Our Take on Le Bistrot de l'Ovalie
Le Bistrot de l'Ovalie takes its name from l'ovalie, the French word for the rugby world, and lives up to it from a corner room at 12 rue Antoine Bourdelle near Montparnasse. Paris je t'aime, the city's official tourism guide, lists it among the capital's reference sports bars for rugby broadcasts.
The programming is rugby first: Top 14 league weekends, European cups and the France internationals all get the screen and the sound. Football exists here, but nobody pretends it is the point.
The room wears its allegiance on the walls, with club memorabilia and a crowd that reads as players, former players and supporters rather than channel surfers. MisterGoodBeer includes it in its roundup of the city's top rugby bars.
Within Paris sports bars, this is the specialist's room. Come for a Six Nations France game and you watch with people who groan at a missed touch, not just a missed try.
What to Order
What Regulars Say
- Paris je t'aime lists it among the city's best sports bars, with rugby championships as its specialty.
- MisterGoodBeer counts it in the top rugby bars of Paris.
- Regulars treat France internationals as appointment viewing, so seats vanish an hour before kickoff.
Best Time to Visit
Top 14 Saturday evenings and any France international, arriving well before kickoff.
Who It Is For
Rugby loyalists, 15e locals, and anyone who wants the oval game without a football crowd.
The full Sports Bars in Paris roundup expands the picks across the city, our Paris Bar Guide covers every occasion, and our guide to watching the game in Paris ranks the match day rooms.
Sources: Paris je t'aime sports bar guide (2026-06); MisterGoodBeer; Yelp; the bistro's Facebook page.
