coffee beans
coffee beans
Coffee beans. Photo courtesy of Iryna1 via Shutterstock.

City of lights, city of art, city of literature, city of love. Paris has been called all these things, and for good reason. But city of coffee? Well, itā€™s complicated.

Certainly, coffee culture is very much alive in the city. There are cafƩs in Paris on practically every street corner, each with its own cluster of Parisians shotting espresso at the bar or lounging about on the terrace, people watching over a cafƩ long. There is something ritualistic about the drinking of coffee in Paris.

But sadly, more often than not, that coffee is gritty, burnt or bitter.

Yet over the past few years, a new wave of coffee roasters and cafƩs has been cropping up in Paris. With a focus on high-quality beans, artisanal brewing practises and design-oriented, welcoming surrounds, these spaces are taking Parisian cafƩ culture and infusing it with their own ritual: the making and serving of simple, good coffee.

Coutume Cafe
Photo courtesy of Coutume Cafe

Coutume

When a Melbourne-trained Parisian and a Paris-based Melbournian get together, the result is beautiful Franco-Australian hybrid, Le Coutume cafƩ. One of the first Paris cafƩs to kick off the good coffee trend, Coutume makes one of the best lattes in the city. They also roast their beans onsite, in the same room as the modern industrial-style cafƩ, so it often smells scrumptious.

the broken arm
Photo courtesy of The Broken Arm

The Broken Arm

Donā€™t let the oddly violent name or the cutting-edge boutique on the same site frighten you away: The Broken Arm is one of the loveliest spots to lounge over coffee in Paris. Revel in the mid-century dĆ©cor and be sure to snap up a piece of their incomparable blueberry cheesecake.

Le Sept Cinq
Photo courtesy of Le Sept Cinq

Le Sept Cinq

This one might be considered cheating, as Le Sept Cinq is technically a concept store rather than a cafĆ©. But past the Paris-made accessories, delicate handcrafted jewellery and quirky stationery collection, youā€™ll find a smattering of rickety little wooden tables and plush armchairs. Sink into a velvet chaise longue with an espresso in hand, and you wonā€™t blame me for sending you to a jewellery boutique for your afternoon coffee.

cafe craft
Photo courtesy of Cafe Craft

CafƩ Craft

Sparkling new and located just off the Canal Saint Martin, CAFƉ CRAFT on draws a steady stream of Parisians to its modern, black and white lounge, but not just because of its rich, smooth coffee. In response to the woes of many creative Parisians, whose freelance status leaves them with nowhere to work away from the distractions of home, CafĆ© Craft is an espace coworking, a shared work space, fitted out with wide tables, high-speed Wi-Fi and plenty of chargers, where for the price of a cappuccino, you can tap away on your laptop to your heartā€™s content.

kb cafe shop
Photo courtesy of KB Cafe Shop

KB Cafe Shop

Down one of the cityā€™s finest specialty food streets, nestled in between the artisanal cheese, pastry, wine and fruit shops, lies coffee gem K.B. Their fresh juices are a highlight (think green apple, pineapple and ginger), but their creamy coffee sets them apart from the many typical brasseries in the area. If itā€™s a fine day, sit out on the spacious terrace and soak in the view of SacrĆ© Coeur looming over the Paris rooftops.

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Jessica Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of Epicure & Culture as well as Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you donā€™t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and volunteering in Ghana.

Jessica Festa

Jessica Festa is the editor of Epicure & Culture as well as Jessie on a Journey. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and having experiences you donā€™t read about in guidebooks. Some of her favorite travel experiences have been teaching English in Thailand, trekking her way through South America, backpacking Europe solo, road tripping through Australia, agritouring through Tuscany, and volunteering in Ghana.

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