Recommended for its €5 per 500ml beers during the "happy hours."
Trust me, you'll come to treasure places like these for the relatively inexpensive beers before 8 p.m. Relatively, since € 5 for 500ml - not even a pint - might still be considered steep by British or Continental European standards. They aren't in Paris. Places in the city centre will charge you € 8 to € 10 outside of any happy hours. It is that bad. Forget about squeezing tourists though - the locals have to pay the same amount. Of course, they might know other bars that you don't.
Anyway, Le Penderie is a street café/bistro not far from the Etienne Marcel Métro station. It attracts young folk mostly. Especially during the happy hours. There is an outside seating area that's cordoned off on rather than from the pavement. I guess they do have a license for that. During good weather I suggest you sit there. The inside is sleek and rustic, but in the summer ... . Sure, the outside is noisy, as a busy street is running directly past the Le Penderie premises.
The happy hour beer selection though is excellent - especially if you consider that many of the French, or rather Belgian ales, are pricey indeed when you drink them at home in England or Germany, or anywhere outside of Belgium. As such, the €5 for 500ml seem reasonable indeed. And they're good beers.
The service is French. Very French, indeed. You might starve to death just because the waitress thinks that she needs a 20 minute coffee or cigarette break. Happens all the time. Amusingly, the place is bustling with waiters, but the service is still slow. On the plus side, these are young people, and they aren't as snooty as those in some upmarket places.
I vaguely remember that I had a light late lunch there once, too. Must have been a cheese and ham board or something like that. I really don't recall - which may be a good or a bad thing. But what I do remember is I went there for drinks on three of the four days I spent in Paris in June of 2014 (you know, after having visited the Louvre or some other big-shot attraction). And THAT is definitely a good sign.
Go there for the beer happy hour(s). read more