Where to Find a Good Cup of Coffee in Paris
Because of all the changes in the Paris coffee scene, I’ve been updating this post regularly as a good number of places have opened in the last few years in Paris, that focus on well-crafted, artisan coffees. It’s been a wonderful revolution taking place, as many people – some French, others from Australia and the United States, have been conscientiously been upgrading the quality of the coffee available in Paris.
A number of coffee-lovers, myself included, were disappointed in the coffee served in Paris. In The Sweet Life in Paris, I noted a number of reasons why the coffee tastes the way it does, from using inferior coffee beans to laxadaiscal attitudes toward preparing it. However a lot has changed and while the corner cafés are still stuck brewing and extracting that unfortunate brew they’ve been serving since time began, a number of places have opened up and expanded the coffee offerings in Paris. Here are some addresses. Visit their websites for opening hours.
Below you’ll find a list of places where you can get well-prepared coffee in Paris:
Café Oberkampf
3, rue Neuve Popincourt (11th)
Le Peloton
7, rue du Pont Louis Philippe (4th)
L’Arbre à Café
10, rue de Nil (10th)
Café Lomi
9, rue de Saussure (17th)
Bob’s Bake Shop
Halle Pajol, 12 Esplanade Nathalie Sarraute (18th)
Télescope
5, rue Villedo (1st)
Café Pinson
6, rue du Forez (3rd)
Le-Bal
6, Impasse de La Defénse (18th)
Coutume Café
47, rue Babylon (7th) – and other addresses
Ten Belles
10, rue de la Grange aux Belles (10th)
Le Rocketship
13, bis rue Henri Monnier (9th)
Café Craft
24, rue des Vinaigriers (10th)
The Broken Arm
12, rue Perrée (3rd)
La Fontaine de Belleville
31-33, rue Juliette Dodu (19th)
Holybelly
19, rue Lucien Sampaix (10th)
Lockwood
73, rue d’Aboukir (2nd)
Fondation Café
16, rue Dupetit-Thouars (3rd)
Fragments
76, rue des Tournelles (3rd)
And more….
Café Malongo
50, rue Saint-André des Arts (6th)
RER: St. Michel
Café Malongo is one of the better brands of store-bought coffee available in France. In their café near place St. Michel, you can drink a decent cup of coffee, but specify exactly how you want it since they often extract coffee “French-style” (ie: watery) The have a kiosk in the Monoprix, near the gare Montparnasse, but the coffee is disappointing.
Comme à Lisbonne
37, rue du Roi de Sicile (4th)
Métro: Hôtel de Ville or St. Paul
Portuguese coffee made with care. Be sure to try one of the delicious pastéis de nata tartlets with your excellent cup. (More at Comme à Lisbon)
La Caféothèque
52, rue de l’Hôtel de Ville (4th)
Métro: St. Paul or Hôtel de Ville
This shop is dedicated to roasting their own coffee, and aside from their café, offers courses in coffee-tasting and appreciation. The coffee is adequate, but they get points for making the effort to extract a proper café express. (More at La Caféotheque de Paris.)
Pozzetto
39, rue de Roi de Sicile (4th)
Métro: St. Paul
Pozzetto is one of my favorite gelato shops in Paris, and one of the few serving the real thing. Ditto for the coffee, which is a true Italian espresso.
Cafés Verlet
256, rue Saint-Honoré (1st)
One of the classic Paris coffeehouses with Parisian-style coffee, although connoisseurs from elsewhere might be disappointed, and it’s not at the top of my list. (But locals seem to like it.)
KB CaféShop
62, rue des Martyrs (9th)
Métro: Saint-Georges or Anvers
This Australian import is one of the latest places to bring good coffee to Paris. There is outdoor seating. (More at Kooka Boora.)
Nespresso
Various locations (click on link for addresses)
Nespresso has its fans and while I’m not as enamored of it as others, the pre-determined machines and capsules ensure the coffee is extracted to their standardized specifications. There are shop and cafés at various places in Paris, including on the Champs-Elysées.
Related Entries and Links
Belleville Brûlerie and Holybelly
Good Coffee in Paris (Paris Coffee Blog)
10 Insanely Delicious Things You Shouldn’t Miss in Paris
Aussie Coffee for Paris (Financial Times)
Paris Favorites: Eating, Drinking & Shopping
How not to drink black tar in Paris (ChezPim)
Two Delicious Dining Guides to Paris
Making Perfect Espresso at Illy
Espresso granita affogato (Recipe)
Coffee and Espresso Makers For the Home
10 Things I Just Learned About Coffee
New wave hits Paris (The Age)
Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake (Recipe)
Bad Coffee in Paris? (Lonely Planet)