Vino e Cucina

Vino e Cucina is a Parisian enoteca that thinks like a Roman wine bar: come for a glass, stay for three, and let the food follow the bottle rather than the other way around. Tucked into Le Marais, this Melius Badge address pairs a genuinely deep Italian cellar with regional small plates, and it has become a haven for Parisians who want their Italian wine served with knowledge and their food served without fuss.

The room is run by sommelier Davide Longo, whose list of more than 300 Italian labels reaches from Alpine whites to volcanic southern reds. He pours with a teacher's enthusiasm and an editor's judgement, steering guests toward pairings they would not have found alone. The kitchen answers with a tagliere of cured salumi and Parmigiano built for sharing, a Puglian burrata with datterino tomatoes and a classic vitello tonnato — small plates designed to make the wine taste better.

Two bottles hint at the range on offer: a fine Franciacorta Brut from Lombardy for the aperitivo hour and a structured Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany for those who settle in. Real Parmigiano Reggiano and burrata from Puglia give the plates the authentic Italian provenance that the Melius Badge certifies.

Part wine focus, part aperitivo ritual, Vino e Cucina is where Paris drinks Italy properly. It proves that a bar can be as serious about authenticity as any kitchen — that the right glass, poured by someone who cares, is its own kind of Italian cooking.