Drinking Wine at Cafes

There is no rule regarding when to order wine.

Your question is surprising given that the primary function of cafes and bistros is precisely to offer drinks at any time of the day, including wine by the glass.

So asking if you can order wine in a bistro is like asking if you can order bread in a bakery

As for onion soup, it is mainly a dish for tourists offered in Parisian restaurants.

Cafés serve drinks all day long. If they serve food, it could be just a cold sandwich, or sometimes they serve some hot food, but a meal hours: 12-2 and 7-9 or maybe later. Big cafés serving tourists will serve something most of the day, such as a sandwich or an omlette.

Bistros are restaurants and will have fixed hours for hot food. They often have a terrace and could have a bar that could be open for drinks all day.

Onion soup is not on all menus.

Cafes is where you buy wine or beer, at any time of the day, as long as they're open. Sometimes they sell stuff resembling espresso, as well.

Order anything but an espresso or a cold drink you'll be in the minority. As a Parisian waiter once asked when I ordered a coffee and a sandwich "do you want your coffee as a drink?"

if you approach a cafe with tables outside and some are set for lunch then you are expected to not sit at those unless you are ordering lunch or dinner -- but empty tables are for drinks and whatever snacks you might get. Except at lunch time and dinner time, cafes are mostly used for drinks -- in an afternoon you will see people with cokes, coffees, wine, spitzes and cocktails.

As others have said, Bistros and Cafes originally were meant to be casual places where there really are no set rules. However, you may find formal restaurants using the terms and with different expectations (Just as Brasserie no longer exclusively means a brewery or place that serves beer).

Go partly by crowds and what others are doing, if a place is crowded and everyone has plates in front of them, then they might be reluctant to have you take up a space for a glass of wine. If between meals and people are just having a wine, beer, or drink, join in.

If I have doubts, I usually ask if it is OK to sit for a drink. Many times they indicate to sit, or to sit in a specific area, or even tell me no,

Thank you all. Apparently I did not make myself clear to all of you. I know you can order wine at all hours in a cafe or bistro but I meant are there times when you must order food with it so that you can take up a table? Got my answer-thank you!

If you are willing to sit outside, amongst the smokers, you will never run afoul of any "rules" RE only having drinks during traditional meal times.

I have found that if you want to sit inside at a table and have drinks during meal times, so long as you order some food (appetizers), you are welcome to take a table. At least it works that way at our favorite cafe, but we always buy food so it is never an issue for us.

Worst case, just ask.

One thing that I don’t think has been mentioned is, we were asked at nearly every cafe or bistro in Paris this past spring, if we were there for food or just drinks. They’d seat us accordingly.

Just observe the tables and customers already seated and have a minimum of common sense.

Some tables are set with cutlery, glasses and ready to receive guests to eat. You cannot sit there just to have a drink.

Customers are sitting everywhere and drinking coffee, sodas, or other drinks: you can do the same, generally without asking where you can sit. If the staff sees you at this moment you can make a sign by pointing to the place where you want to sit and taking the questioning attitude of someone asking permission.

In a traditional café that generally does not serve food apart from sandwiches and croque monsieurs, the best is to go to the bar counter (in French "Le comptoir" or "Le Zinc"). It's undeniably the best place to have a drink and to socialize with other customers.

If you just want drinks, at cafés you can generally seat yourself and order what you like, anywhere that is not set up for dining, i.e. tableware present, napkins, glasses. If a table top is clear, you may just order drinks. If you are not sure, ask staff before you sit.

Often, the only "wine" consumed at a café, other than when dining, is Champagne, maybe a kir. Otherwise, wine is traditionally consumed at mealtime.