Paris Champagne Bars: Drink What Kings Drank

End Chapter I in a proper Paris champagne bar. Not tourist traps - the real spots where Parisians drink grower champagne and talk about everything except the price.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Find the Unmarked Bar Wine · Price: moderate

   Le Baron Rouge (1 Rue Theophile Roussel, 12th) - no sign, just a red facade. Open since 1919. Go after 6pm. Order champagne by the glass (€8-15). Stand at the barrel tables with locals. This is NOT a tourist bar.

   Backup: If closed (Sunday), try Le Garde Robe (41 Rue de l'Arbre Sec, 1st).

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2. 2 Order Grower, Not Brand Wine · Price: moderate

   Ask for "champagne de vigneron" (grower champagne), not Moet or Veuve. These bars stock small producers. Try anything with "RM" (Recoltant Manipulant) on the label. Compare to Louis XIV's champagne: his was still, pink, and barely sparkling. Yours is better.

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3. 3 Toast the King History · Free · Optional

   Before your first sip, raise your glass and say "Au Roi Soleil" (to the Sun King). Louis XIV made champagne royal. You're finishing what he started. Tomorrow: we explore what happened when the kings fell.

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