with gourmet sharing plates (€8 to €12) such as leeks in a caper sauce or oven-roasted St-Marcellin cheese with rosemary honey. Mixed cheese, charcuterie and seafood platters (€15 to €19.50) are equally tempting.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Le Marais, Ménilmontant & Belleville attractions

1. Porte St-Martin

0.11 MILES

Commemorating victories by Louis XIV’s armies, this triumphal arch was – like the Porte St-Denis – built in the late 17th century, replacing gates in the…

2. Musée des Arts et Métiers

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The Arts and Crafts Museum, dating to 1794 and Europe's oldest science and technology museum, is a must for families – or anyone with an interest in how…

3. Porte St-Denis

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Along with the Porte St-Martin, this triumphal arch was built in the late 17th century to commemorate a victory by Louis XIV’s armies. At the time of its…

4. Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson

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Founded by renowned French humanist photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908–2004) and his portrait-photographer wife Martine Franck (1938–2012), this…

5. L'Oasis d'Aboukir

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On the corner of rue des Petits Carreaux (the northern extension of foodie street rue Montorgueil‎), this extraordinary mur végétal ('vertical garden')…

6. Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

0.44 MILES

Collections at the Hunting and Nature Museum, inside the delightful Hôtel de Guénégaud (1651), include paintings, sculptures and objets d’art related to…

7. Tour Jean sans Peur

0.47 MILES

This 29m-high Gothic tower was built during the Hundred Years' War by the Duke of Bourgogne so that he could take refuge from his enemies – such as the…