First post ... I'll be traveling to London and Paris in a few months and I am wondering what the cigar culture is like in those two cities. Which city has more to offer? Any recommendations on cigar destinations while there?
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Better Cigar City - London or Paris
- Thread starter bigmac533
- Start date
JackImpact
Member
I can honestly say I didnt see anyone smoking cigars in Paris. Now, I may have been distracted by the girls, desserts and girls(in that order), but I honestly took no notice of anyone smoking cigars.
However, in London, and Birmingham, especially around older pubs that dont always follow no smoking rules, I saw quite a few enjoying a cigar or pipe.
Im going to have to go with London on this, bit partial to Queen and Country though
so I might be biased!
Enjoy the trip, take lots of pictures, never waste a second!
However, in London, and Birmingham, especially around older pubs that dont always follow no smoking rules, I saw quite a few enjoying a cigar or pipe.
Im going to have to go with London on this, bit partial to Queen and Country though
so I might be biased!Enjoy the trip, take lots of pictures, never waste a second!
I can honestly say I didnt see anyone smoking cigars in Paris. Now, I may have been distracted by the girls, desserts and girls(in that order), but I honestly took no notice of anyone smoking cigars.
However, in London, and Birmingham, especially around older pubs that dont always follow no smoking rules, I saw quite a few enjoying a cigar or pipe.
Im going to have to go with London on this, bit partial to Queen and Country though
Enjoy the trip, take lots of pictures, never waste a second!
Thanks for the quick reply. Any places in particular you could recommend in London?
jorel
New Member
I just got back from Paris - and have to concur about the smoking ban. Hard to believe from a few years ago - but their really is no smoking indoors any longer. That said - every cafe had heated outdoor patio - so I was able to smoke a cigar crammed in like sardines with others.
That said - some great, classic tobacconists live on (although no smoking allowed!) and the CDG airport duty free shop had amazing selection (although no singles - just full boxes or 3-5 packs).
Hope that helps.
John
That said - some great, classic tobacconists live on (although no smoking allowed!) and the CDG airport duty free shop had amazing selection (although no singles - just full boxes or 3-5 packs).
Hope that helps.
John
JackImpact
Member
I didnt get into cigars until after the last time I was in England. I had an interest and so I noticed the old guys smoking them. So I cant really recommend anywhere good. If you are going with friends, you should check out some older more...old school pubs. You might find youre not that welcome in some and others its just a jolly good time. Its hard to read.I can honestly say I didnt see anyone smoking cigars in Paris. Now, I may have been distracted by the girls, desserts and girls(in that order), but I honestly took no notice of anyone smoking cigars.
However, in London, and Birmingham, especially around older pubs that dont always follow no smoking rules, I saw quite a few enjoying a cigar or pipe.
Im going to have to go with London on this, bit partial to Queen and Country though
Enjoy the trip, take lots of pictures, never waste a second!
Thanks for the quick reply. Any places in particular you could recommend in London?
The Globe in West Birmingham was a nice place. Quiet, just your standard old school pub, no young people there or tourists. Thats in Birmingham though lol
Just thought I'd update this thread after returning from out trip. Maybe it will help someone else in the future.
In London we hit Harrod's which is stocked by JJ Fox. I went to the J.J. Fox store last time I was there (10 yrs ago) and it had a better selection and I would assume it might be a bit less expensive than Harrod's. That said, I got a small number of cigars for a hefty price tag. I would say prices are about 50% higher than you might see online. London isn't very friendly to smokers. You can sit outside at some pubs, but it was Feb.
Paris on the other hand had a plethora of options for purchasing cuban cigars. There are a ton of TABAC stores. We stayed near the Place de Vosges and I visited the TABAC de Vosges several times. Each time selecting 1 cigar to take with me to one of the cafes that had sidewalk seating. Prices were reasonable compared to what I see online for cuban cigars. Many of these cafes had partially enclosed seating (protecting from the wind) and heat lamps or butane heaters which warmed the outdoor areas. This provided a GREAT place to sit, have a cigar and a drink and people watch. It was warm enough to sit without a coat and relax. Even my wife enjoyed spending the evenings this way.
Overall, I love London and I think I would rather visit London again then Paris, however, the question I asked was which is a better cigar city ... I'd have to give it to Paris.
In London we hit Harrod's which is stocked by JJ Fox. I went to the J.J. Fox store last time I was there (10 yrs ago) and it had a better selection and I would assume it might be a bit less expensive than Harrod's. That said, I got a small number of cigars for a hefty price tag. I would say prices are about 50% higher than you might see online. London isn't very friendly to smokers. You can sit outside at some pubs, but it was Feb.
Paris on the other hand had a plethora of options for purchasing cuban cigars. There are a ton of TABAC stores. We stayed near the Place de Vosges and I visited the TABAC de Vosges several times. Each time selecting 1 cigar to take with me to one of the cafes that had sidewalk seating. Prices were reasonable compared to what I see online for cuban cigars. Many of these cafes had partially enclosed seating (protecting from the wind) and heat lamps or butane heaters which warmed the outdoor areas. This provided a GREAT place to sit, have a cigar and a drink and people watch. It was warm enough to sit without a coat and relax. Even my wife enjoyed spending the evenings this way.
Overall, I love London and I think I would rather visit London again then Paris, however, the question I asked was which is a better cigar city ... I'd have to give it to Paris.
JackImpact
Member
Glad to hear you had a good trip 
Backslide
RASCClicious
Great to hear man! I'll be in Paris in July :love:
But you are going for your honeymoon (saw your other post) so I'm sure you'll have way more fun :thumbs:
Have a great time. It's a really cool city.
mjolnir01
El Cañón de Latón
I can't believe I missed this thread... I was still living 70 miles north of London when it started...
London is still a great cigar city, but the UK's draconian smoking ban certainly hurts. A few places throughout the island started COSAs (comfortable outside smoking areas) but in the middle of the coldest winter in years, they can't compare to a nice warm pub with a good pint and a smoke.
JJ Fox will still allow "sampling" as I'm sure you figured out. It's a great shop to visit, especially if you check out the museum downstairs. As for the prices, it's the UK-- everything's expensive.
The family and I didn't make it to Paris in our time over there. It was on the list, but in the end we just ran out of time. Sounds like the family would have loved it; next time we're on that side of the pond, we'll go.
London is still a great cigar city, but the UK's draconian smoking ban certainly hurts. A few places throughout the island started COSAs (comfortable outside smoking areas) but in the middle of the coldest winter in years, they can't compare to a nice warm pub with a good pint and a smoke.
JJ Fox will still allow "sampling" as I'm sure you figured out. It's a great shop to visit, especially if you check out the museum downstairs. As for the prices, it's the UK-- everything's expensive.
The family and I didn't make it to Paris in our time over there. It was on the list, but in the end we just ran out of time. Sounds like the family would have loved it; next time we're on that side of the pond, we'll go.