My favorite thing to do when traveling is to visit local cafes. Sitting down for a cup of coffee can transition you from feeling like a tourist to living like a local. So of course I sipped coffee at a bunch of cafes in Paris! Some new. Some old. Some I absolutely loved, and some I would tell you to stay far, far away from. But to gain more of a perspective, I encourage you check out my previous post on "Not The Paris I Had Imagined" before you dive into the list below because it will help frame the scene and give you a more comprehensive sense of why I loved or loathed the Parisian cafes below!
Fragments
76 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris, France
I'll start with Fragments because you've likely seen pictures of this adorable, hip cafe popping up all over your Instagram feed. First and foremost, the coffee is expertly prepared and the staff is very helpful, so this cafe gets great marks there! ...and here comes the 'but'... While the coffee itself was delicious and the food looked gourmet, there was nothing special about the place. Aside from the beautiful old ceiling beams (which I'm sure are hundreds of years old!) it felt like every new, modern coffee shop I would visit in the States. It just doesn't feel French in the way a lot of Americans hop a Parisian cafe would (again, read "Not The Paris I Had Imagined" for more insight). The very friendly staff speaks perfect English (I think a few of the employees were actually American) and the food offerings—avocado toast, fancy oatmeal, and even chocolate chip cookies—all screamed modern American cafe as well. Delicious looking, yes, but something I could easily get in DC. So overall, I would definitely recommend Fragments for a really good cappuccino, but then I would walk a bit down the street for a classic French croissant (or two!) from Maison Landemaine at 28 Boulevard Beaumarchais to pair the visit with a bit more French vibe.
Cuppa Salon de Café
1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007 Paris, France
I hadn't read much about Cuppa prior to my trip and it definitely doesn't have a following as big as Fragments, but I would highly recommend it! First off, if you're planning to visit the Musée d'Orsay (which you absolutely should) this cafe is right around the corner. The exterior is beautiful and the iron facade actually predates the Musée d'Orsay itself. One thing I was often surprised by in Paris is that the owner of the coffee shop (and restaurants in many cases) is often the person serving you. It made the whole experience seem so much more personal, like this individual actually wanted to share a piece of you with them. The barista at Cuppa (who I am almost certain is the owner) was so sweet and helpful. She was ready to explain anything on the menu and didn't judge me when I ordered an iced latte (iced coffee drinks don't really exist in Europe, which still baffles me!) In additional to iced lattes, they also serve Vietnamese iced coffee. There seemed to be a view Vietnamese businesses in the area, so I'm wondering if that's why. The real kicker here though is the plates! When you arrive take a seat, order a pastry, and wait for it to be delivered to you on one of the cutest plates in the world. I talked to the owner about the plates for a bit and she told me she bought them from local artist Alix D. Reynis who has a shop at 14 Rue Commines near Le Marais. I visited it later in my visit but didn't end up purchasing anything because they were quite expensive.
Café de Flore
172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France
OK now time for my favorite, Café de Flore! Café de Flore is an institution, widely known as being one of the cafes that Hemingway and friends would visit back in the time of the Lost Generation. It's green tables and cafe chairs are simply iconic, and as I hint in my post on "Not The Paris I Had Imagined," I wasn't expecting to love a place like this nearly as much as I did. Often times when places become too famous they lose the charm that made them famous in the first place. That's why I was 100% expecting to love a place like Fragments and only put up with a place like Café de Flore to have the iconic experience. But boy was I off in my prediction. We had just spent the morning walking many miles and visiting a museum when after we decided to take a seat at Café de Flore and relax for a while. We were shoulder-to-shoulder with our neighbors at this iconic French cafe and it didn't bother me one bit! I even think it added to the character. I will say, to properly experience a place like Café de Flore it is crucially important not to make it a quick stop. If you sit down, order, eat, pay, leave... then it will absolutely become just a check-mark on your list. To experience it how it's truly meant to be, I would say it's a necessity to spend at least an hour or two sitting there, slowly drinking your café au lait, watching the people around you, and browsing a magazine or getting lost in thought. This is the Paris I was looking for. *Recommended order: café au lait et oefs coque (coffee with milk and two, soft-boiled eggs that come with a side of long, toasted bread slices to dip in the yolk and enjoy with a healthy spread of soft butter.
Boot Café
19 Rue du Pont aux Choux, 75003 Paris, France
Another coffee shop where the owner will be the one to serve you, Boot Café is recently famous for appearing on the cover of the book "The New Paris." Talk about a good facade... this cafe takes the cake! On the outside, it looks like a normal sized cafe, but once you step in you'll see it is the tiny tiniest cafe of all time. Shaped like a triangle, it houses a short coffee counter and two little tables to sit at, with some modern plastic stools outside as well. A perfect spot to grab an espresso (cash only) during an afternoon stroll in Le Marais, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Unlike Café de Flore, it's not a place I would find myself spending a leisurely afternoon, but rather a quick pick-me-up before headed back to the hotel to rest before dinner after a long day.
Peonies
81 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris, 75010 Paris, France
Ok. So we arrived at this one. This coffee shop was recommended by a friend, and I was very excited to try it. Marketed as half coffee shop half florist, I had high expectations. But I won't even try to sugarcoat this one, I hated absolutely everything about it, starting with the neighborhood. The street that the cafe is on is by far the worst street I walked down in Paris. Very seedy, and sadly full of children taught to grab onto you and beg for money. I had to throw them off me to get away and keep from being pickpocketed. It was honestly a terrible experience. We continued on to the cafe and when we got there I was very confused, as I was expecting something a bit flashier. It was as if someone was trying to make a hip, cool coffee shop (like Fragments!) but completely failed at it. I walked in, took a quick look around, and decided not to stay. There was nothing special or charming about the place and I really wanted to get out of that neighborhood anyway. (Sorry Dana! I know you love this shop, but we all have different opinions, which is why traveling is so much fun and always completely our own!) *I don't even have a photo of this one so I included some photos of the neighborhood
The Hoxton
30-32 Rue du Sentier, 75002 Paris, France
After leaving Peonies rather flustered and not feeling too great, we made our way to The Hoxton Hotel, another heavily-Instagramed Paris local—and for good reason, it's beautiful! It is a very hip, trendy hotel. I wasn't wearing my coolest outfit of the trip when I visited and I kind of felt out of place as everyone who walked through the lobby doors was très chic! When you enter, there is a beautiful covered courtyard with sun flowing in and a semi-spiraling staircase dominating the scene. In the courtyard is a coffee counter, so we made our way to the registered and tried to order, forgetting that when in Paris you sit and then order. So we took a seat and waited for our server. And we waited. And waited... after at least 10 minutes went by my husband went back up to the counter to try to order. The barista was almost embarrassed no one had come by to take our order yet so he came and did it himself. He was very nice. We each ordered a cappuccino and sat back in the plush velvet couches waiting for the drinks to arrive. We began to calm down after the terrible Peonies experience. When the drinks came there were little berry-filled madeleines on the side, as an apology for it taking so long to place our order. Apology accepted! I will take a madeleine any day! My cappuccino even had the cutest latte art I had ever seen, an elephant!
Merci
111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, France
So I knew Merci was a home goods store/cafe, but I clearly didn't know to what extent. Another all-over-Instagram spot, Merci has a hidden courtyard that actually leads into a Union Market-sized and -structured multi-retailer building. I would go here all the time if I lived in Paris, but I don't so I spent a couple minutes browsing and left through the attached cafe on my way out. I didn't get anything, but it is very cute and would be a great place to go to read a book in the afternoon or to sip a coffee or cocktail with a friend.
Honorable mentions I didn't have time to check out myself:
- Shakespeare & Company Café
- Passager
- Télescope Café
Also, having an espresso after a meal at any restaurant is so much fun! Enjoy!
Comments