Arbela, chef Juan Arbelaez's Basque tapas and wine bar

Good wine, good tapas, what better equation? That's the question Juan Arbelaez asked himself, and he's answered it with a new place on rue de l'Echiquier: Arbela - l'ardoise, in Basque.

And it's precisely on the blackboard that you'll discover the sweet and savoury offerings of this simple wine bar and dining cellar.

In the glasses, a hundred or so references ranging from the great estates to the more confidential houses, leaving plenty of room for discovery. With an improbable but oh-so-exciting idea: every day, a blind tasting of a glass of white, red or rosé wine. If you find the mystery wine (its name and the estate), you win a bottle of the aforementioned beverage!

On the plates, delicious products from the Basque country and the Iberian peninsula, which arrive in dribs and drabs or at the same time on the tables, at the whim of the guests, and which are shared without batting an eyelid between friends.

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So, we happily dig in: addictive croquetas with ham (11€), squid, potato and pickle salad(16€) - a little light on squid -, tomatoes with xipister (the famous Basque sauce; 10€), strawberries and purple basil; and to round off the savory side, a demonically generous slice of tortilla with chorizo (12€).

Fresh, seasonal produce, good keels, prepared recipes - not just assembly as you'd expect from a cellar diner, a pleasant team with good advice, and a carefully gilded crème catalane (13€) as a final touch... Like a little vacation in the 10th arrondissement, but not only.

Chef Juan Arbelaez is also opening a second Arbela in the 11th arrondissement, at 64 rue de Charonne!