Last month, I spent three wonderful days in Paris with my family. Unlike on my solo trips, I didn't have a lot of time for coffee-shop-hopping all over the city (it was also really hot!) but I still visited seven great specialty coffee spots, mostly in the 6th arrondissement where we were staying.
Since my last trip in 2017, the Paris specialty coffee scene has continued to evolve and expand. I had a lot of catching up to do! A good example is Saint Germain des Prés, where third-wave coffee shops now sit alongside traditional cafes like Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore (we had a nightcap at the latter).
As I was limited on time, most of my coffee explorations were in and around Saint Germain. I was pleased to find several great cafes within 10 minutes' walk of my hotel, Hôtel Grand Cœur Latin. I also squeezed in a coffee stop near Champ de Mars and a detour to an award-winning cafe in the 2nd arrondissement.
Scroll to the end of this post for a map of the coffee shops I loved on both this trip and my previous Paris visits. As usual, my very favourites are marked with purple icons (and asterisks in the list below).
Paris Specialty Coffee Shops
L'Arbre à Café has been around since 2009 when its original coffee shop opened in Rue du Nil. It now has four sister locations around Paris, including the one at Carrefour de l'Odéon, a short walk from my hotel.
The small cafe is light and airy, with a brew bar taking centre stage. There are several small tables inside and a few seats out on the pavement.
The coffee menu features the standard espresso drinks, as well as hand-brewed filter coffees, featuring some of the extra-special single-origin coffees in their roasting line-up. Short on time, I opted for a cortado, which was nicely brewed with milk chocolate notes.
They sell a wide range of retail bags of coffee beans — the rarer and more unique (and more expensive!) varieties in 100g bags. I meant to go back to buy some Ethiopian coffee but I ran out of time at the end of my stay.
L'Arbre à Café is located at 15 Carrefour de l'Odéon in the 6th arrondissement (Métro: Odéon) and other locations. Website. Instagram.
I came across Bonjour Jacob while revisiting an old haunt across the road, the
Relais Christine. Once inside, I made my way past the fab magazine selectionto the counter. The décor is brutalist-chic, the sleek marble tables contrasting with the concrete walls.
Bonjour Jacob serves their own coffee under the
Canal Street Roaster brand. I had a 'Le Morning' cortado, a blend of Kenyan and Costa Rican coffees, with sweet caramel notes. There were also guest coffees from French roaster
Tribute and Swedish roaster
Swerl.
Bonjour Jacob is located at 30 Rue Dauphine in the 6th arrondissement (Métro: Odéon) and other locations. Instagram.
I'd planned to drop by Café d'Auteur for a takeaway coffee one morning but the beautiful, relaxing space and the impressive coffee menu persuaded me to drink in. I'm glad I did!
As well as various espresso flights, they serve a wide range of single-origin coffees, categorised as 'grands crus', 'exception', 'reserve' and 'signature'. They can all be served as a Chemex, V60, syphon or espresso drink.
Prices for a V60 range from €7 for the house coffee to €24 for a Gesha, Blue Mountain or Kopi Luwak coffee in the 'reserve' category. Retail bags of beans are also available.
I went for a natural El Huila Colombian coffee in the 'exception' category, which the friendly server recommended. I could smell the strawberry flavours before the coffee even my table and it tasted just as good.
Café d'Auteur means 'author's cafe', which is appropriate given that it's just around the corner from famous literary hangouts Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore. But if you're serious about top-quality coffee, you should go to Café d'Auteur rather than the cafes famous authors used to frequent!
Café d'Auteur is located at 39 Rue Mazarine in the 6th arrondissement (Métro: Odéon). Website. Instagram.
I came across Café Nuances while taking a nostalgic stroll along Rue du Vieux Colombier, where my friend (Monsieur E to long-term readers) used to live. To be fair, it would be hard to miss the bright orange shopfront on the corner of Rue de Sèvres!
The tiny cafe serves coffee to go, including the usual espresso-based drinks, cold brew, matcha and various specialty lattes. The mercury had hit 34C by this point and cold brew was the only way to stop myself from melting! Although a little pricey at €7, it tasted great with orange flavours and a smooth, well-balanced taste.
Café Nuances is located at 22 Rue du Vieux Colombier in the 6th arrondissement (Métro: Saint-Sulpice) and other locations. Website.
I first discovered Tanat at
Nano Coffee Lab in Mallorca last year and then at
Devotion back in London. I'm pretty sure I've tried their coffees under their former name of Kawa too. Either way, I loved the Colombian coffee I bought from Devotion so much that I was keen to go straight to the source!
Tanat's Rue Tiquetonne cafe is bright and airy with funky décor: brown tiling on the counter and pops of orange. I knew I wanted a pourover and, with advice from the friendly baristas, I chose a Guatemalan coffee from the four on the menu.
The Guatemala El Injerto was delicious, with blackcurrant and cardamom notes, especially as it cooled. I'd have liked to try the Colombian Mikava Gesha too, although it was a little pricier at €19 a cup.
It took me 10 minutes to choose some coffee beans from the huge shelf. I went for an anaerobic natural from the always excellent Colombian producer Nestor Lasso. Brewed in my V60, the juicy strawberry and raspberry flavours come through beautifully. My brother is enjoying his coffee too (another Colombian).
Tanat is located at 46 Rue Tiquetonne in the 2nd arrondissement (Métro: Etienne Marcel) and other locations. Website. Instagram.
Terres de Café has been on my to-visit list since my last trip in 2017 and it's expanded to more than 10 locations in Paris since then. I stopped by two of them during my trip.
The first was in Avenue de la Bourdonnais, near Champ de Mars, where we were picnicking after our
Eiffel Tower visit. The small cafe was bustling on a hot Friday lunchtime. There are a few tables inside and a few more outside but if it's a nice day, it's a lovely area to take your coffee for a walk!
I had a cortado, which was sweet and smooth, while my family members were happy with the cold brew (I also tried it at the Rue de Bourbon le Château branch, back in the 6th, and found it flavoursome and refreshing). Terres de Café is also a good place to stock up on single-origin beans: they have a huge selection!
My Paris Specialty Coffee Map
I have many other specialty coffee shops on my list that I didn't have time to visit on this trip, both within the 6th arrondissement and further afield. Hopefully, I'll be back soon to check some of them out.
I'm pleased to report that many of the wonderful coffee spots I visited during my trips to Paris in 2016 and 2017 are still going strong. They're listed in my updated Paris specialty coffee map; Coutume, KB Coffee Roasters, Télescope Café and Ten Belles are among my very favourites!
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