Paris

[Pantomimehorse]

Ok just been told today I'm off to Paris this weekend, does anyone have any suggestions of good cigar places to go? or even somewhere to get a nice bit of grub?

ta

[nicwing]

Hey Horse you lucky chap, I have this one on my books, looks rather tasty and fairly central.

http://www.paris-paris-paris.com/paris_directory/shops/a_la_civette_paris

You may want to read (the English) comments on the store further down and keep your eyes open.

There are two others mentioned here:

http://www.cigarsmokers.com/nevermerely/regional/paris1.html

Let us know about them.

[Luis]

The biggest cigar shops in downtown Paris are probably :

- Le drugstore (the only one open sunday and every evening until 10 or 11pm) It's in Le Publicis building on the top Champs Elysees, you will find a bunch of shops in the same compound, including a restaurant and a movie theater)

- La Civette ,place du Palais Royal

_ Le Lotus , place de la Madeleine

The consensus at least on the forum I post ( webomac.com) is the cigars are over humidified in all those shops, so don't hesitate letting your cigs 24hours or so in the open air before smoking them

But you'd better google the names for the exact adresses . There are some internet links with all the smoking lounges in Paris- which one of us should look up, but here is probably the favourite among french cigar forums :

http://www.cubanacafe.com/

Have a good time in paris !

[Luis]

Regarding Nic's links, please note that La Casa del Habano in Paris has been closed for some time.

[Pantomimehorse]

thanks for the info men, can I ask what is it like price wise over there? will I get some bargins or is it rip off central?

[Luis]

The government dictates the prices so every tobacotionnist will have same _ hence whereas in Le drugstore everything is fairly expensive beeing a fancy place in one of the trendiest areas in Paris, your cigars will cost the same as if you buy them from an upcountry tobacco shop - with plenty more choice including the new Cohiba Gran Reserva, which sell around 850Euros per box. Cheaper than UK by all means.

Sorry don't know the prices in the bars , like in Cubana Cafe, but actually not even sure they are allowed to sell cigars.

Note as well that restaurants and bars are now non smokers except if they have special smoking lounges which waiters are not allowed to enter but many bars have an heated outdoor area where people smoke even during winter time - although next week end is supposed to be literally freezing in Paris.

[nicwing]

Horse, update from some Facebook chooms:

Where can we smoke a cigar in Paris?
2 places:
Cubana Caf?
47 rue Vavin
75006 Paris
They have a smoking area and you can also buy some cigars there. To access the smoking area you must pay .. very cheap, about 2 euros

or

Tous les jours de l'ann?e

de 8h ? 2h du matin
Restaurants, tabac, kiosque, ?picerie, librairie, pharmacie

de 11h ? 23h30
Cave ? vin, Cave ? cigares, Espace beaut?

Acc?s

publicisdrugstore
133 avenue des Champs-Elys?es
75008 Paris
T?l : 33(0)1 44 43 79 00
M?tro : Charles de Gaulle-Etoile, Georges V
Contact@publicisdrugstore.com

http://www.publicisdrugstore.com/Website/site/fra_caveacigares_caveacigares.htm

Got enough yet?

wait, there is more:
One last thing... if your friend doesn't speak a word of french, he should go to the Drugstore.. but the Drugstore only sales cuban cigars.. if he want non-cuban, then the 2 other palces should be fine. In Art tabac, there is a small smoking room too.. very nice and cosy (even though a little cold during winter time)

Art Tabac
2 place de Catalogne
75014 PARIS
Metro Gait? (line 13)

[Pantomimehorse]

Nic / Luis thanks for the info that seems enough to keep me busy, never been to France before (except when passing through on the eurostar) so should be fun

[nicwing]

Hey Horse
One of the guys on the walk Facebook group page has just posted this:

http://www.cigarweekly.com/magazine/cigarticles/01-07-2008/smoking-in-the-city-of-lights

Isn't that a stonking picture!

I was worried when I heard about the Eurostar but I gather those nice French and Belgian drivers are going to fill in for the bolshy striking Brit wasters so you should get Le Stogies mon brave!

[Pantomimehorse]

oh very nice Nic will have to check out that place, yeah I was a bit worried when I heard about the Eurostar last night, but they reckon it will be fine.

Hope once Im back I can update the forum wiki with some decent info

[Stevieboy]

Hi Chris - when I was in Paris a few years back, the prices were certainly less than here in the UK.

[Pantomimehorse]

thanks for the info Steve, think I will just try and pick up a few of the RE's while out there then, I see there was a Juan Lopez RE would love to get some of them!

[Stevieboy]

thanks for the info Steve, think I will just try and pick up a few of the RE's while out there then, I see there was a Juan Lopez RE would love to get some of them!

If you get anything whilst there you'd be best to get the REs...the French apparantly don't allow internet cigar sales so the REs are pretty desirable. There's also a RA belicoso available...same as the UK version but a bit cheaper

[barrytb]

Hi all,

I'm travelling through Paris on Monday. I was planning to call in at La Civette, but they're closed for stocktaking. Instead, I'm aiming to visit Boutique 22 and Caves A Cigares.
I've compiled a bit of a list (based on all your suggestions in 'cigars of the year') of new sticks I'd like to try - I'll let you know what I find.

Barry

[barrytb]

Well, I got back from Paris despite the snow.
Went to Boutique 22 (Ave Victor Hugo). Managed to pick up about half of what I was looking for.
Got some Epicure 2's, some D4's, some RyJ Dukes and a couple of Siglo VI's. Was a bit surprised at what they didn't have - no RyJ churchills, no Cohiba Maduro's, no JL2's, no Esplendido's no Trini Robustos (T's or Extras).

Quite a small walk in humidor, but not too over humidified. The guy in the store was very helpful and spoke great English, but they're stock was pretty low. He said he's stopped stocking the Cohiba Maduros due to wrapper problems. I don't know if this is a common problem, or whether he was just making excuses.

Prices were definitely lower than UK, but seemed higher than my last visit - partly due to higher French tobacco duty, part due to the exchange rate. Overall, not a bad store but a bit limited for choice. A La Civette definitely has better stock.

I also tried to go to Cave A Cigares on Blvd Haussmann - but couldn't find it. I asked at a nearby hotel and a luxury goods store, but neither knew where it was. I don't know if it's shut down. The guy in the goods store told me the bottom has dropped out of the French cigar market since they introduced the smoking ban.