You’d do well to find a street in Paris that isn’t home to a café, but if it’s real decent quality coffee you’re looking for, that certainly ISN’T down every alley. Coffee and croissants have always been a classic Parisian way of life, however the city’s speciality coffee scene has only boomed in recent years. Now the coffee snobs amongst you can sit back and relax while we take you on a tour around Paris’ most renowned cafés that local connoisseurs would rather we didn’t reveal (but we’re doing it anyway)…
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TEN BELLES
10 Rue de la Grange aux Belles, 75010 Paris
For a centrally located coffee that’s off the tourist track and tastes phenomenal, Ten Belles has a coffee with your name on it. Nestled by the picturesque Canal Saint Martin, this particular cafe is a hipster hub with a cool, trendy atmosphere, a good range of sweet and savoury food options and, most importantly, seriously good coffee. The flat white drinkers will be in a state of caffeine-induced ecstasy, but the classic French press is a winner, too.
CUILLIER
19 Rue Yvonne le Tac, 68 Rue de Grenelle, 85 Rue de Montmartre and 16 Rue Dupetit-Thouars
Cuillier is on the higher end of Paris’ cafes so cups of coffee don’t come cheap, but the splash of cash is well worth it if you know your coffee and you’re looking for the good stuff. There are a couple of branches of Cuillier around the city, each of them cool and quaint with a chilled out vibe, more often visited by locals than tourists. The filter coffee here is some of the city’s best, so swing by if you’re after a good-quality caffeine fix to keep you going while you’re scoping out the best of Paris’ sites (plus the latte art game here is strong).
LA CAFÉOTHEQUE
52 Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville
From the outside it isn’t much, but once the smell of coffee beans freshly roasting inside hits you, you’ll have already stepped in and ordered without a second thought. La Cafeotheque stocks and roasts coffee from 31 different countries, meaning whatever your taste is, you’ll probably be in luck. The interior is rustic, so while you’re sat in a cosy living room chair, musing over a book from the shelf with an incredible cup of coffee and croissant in hand, you’ll be made to feel right at home.
BOOT CAFÉ
19 Rue du Pont aux Choux
Easily missed on a little side street near Saint-Sébastien - Froissart metro, with its vintage and unassuming storefront posing as a ‘cordonnerie’ or shoemaker, this lovely French cafe is one of Paris’ best. Step inside and you’ll notice that there are only two small tables, the barista and that’s it! If you’re lucky enough, sit inside to enjoy your delicious cup of coffee made fresh only from locally sourced beans, along with cool, coffee shop vibe music. Boot Cafe is one of Paris’ tiny gems that’s definitely worth taking the detour to find.
KB CAFÉSHOP
53 Avenue Trudaine
KB started roasting their own coffee beans a few years ago and from then flew to the top of the list as one of Paris’ ultimate places to pop into for a quality caffeine fix. The high ceilings and spacious outdoor seating area is inviting in itself, but the taste of their speciality cuppa is something else. Not sure what to order? Ask the barista on hand - they don’t just know how to make a banging coffee but their product knowledge is pretty spot on, too.
CAFÉ OBERKAMPF
3 Rue Neuve Popincourt
Known and loved amongst Paris’ self-proclaimed coffee-connoisseurs, Cafe Oberkampf is a top spot to go for your daily cup of hot, bitter goodness. The coffee here is rotated daily, made using beans from French roasters - try the piccolo latte or their daily filter coffee. But it’s not just the coffee that’s noteworthy, this is one of the best places in the city for a seriously delicious brunch. Think avocado toast, shakshuka and loaded pancakes - every brunch-lover’s heaven.
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