Paris Coffee Shops: Discover the Best Cafes (2024)

Over the years, movies like Amelie and Midnight in Paris have romanticized Parisian cafes to the masses. These fictional cafes, ideal for intimate liaisons and people-watching, always seemed to have cozy wood-lined interiors and outdoor sidewalk spaces with street facing tables just millimeters apart.

In real life, iconic Paris cafes include Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots and Le Procope. Without doubt, these cafes provide the atmosphere that most travelers dream about when they dream about Parisian cafes. However the coffee served at these cafes is a different matter.

Fast forward to the present and the Paris coffee situation has changed. It’s as if a nuclear coffee bomb exploded in Paris.

A relatively late entrant to the third wave coffee movement, the city has caught up with cities like London and Amsterdam with a force and passion that could only happen in… Paris.

A few were so good that we visited multiple times to satisfy our never-ending coffee craving. Then, after a pandemic-induced hiatus, we returned to Paris in 2022 and yet again in 2023 and guzzled even more flat whites.

These are our favorite Paris coffee shops:

“Have you been to Substance Cafe yet?”

This question followed us as we crawled around Paris’ specialty coffee shops in early 2020. Though only open since the previous Bastille Day, this cafe earned an enviable reputation in a relatively short time due to owner Joachim Morceau’s intense coffee obsession.

It no understatement to call Morceau’s coffee love an obsession – he even refuses to serve his luxury-priced drinks with sugar or in takeaway cups. Drink options include double espressos, macchiatos, cappuccinos, flat whites and filtered coffee as well as rotating coffee specials.

Update
Not only does Substance Cafe now roast beans but the cafe is so popular that reservations are essential.

Morceau, whose contagiously entertaining vocal passion matches his exquisitely poofy brown hair, justifies his higher prices with the quality of his coffee. Leave it to the French to appreciate coffee like fine wine. Coffee authorities like Morceau are in the vanguard of this movement.

During our visit, we tried two different drinks, both made with Ethiopian beans from Hong Kong‘s Urban Coffee Roaster. Morceau used washed beans to brew the complex, shareable filter coffee. However, he used natural beans to craft an extraordinary flat white with subtle flavors of blueberry and cheesecake.

Though we’ve imbibed hundreds, if not thousands, of flat whites around the world, this is the first time that a barista insisted we stir our coffee before drinking it. We learned an important lesson in flavor and coffee imbibing. This drink was worth an extra stir.

Pro Tip
Not sure what to drink? Order Substance Café’s omakase and let Morceau curate a coffee menu based on your preferences and budget. Omakase pricing starts at 30€ which is subject to change at any time.

Substance Café is located at 30 Rue Dussoubs, 75002 Paris, France.

La Caféothèque gets credit for being the very first specialty coffee shop not just in Paris but in all of France. However, despite its pioneer status, this cafe is as relevant today as ever.

Gloria Montenegro opened Soluna Cafés (La Caféothèque’s original name) in 2005. Operating at its original location, the cafe has expanded over the years to include multiple rooms, space for roasting beans and its School of Coffeeology.

La Caféothèque roasts beans from around the world onsite. Guests can sneak a preview by gazing at drawers filled with beans from countries like Brazil, Guyana, Kenya and Thailand.

It’s an impressive display but no more impressive than the coffees crafted by the cafe’s friendly crew.

Since La Caféothèque doesn’t allow laptops, we were more than content to sip our flat whites while chatting and checking emails on our phones. Our only stress was selecting a table in La Caféothèque’s simultaneously cosy and sprawling space.

Though tempted by a room filled with comfy furniture and a piano, we ultimately chose the tropical room (pictured above). The sun streaming through the windows was impossible for us to resist as was the room’s colorful mural and hanging plants.

Pro Tip
Spend a morning learning the basics of ‘Coffeeology’ during a 2-hour coffee tasting workshop. You can get more details and book a workshop.

La Caféothèque is located at 52 Rue de l’Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris, France.

At fringe, vintage camera gear peacefully coexists next to a shiny La Marzocco espresso machine while Danish textiles share shelves with books like Lindsey Tramuta’s informative The New Paris. Located in the northern side of the Marais since 2016, this Paris coffee shop has an American owner, Scandinavian vibes and sweet aromas drifting through its air.

Fringe quickly became a happy place for us in Paris. Not only is owner Jeff Hargrove a professional photographer and third wave coffee aficionado, but he also bakes delightfully addictive cookies – thick robust, earthy, chocolatey cylinders of yum.

During our first visit, we drank a flat white brewed with Kenyan beans from Copenhagen’s Coffee Collective and filtered coffee brewed with Ethiopian beans sourced from Frukt in Turku. Both coffees were text book but the cookie stole the show.

Fun Fact
Cookies are having a moment in Paris. Beyond this cookie at fringe, we’ve also eaten great cookies at Echo, Jean Hwang Carrant and Mokonuts.

We later returned to fringe with our sister and niece in tow for an afternoon fika break and again the next day for energy-boosting cappuccinos. Proving that quality isn’t cheap, coffee prices skew a bit high at fringe compared to other Paris cafes.

Specialty coffee is relatively pricey all over Paris. In our experience, many of the better Paris coffee shops charge a little bit more.

Pro Tip
Not in the mood for a cookie? Order a chocolate espresso brownie or cardamom bun instead. Fringe bakes these decadent desserts and more on-site.

fringe is located at 106 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France.

Nicolas Clerc opened Télescope Café in the 1st arrondissem*nt with former partner David Flynn (see above) in 2012. All these years later, Clerc is a specialty coffee veteran in Paris and his intimate Paris cafe is as popular as ever.

Small and simple, Télescope Café was tourist-free at the time of our visit. Clerc greeted us with a quiet warmth before getting to the serious business of crafting our cappuccino and matcha latte.

Using beans sourced from Hasbean in Dublin, Clerc quickly prepared our cappuccino. The matcha latte was a more complicated endeavor that involved him grinding green leaves into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.

The end result was a liquid garden in a glass. Daryl exclaimed that he wanted to write a novel after just one sip. Alas, that didn’t happen. We proceeded to eat a mont-blanc at nearby Angelina instead.

Update: When we returned to Télescope Cafe in 2022, Clerc crafted our flat whites with Brazilian beans sourced from Belgium’s Caffènation Specialty Coffee Roasters.

Pro Tip
Take a coffee break at Télescope Café when you need a rest while touring top Paris attractions. This cafe is conveniently located near the Louvre and Pompidou.

Télescope Café is located at 5 Rue Villédo, 75001 Paris, France.

Café Loustic is a specialty coffee shop that doesn’t have flat whites on its menu. Instead, the cafe crafts ‘café crèmes’ for those who want two shots in their milky espresso drinks. We realized this omission after ordering a flat white during our visit and getting a friendly smackdown and a cappuccino instead.

But make no mistake. Loustic is a real-deal specialty coffee shop that’s both cosy and friendly. Shelves in the front of the stylish space are lined with scones, viennoiseries, banana bread, cookies and sandwiches. In the back, customers hunker down while juggling coffee in one hand and keyboards in the other.

Owner Channa Galhenage wouldn’t have it be any other way. After starting his coffee career at La Caféothèque (see above), Galhenage opened Café Loustic in February of 2013, selected Belgium’s Caffènation as his primary roaster and hasn’t looked back yet.

Located in the western side of the Marais, Café Loustic has a unique aesthetic that combines funky wallpaper, exposed brick and Spanish tiles. Somehow, the disparate elements come together in a way that works. The same can be said about the cafe’s menus.

Despite a coffee menu which features no fewer than seven latte options, non-coffee drinkers can choose from teas, juices, beer and wine. Food options are equally ample.

Pro Tip
Buy a t-shirt if you dig the ‘Mouthfeel Baby’ design on Café Loustic’s takeaway cups.

Café Loustic is located at 40 Rue Chapon, 75003 Paris, France.

Keeping to theme, hexagon-shaped mirrors decorate the walls of Hexagone Café. Though this decoration is fun, you’ll want to head to this left bank cafe foremost for the cafe’s excellent coffee.

Fun Fact
Hexagon is a popular nickname for France due to the European country’s six-sided shape.

Hexagone Café co-owner Stéphane Cataldi roasts the cafe’s beans in Brittany. Parisian baristas brew the award-winning beans in all of the typical varieties including espressos, noisettes, cappuccinos, lattes, frappés and filtered coffee.

Non-coffee drinkers (who are these people?) can drink tea, hot chocolate, orange juice or ginger ale at Hexagone Café. A range of sweet treats is also available for those (like us) with a sweet tooth or two.

Whether you choose a tart, cookie, scone or brownie is up to you. As for us, we’re all about the caramels.

Pro Tip
Don’t plan to work at Hexagone Café. Not only is this Paris café a wifi-free zone, but it also prohibits laptop usage on weekends. Note: Paris is a crowded city. You may have to work in your hotel room or apartment. Another option is to find a co-working space.

Hexagone Café is located at 121 Rue du Château, 75014 Paris, France.

With just eight colorful stools, Boot Café is probably the tiniest cafe in the Marais if not all of Paris. It’s also cosmopolitan with an American owner, Australian barista and beans from Norway.

Fun Fact
Boot Café is smaller than our Lisbon bathroom. Granted, our bathroom is freakishly large.

Don’t let this cute cafe’s miniature size deter you from entering the former shoe repair shop. Instead, grab a shoe horn to squeeze yourself in and belly up to the bar. Your reward will be a selection of seriously good specialty coffee drinks served with sweet treats and pleasant conversation

We felt surprisingly comfortable perched on top of yellow and green plastic stools while sipping cappuccinos crafted with Colombian beans from Oslo’s Fuglen Coffee Roasters. When it comes to Paris specialty coffee shops, apparently taste trumps size.

Pro Tip
Join the queue even if all of Boots Café’s colorful stools are occupied. The coffee tastes just as good in takeaway cups.

Boot Café is located at 19 Rue du Pont aux Choux, 75003 Paris, France.

8. Ten Belles

Open in Canal Saint-Martin since 2012, Ten Belles immediately achieved coffee credibility thanks to co-owner Thomas Lehoux’s award-winning barista skills. Two more locations have followed including a large bakery near the Bastille.

After seven years, Ten Belles started roasting green coffee beans in Bonneuil-sur-Marne in 2019. Baristas use these locally roasted beans to prepare espressos, cappuccinos, noisettes, cortados and filtered coffee.

Coffee isn’t the only thing on the menu at 10 Belles. Non-coffee drinkers can choose from a variety of caffeine-free drinks including hot chocolate and cold lemonade. Then there’s the food. | Images: ©2foodtrippers

The cafe’s bakery, Ten Belles Bread, produces sourdough bread, pastries and other food items for all three locations with a focus on seasonal, local and organic ingredients. Expect to find a varied breakfast and lunch menu plus tasty treats like lemon cake and donuts at Ten Belles. Just don’t expect wifi.

Pro Tip
Buy a Ten Belles ‘KeepCup’ if you plan to be a repeat visitor. You’ll save 20 cents on each future drink purchase.

The original Ten Belles is located at 10 Rue de la Grange aux Belles, 75010 Paris, France.

Holybelly serves some of the best pancakes we’ve eaten outside of America. Daryl is convinced the café stole the recipe from his former (now closed) favorite brunch spot in Philadelphia. But that’s not the only thing worth waiting in line for at Holybelly…

While Holybelly doesn’t roast its own beans, it sources coffee from quality roasters like Brulerie Belleville and Germany’s The Barn. During our visit, we drank excellent flat whites crafted with Ethiopian beans sourced from the iconic Berlin coffee roaster.

Pro Tip
Arrive early if you plan to eat at Holybelly. Not only is it one of the city’s best coffee shops, it’s also one of the most popular brunch spots in Paris.

Holybelly is located at 5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris, France.

We’d been wanting to visit Coutume since we enjoyed excellent coffee and cake at the Coutume cafe in Osaka. Sadly, that Japanese location has closed. However, Coutume is going strong in France with multiple Paris cafes and a roastery.

Antoine Nétien and Tom Clark opened the original Coutume cafe on Rue de Babylone in the 7th arrondissem*nt in 2011. Today, dedicated staff members provide table service while preparing specialty coffee using V60, Chemex and Aeropress extractors as well as a Synesso Syncra espresso machine.

Coutume offers a coffee menu with a range of drinks including espressos, double espressos, cappuccinos, batch brew coffee, filter coffee, lattes, cortados, flat whites, cold brew and a coffee flight. Priced at 9.50€ at the time of our visit, the flight features a single origin coffee prepared three different ways – espresso, cappuccino and filter.

Food options include desserts like Japanese cheesecake and financiers as well as a selection of savory items. We opted for two of the latter – Blanquette de Veau and Salted Pancakes. Next time we’ll try to save room for dessert.

Pro Tip
Splurge on a bag of freshly roasted Pink Bourbon – El Chaferote beans from Colombia if your budget can handle a 30€ hit. Otherwise, buy a less expensive bag of Coutume beans sourced from farmers in Burundi, Colombia, Congo, Indonesia or Mexico instead.

Coutume Café has multiple locations. We visited the original cafe located at 47 Rue de Babylone, 75007 Paris, France.

COMETS Café & disques combines two of our favorite things – coffee and music. And, while the combination isn’t entirely unique,we’d probably hang out at this cafe if we lived in Paris. But why?

First and most important, COMETS is an independent coffee shop that sources quality beans from the likes of Amsterdam’s Dak Coffee Roasters and Berlin’s Fjord Coffee Roasters. Our flat whites, crafted with chocolatey Brazilian beans from Fjord, were darker than we prefer but not overroasted.

However, it was the vibe at COMETS Café & disques that spoke loudest to us. We dug the laptop-free communal table next to the bar, though we’d likely sit with our computers at smaller tables if we were regulars. Considering the cafe’s eclectic album selection, we might even linger over a second cup of coffee.

Pro Tip
Combine your coffee with lunch if you arrive after noon. Options include soup, sandwiches and quiche. And, yes, real men in France eat quiche.

COMETS Café & disques is located at 38 Rue Léon Frot, 75011 Paris, France.

For computer techies, i/o is the input/output communication between a computer and another party. In Paris, i/o has a second connotation – specialty coffee.

Open in the 3rd arrondissem*nt since January of 2020, i/o cafe serves flat whites in artisan mugs and tea in carafes. The mugs were so pretty that we almost bought two but abstained due to each mug’s 30€ price tag. Don’t judge – we spent a lot of money on food and drinks in Paris instead.

We drank flat whites brewed with Denmark’s La Cabra beans from i/o’s one-page menu during our pre-pandemic visit. The menu also featured espressos, double espressos, black coffee, cortados, cappuccinos and filtered coffee as well as Kodama teas, hot chocolate, chai lattes, matcha lattes, orange juice and lemonade.

Pro Tip
This cafe doesn’t have a bathroom. Consider yourself warned.

i/o café is located at 16 Rue Dupetit-Thouars, 75003 Paris, France.

Matamata doesn’t sound like a French word. It’s not. It’s actually the picturesque New Zealand home town of one of Matamata Coffee Bar’s original owners. And, since it’s also a catchy word, we don’t blame the cafe’s new owners from keeping it. Plus, a name change would be confusing for a clientele that dates back to 2014 when the bi-level cafe opened in Paris’ 2nd arrondissem*nt.

Now that we’ve got the name cleared up – let’s talk about Matamata’s coffee. It’s solid.

The cafe was serving locally roasted beans, which they roast themselves, sourced from Rwanda and Colombia. Our flat whites, crafted with Rwandan beans, had pleasant, fruity flavors and a good mouth feel. They would have paired well with one of Matamata’s chocolate chip cookies if only we hadn’t just eaten brunch. Next time!

Pro Tip
Grab a seat if you see one when you arrive – the compact cafe has limited seating.

Matamata Coffee Bar is located at 58 Rue d’Argout, 75002 Paris, France.

Despite Lomi’s senior roasting status dating back to 2010, owners Paul Arnephy and Aleaume Paturle continue to source beans from around the world. They roast many of them at their Paris cafe in the rarely touristed 18th arrondissem*nt.

Fun Fact
Owner Paul Arnephy achieved Meilleur Ouvrier de France – Torréfacteur (MOF – Roaster) status in 2018.

Open since 2012, Lomi’s cafe serves as a neighborhood hub and tasting room. Its signature espresso blend, J’a Deux Amours, blends two of their “best loved” beans.

Located away from the tourist trail, the cafe is a worthy destination for the truly coffee obsessed who want to chill with a local crowd. Some in the crowd arrive with laptops in tow and other with strollers, but they all have one thing in mind – drinking freshly roasted specialty coffee.

During our visit, we tried Lomi’s espresso blend in a flat white as well as a filtered coffee brewed with Ethiopian beans. While they weren’t our favorite Paris coffees, we’re still glad we made the short walk to Lomi. We’re also glad we have European phone service since the cafe doesn’t offer complimentary WiFi.

Pro Tip
Lomi is just a 17-minute walk from Gare du Nord in case you want to grab a coffee or buy a bag of beans before you hit the road.

Lomi is located at 3 ter Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris, France.

Although we don’t normally drink oat milk in our coffee, we were willing to give the popular dairy replacement a try at Brouillon Coffee Paris, a vegan cafe located just a few blocks from Gare l’Est. Our verdict was a big thumbs up. It didn’t hurt that the our flat whites were crafted with Brazilian beans locally roasted by fève.

Brouillon’s use of féve beans reflects the shops commitment to both specialty coffee and sustainability. Fève sustainably sources green beans from countries like Brazil, Ethiopia and Rwanda and uses recyclable packaging. Plus, the roaster’s Paris location minimizes shipping distance which, in turn, minimizes Brouillon’s carbon foot print.

Fun Fact
Fève translates to bean in French.

Open since October of 2021, Brouillon is relatively young on the Paris coffee scene. And, while this cafe stands out from the pack since it’s vegan, don’t discount its friendly environment. The same goes for its beverage program that includes mocktails and tea in addition to coffee.

Pro Tip
Order a signature tahini and fleur de sel cookie if you’re feeling hungry.

Brouillon Coffee Paris is located at 42 Boulevard de Magenta, 75010 Paris, France.

Originally called Kooka Boora (named after an Australian bird) when it opened in 2010, this Parisian coffee operation has since shortened its name to KB, opened a second cafe called Back in Black and started roasting its own beans.

The original KB Coffee Cafeshop is still located in a Pigalle corner building with floor-to-ceiling windows and a sprawling terrace. More importantly, the cafe’s baristas continue to serve serious coffee in a friendly environment.

Drink choices included cappuccinos and lattes as well as hot chocolate and tea during our late spring visit. A young crowd filled the tony cafe and spilled onto the sidewalk terrace, many looking at laptops and smart phones as they gulped down their cups of liquid elixir.

We were happy to join the crowd. After finding two seats at the cafe’s long indoor table, we savored every sip of our creamy cappuccinos as we planned the rest of our day in Paris.

Pro Tip
Stop by KB Coffee Cafeshop before you visit Montmartre. You’ll appreciate the caffeine jolt as you climb the steep hill toward Sacre Coeur.

KB Coffee Roasters is located at 53 Avenue Trudaine, 75009 Paris, France.

We often choose apartments based on their proximity to specialty coffee cafes, which is how we ended up spending a week in Paris’ Oberkampf neighborhood. We rightfully suspected that we’d love the neighborhood based on nearby cafes like Café Méricourt.

More than a simple coffee shop, Cafe Méricourt’s doubles as a popular brunch spot. While it’s food menu is impressive, its coffee menu is equally auspicious with all of the usual drinks plus extras like Golden Latte and Dirty Chai drinks.

Pro Tip
Grab a coffee to go if you can’t get a table at this popular spot.

Café Méricourt is located at 22 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011 Paris, France.

Open since 2016, Passager’s decor can best be described as ‘shabby chic’ with old-school furniture and fading floor tiles. Light streams through large windows. The decor and light aren’t likely coincidental since one of Passager’s owners, Fanny B, is a fashion blogger with an eye for the visual.

We couldn’t resist Passager based on its name which translates to passenger or voyager. After all, we’re passengers every time we travel to Paris. Plus, its 11th arrondissem*nt location, just blocks from our hotel, made our visit virtually inevitable.

It was also inevitable that we’d order flat whites once we realized that Passager was sourcing coffee beans from Five Elephants – one of our favorite Amsterdam roasters.

We enjoyed those flat whites, we’ll likely return to Passager for brunch since the cafe had multiple ‘laptop free zone’ signs posted at the time of our visit. Since we rarely use our laptops when we eat pancakes, you get our drift.

Pro Tip
Check out Passager’s pastry counter when you order your coffee. It was filled with tempting cookies and croissants at the time of our morning visit.

Passager is located at 107 Avenue Ledru Rollin, 75011 Paris, France.

We visited République of Coffee for two reasons – the cafe’s central location and its fun coffee menu. Remembering the charcoal latte we had enjoyed in Lyon, we couldn’t resist ordering the same drink upon entering the striking Paris cafe.

Made with vegetal charcoal, vanilla syrup and milk, this charcoal latte was sweet. Very sweet. Too sweet. Sadly, the drink didn’t live up to our memories.

However, we recommend République of Coffee for its prime location just steps from Place de la République. You’ll eventually need a break when you’re touring Paris and this is a convenient spot to rest your weary feet.

Pro Tip
Don’t pull out your laptop during the weekend or during lunchtime during the week. That being said, there’s no rule against surfing on your phone.

République of Coffee is located at 2 Boulevard Saint-Martin, 75010 Paris, France.

But wait, there’s more! Consider the following Paris cafes when you crave a flat white or cappuccino in the City of Light:

Frequently Asked Questions

Paris Planning Checklist

Thirsty for More Coffee in Europe?