Where to Find the Best Specialty Coffee in Paris

In terms of the process for putting together this guide, I do tons of research on coffee shops before my trips involving big Excel spreadsheets and priority rankings so that I make sure to hit the places I’m most excited about.

However, it’s also worth noting that most of my best finds come from asking baristas in my favorite shops for their recommendations, which almost always helps me uncover a new place or two to add to my list. 

I’d highly recommend you do that yourself if you’re interested in finding the cool new spots serving up the best coffee in Paris. 

In terms of ordering the list below, it’s roughly in my order of preference BUT you should know that I think there are basically two tiers – the first three (Substance, Kawa, Motors), in my opinion, are a cut above the rest. 

Within the second tier, you’re going to get a great cup of coffee no matter which place you choose, it mostly depends on the experience you’re looking for and your location. 

It’s worth reiterating that all of these places are going to make you an excellent cup of coffee (along with plenty of other places in Paris, I’m guessing!). 

Now, it’s very important to note that the list below reflects one person’s opinion, and that my experience at a coffee shop might differ from yours based on the time at which I visited, the barista on duty, or the specific drink you order.

For example, I visited one of the shops below on a Wednesday morning at opening and a Saturday morning at 10am, and it was a VASTLY different experience. 

I generally do my best to visit at times that are less busy so that I can have those personal interactions with the barista that make the difference between an okay experience and an amazing one. 

In my other coffee guides, I have talked about my take on the three different types of coffee shops you’ll find in cities around the world. They are: 

• Coffee Roasters: Pretty self explanatory – these are the places that roast their own beans in house, usually with a variety of origins and roasting styles (e.g. Colombia vs. Ethiopia, filter vs. espresso roast).
  
  
• Coffee Monogamists: These are the coffee shops that are in an exclusive relationship with a single roaster. They don’t roast the beans in-house, but get them from an outside roaster. Usually a local roaster, but not always.
  
  
• Multi-roasters: These are my personal favorite type of coffee shop because they offer a wider, more diverse range of coffees to try in one place. They curate the best coffees that they can find from roasters around the city, region, and world, and brew them in their own shop. In general – and this is a big generalization – I’ve found that my best coffee experiences are at this type of shop. 

That’s how I’ll be talking about the shops below. 

Consider this guide to be a starting point for where to find the best coffee shops in Paris from the perspective of someone who really, really likes coffee, and loves to nerd out on specifics like the origin of the beans, the brew method, the ratio used for espresso (something I’ve been getting into at home over the course of the past year or so), and more.

A quick note on my coffee preferences, because it definitely matters: I’m all about the lightly roasted, fruity, floral, and bright coffees. Both as filter, and also as espresso. I’m an avid home brewer, making several cups of coffee a day either as pour over or as espresso. Some might call my tastes “fancy” or “snobby” (that’s Alysha’s word). But over the last few years, I’ve figured out what I like, and that’s what I’m always looking for when I’m out trying new coffee shops. 

Substance Cafe (Roaster, 2nd Arr.)

If you read the old version of this guide that was based on my experiences seeking out specialty coffee a few years ago, you’d notice that the first half or so of that guide was essentially a love letter to Joachim (pronounced “Joe-ah-keem”). 

Spoiler alert: this version isn’t all that different. 

Joachim is the owner, barista, roaster, dish washer, and performer at Substance Cafe, which I have now been to four times over the past few years, and is a place that will always be among the first things I put into my itinerary when I return in the future. 

It’s the first place I mention to fellow coffee nerds when they ask about coffee shops around the world that are a must-visit. 

The first thing you need to know about Substance is that it is not your typical coffee shop that is pumping out lattes as fast as humanly possible. If that “typical” coffee shop is akin to something like a Chipotle, Substance is more like a Michelin Star restaurant (in fact, he uses the word “omakase” to describe the approach). 

There is no takeaway, no sugar to add to your coffee, no laptops, no food (and no outside food). The focus is all on the coffee. 

The second thing you need to know is that, due to popularity and the nature of the experience, they moved to a reservation-only system recently (reservations open 7 days in advance and you can make them on their website). 

Joachim is the only barista that works here, which means it’s all him, all the time. Seven hours a day, five days a week (“I have to sleep sometime” he said when talking about being closed on the weekends). 

He’s very particular, opinionated, and outspoken, especially when it comes to coffee and the broader industry (he was a competitor in the World Barista Championships years ago before he decided that he’d rather share that same experience with everyday people rather than just three judges once a year, which led him to opening this shop).

On my last visit, we were chatting about how he views what he does, and he compared it to performance art, full of emotion. 

Which comes through in the way he presents his menus, prepares his coffee for you, and interacts with you to work out what you like so that he can make the best coffee for your particular preferences. 

When you show up, he’ll give you the whole spiel about his two menus himself, but I wanted to make sure to note that he has a special menu (the “grand crus” if you will) that features some of the best green coffee from around the world (like all of the high-priced geshas from Panama) and roasts them super light so they’re bright and expressive when he brews them for you. 

He is also willing to nerd out (ask him about his water recipes and how he arrived at them), give you recommendations on brewing at home, talk about coffee shops around Paris or the world, or talk about anything, really. 

If you or any of your travel companions are into coffee (which, if you’ve made it this far into this guide, you must be), I can’t recommend making a reservation at Substance highly enough. 

Kawa (Roaster, Multiple Locations)

I remember my first time encountering Kawa on my trip to Paris a few years ago. The distinctive orange bags with colorful designs are burned into my brain as synonymous with good coffee. 

Fast forward a few years and they are easily the French roaster that I see the most often in the United States (I recently saw them here in Portland for the first time), mostly at multi roaster cafes with a focus on European roasters. 

Even with the increase in distribution (and corresponding increase in volume, I assume), their coffee is still roasted very light – especially by American standards. 

They are also in the trio of coffee shops that I think you probably shouldn’t miss while you’re in Paris if you’re into specialty coffee. 

They have two cafes in Paris now. The original location is near the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the north end of Le Marais, while the newer location is closer to the river in the 1st (a somewhat more convenient location for tourists). 

I’ve been to both, and both are a good option with relatively limited seating (this isn’t a place to bring your laptop and work) with an incredible collection of their coffees for sale. 

The menu for both is roughly the same. You have several (usually four) coffee options available as espresso, and several (again, usually four) available as filter. Each category features a more approachable coffee (from both a taste and price perspective) and a couple of more exotic, exciting (in my opinion) options. 

I brought my friend Spencer (hey Spencer!) here on our trip to Paris a few years ago, and the espresso we had blew his mind. 

Because they roast pretty light, they have to pull their shots with more water to increase the extraction, so you should expect a shot that is not as deep and syrupy in texture, but is far more expressive in terms of flavor. 

On my last trip, I had a natural process coffee from Gesha Village in Ethiopia – a very fancy coffee – as espresso, and it was an explosion of purple flowers and fruits in my mouth. It was in the top 3 of espresso shots I’ve ever had. EVER. 

I also had a couple of different filter coffees over a couple of visits to each of their cafes.

I had a natural Sudan Rume, which was one of the most unique coffees I’ve had on this London and Paris trip, and an anaerobic natural gesha from Panama (the Abu #11) that was intense and fruit-forward, and is probably a coffee I’d like one cup of, but not a whole bag of beans. 

Overall, Kawa deserves a spot in the trio of top-tier coffee spots in Paris, and they have an extensive selection of beans for sale, ranging from funky co-ferments to highly sought after geshas, and coffee equipment for sale. 

Motors Coffee (Multi-roaster, 1st Arr.)

This is the single place that I was sad to miss on my previous two trips to Paris because I have seen them featured so often on social media and through my favorite coffee industry people (Lance Hendrick, mostly). 

They’re a multi-roaster cafe, which means they bring in roasters from all over the world, and I first became aware of Motors when my favorite US roaster, Sey, posted about them.

When I was there, the roasters they had included Datura (a new Parisian roaster that multiple baristas in Paris were excited about), Friedhats, Sey, and Onyx. 

So, for my first cup of coffee in Paris on a dreary November morning, I was here right when they opened, hoping for a great start to my Parisian coffee explorations and a pleasant chat with the baristas (I know that they get busy later in the day). 

They’re on a corner in the 1st arrondissement (right on the border with Le Marais), and have very limited seating inside and a nice little outdoor terrace (which was full when I walked by around 2pm a few days later). 

The menu here is fairly standard in terms of specialty coffee shops in Europe. Essentially, it is split into two parts: the base menu, with your normal espresso-based drinks (your flat whites and Americanos), and the special menu, with fancy coffees available as filter or espresso.

I asked the barista if she had any favorite coffees (in rusty French – it was my first day speaking French on the trip and it hadn’t quite returned to my brain yet), which is always my first move. 

After a brief back and forth we switched to English and I ordered a coffee from Gesha Village in Ethiopia roasted by Datura, a new Parisian roaster that focuses on fancy coffees (which multiple baristas mentioned as a fun newcomer to the scene), prepared as filter.

I watched the barista – who I later learned was the owner, Thomas, who is a veteran of Brewer’s Cup competitions in France (you can see his accolades on the wall behind the bar) – prepare the beans and brewer (a plastic Origami). 

One thing I found really interesting is that they re-mineralize the coffee post-brewing by adding a few drops of mineral blends (from Apax Lab, in this case, though I like Lotus at home in the US). 

If you’re not so into coffee that you know what I mean by “re-mineralize,” which has to be 99% of the world, here’s a brief overview. 

Basically, water matters a lot when it comes to brewing coffee, and super hard water (like they have in Paris or London) is bad for brewing nice coffee. So, to control that variable, most specialty coffee shops will do some fancy chemistry to make their own water. 

Usually, this happens BEFORE you use the water to make coffee, but here they’re brewing first, then adding minerals later, which I’ve never seen before. 

The rabbit hole goes much, much deeper than that, but that’s enough to help you see why I thought this was interesting and notable as someone deep in the coffee water rabbit hole. 

Anyway, they brew with the plastic Origami and 13-14g of coffee and 200g of water with four equal pours. The coffee was great – intense, juicy, and fruit-forward – and I almost bought a bag of it to bring home (but ended up with Substance’s version instead). 

On my return visit, I was on the hunt for a beautiful shot of espresso, and they had Sebastian Ramirez’ gesha on special espresso (roasted by Onyx). 

It’s a coffee that I had multiple times in London, and the version here did not disappoint in the slightest. It was incredibly sweet and borderline tropical (think high acidity tropical fruits like pineapple or passionfruit). 

For the nerds, they pulled it at 16g in and 48g out, so it was very light bodied as espresso goes, but super clear and fruity.

It was interesting to me that they have a completely different setup on the far end of the bar for the special espresso (ostensibly because they have the main machine dialed in for a more traditional shot). 

They rotate through coffees constantly, but you can always expect a few different espresso options (some pulled more traditional, some pulled in a more modern way) and a bunch of fancy filter options. 

Side note: I was sitting next to the stairs that lead down to the bakery on site, and their pastries smelled incredible (though full of gluten, ostensibly, so none for me!). Particularly the cinnamon pastry they were baking.

Clove Coffee (Multi-roaster, 18th Arr.)

A place I first heard about from Joachim at Substance, Clove Coffee is tucked away on a quiet street in Montmartre, a few blocks away from Sacré Cœur. 

They’re a coffee curator (or a multi-roaster, depending on your vernacular) and they bring in coffees from roasters all over Europe. 

I first visited Clove a few years ago and was blown away by the hospitality that they showed me, and the coffee itself (or it wouldn’t be on this list!). On my latest trip to Paris, I was ecstatic because I was staying in Montmartre, which meant that this would be my local coffee shop for my morning coffee!

Sadly, they were in Japan and the shop was closed for the entire time I was in Paris. Oh well, next time! 

On that first trip, I showed up right at opening – which is far later in Paris and the rest of Europe than I’m used to here at home – and was greeted by the two owners, Ella and Florent, who were in the middle of calibrating the speakers in the shop (which was a funny thing to watch, if I’m being honest).

They’re a friendly, warm duo, and that vibe very much carries through to all four walls of their shop. 

At the time (fall 2022), they were relatively new to the Paris coffee scene, but the two of them have put together a nice operation. 

I ordered a filter coffee and an espresso made with the same coffee – a natural Ethiopian coffee roasted by DAK out of the Netherlands – and I ended up walking out of the shop with a bag, which can only be described as a blueberry bomb. 

As I was sitting at the window, admiring the high ceilings, exposed brick, and the plethora of natural light that the cafe gets, Florent brought over my coffee and, because I was the only one in the shop at the time, we got to chat a little bit about coffee, Paris, Seattle and Portland, and more. 

I tried to stay speaking French as much as possible, and he was patient and willing to switch to English when I didn’t understand or couldn’t communicate my thoughts, which I appreciated! 

They also had coffees from Picky Chemist, a micro roaster in Belgium, that looked very interesting. 

When Ella brought over the shot of espresso a little bit later, I remarked on how beautiful the ceramics were, and she thanked me and said that she makes them all herself, which I thought was a lovely touch!

At some point during your Paris itinerary, you’re likely going to find yourself in Montmartre (or, at least, you SHOULD because it’s a lovely place to explore).

When you do, stop into Clove for friendly service and an excellent cup of coffee.  

Les Terres De Café (Roaster, Multiple Locations)

I had read about Les Terres de Café a few times before my latest trip, though I had never actually been to their cafes before this latest trip, when I visited multiple locations over the course of my 10 days in town. 

My first experience was at their location in the 2nd Arrondissement (they have many locations around Paris now, plus two in South Korea, but the original is in Le Marais).

I was the only one in the shop and thus was able to have a nice conversation with the barista who told me about his aspirations to be a barista champion as he prepared (and, crucially, tasted) my coffee before serving it to me. 

Stepping back, they’re a roaster that has been around for a bit now, and I later learned that my coffee crush from Substance, Joachim, actually used to be their head barista before opening his own spot (the world of specialty coffee in Paris seems to be a relatively small group).

After a couple of visits to their other locations, their basic menu is a rotating single origin espresso (used for their basic espresso menu, including milk drinks), along with 1-2 rotating special (they call them “grand cru”) coffees that are more expensive and exclusive. 

Then, they have filter coffee, with a couple of options to choose from (baristas were more than happy to describe the coffees and help me find the right option for my particular hopes and dreams). 

One thing that stood out across all of my visits here is the fact that their baristas are all extremely well versed in the coffees, and their preparation methods. 

Each shop has a slightly different menu and way of operating, giving the managers a little bit of independence in how they prepare filter coffee and which coffees to highlight at the moment. 

On that first visit, I had a lovely washed Ethiopian coffee that was delicate, floral, and sweet as it cooled. 

The barista did two things that made me optimistic about the coffee; he tasted it himself before serving it, and he told me to wait two minutes to drink it so that it will be more aromatic (spoiler: it was good). 

He also explained his brew parameters (13g of coffee in, 200g of coffee out, four pours) to me (in French!) as he worked, which I always appreciate. 

A day later, I was walking near the Louvre in the first Arrondissement when I stumbled upon their second cafe in Saint Honoré (mostly by accident). 

I stopped in for an espresso this time, and once again the baristas were helpful, walking me through the espresso menu and sharing some of their favorite coffees that they were selling at the moment. Great floor tile at this location!

On my last visit, I stopped by the original location (per the barista at the location in the 2nd) in Le Marais, and I was there for a very specific purpose: I wanted to try one of their uber-fancy coffees (called “Légendes”). 

I walked into a shop that was fairly quiet, though there were definitely a few people enjoying their morning coffee and a book. 

I ordered a washed gesha from Panama (from legendary producer Jamison Savage) and, after a bit of confusion (I’m guessing they don’t get too many people ordering those coffees), they found the beans and recipe, and off we went! 

I was able to chat with the barista as she prepared my coffee (thanks for putting up with my French!) and I was surprised that they used a Hario Switch for this particular coffee (as opposed to a V60, which is what they usually use).

She explained her bloom + two pour technique, tasted the coffee, and then served it to me. 

The Switch, which I occasionally use at home, brings a roundness to the cups it makes that you don’t get from a V60 alone, and this brew was delicious, sweet, and floral, and the show only got better as it cooled. 

All of the baristas I interacted with were able to (and happy to) give me recommendations on beans to buy based on my preferences and chat about their coffee (though I was never around for a rush, which might be different). 

Overall, in my opinion, they’re not quite at the same level as the power trio I’ve covered above, but the fact that they have many locations around Paris make it an excellent choice. 

Fringe Coffee (Multi-roaster, 3rd Arr.)

Fringe is a coffee shop that I have now been to three separate times, and I’m still not quite sure where it belongs on this list (though I am sure that it belongs on the list!).

It’s in the Marais, on a relatively quiet street a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the Marché des Enfants Rouges

The reason is that it is, at least to me, the least nerdy and coffee-obsessed place on this list (though that’s not to say they don’t take coffee seriously, because they obviously do). 

It’s always buzzing with people eating brunch and sipping lattes, and the baristas are extremely busy churning out drinks, so I’ve never been able to have a conversation with them (despite my efforts). 

However, I have been consistently impressed with the coffee here, and they bring in some fun coffee roasters from across Europe that you won’t find elsewhere in Paris, which is why they’re here.

On my last trip, the roaster they were working with was Sumo from Ireland (I’ve also seen Friedhats and Frukt, among others). 

The owner of Fringe is a photographer by trade, and you’ll find all sorts of fun photography books and mementos – not to mention prints and other forms of artwork – all over the space.

I really loved the light fixtures they had, which seemed like paper mache flowers (there’s a picture of them below). 

Like most of the places on this list, they have a two-tiered coffee menu. The first tier is their usual espresso based drinks, the second is the fancy menu with more premium coffees prepared either as filter or espresso. 

In this case, the fancy menu included a Peruvian gesha and a sidra from Ecuador (both roasted by Sumo), and I decided on the gesha.

It took a bit (they were busy and the baristas were working hard to keep up), but the coffee came out great – juicy, bright, and floral – and was served in a very nice set of glassware (which I’m a sucker for). 

Overall, I love the coffee – and the fact that they work with some unique roasters that you won’t see elsewhere in Paris – and the vibe, and I wish I had been able to chat with the barista to see how they were preparing the coffees. 

Télescope (Multi-roaster, 1st Arr.)

Télescope is one of the OG specialty coffee shops in Paris – an oasis of light, bright coffees in a city where that was exceedingly rare a decade ago – and its location on a relatively quiet alley a short walk from the hustle and bustle of the Louvre only accentuates the “oasis” idea. 

The coffee menu is fairly straightforward here, and very similar to the rest of the places on this list in terms of structure. You’ve got your basic espresso-based drinks, and then a menu of coffees available for handbrew, which is done with an Aeropress here. 

The owner, Nicholas, is likely to be behind the bar, and the entire place is an ode to his passion for coffee and baking (he makes all of the food – cakes, cookies, pastries – himself).

If you know me, you know I love a one man show (that’s what this website is after all, mostly), and this place is right up my alley. 

In terms of coffee, he has a distinct focus on Scandinavian coffees (he had Coffee Collective and Koppi when I was there last). 

I have been to Télescope multiple times at this point – making a priority to stop here every time I’m in Paris – and it was my first visit back in 2021 that changed my life (in a small, specific way). 

Prior to that trip, I had an Aeropress, but I rarely used it to make special coffee, instead relegating it to a camping brewer that I would use in a pinch. 

Now, before that trip, I didn’t view the Aeropress as a way to bring out the more delicate notes in a coffee, and I say that MOSTLY because I used one when I’m traveling, and had basically no idea how to use it.

So the coffees that came out of it when I’m using it were strictly average, I would say.

However, this coffee was like drinking a pineapple. Or maybe a mango? Something fruity and acidic, but not the classic “berry” fruity that I usually associate with a natural process coffee. 

There was something both sweet and acidic about the coffee that Nicolas handed me, and I was giddy with excitement (I tried to go back to buy the beans the next day, but found out halfway there that they were closed for the weekend. Next time!). 

However, after having a lightly roasted coffee here that was bright and expressive on that first trip, the Aeropress became a staple of my rotation of coffee brewers, and I now use it when traveling (for nicer coffees than I used to). 

In the past, the filter coffee menu was very unstructured (you basically had to ask what they had available that day), but this last time I showed up and they had a nice structured printout with the list and prices. 

I came here twice on that latest trip. The first time, I had a natural Ethiopian coffee as espresso, and listened to Nicholas chatting away with the two regulars sitting next to me, doing my best to understand their fast-paced French. 

As I was leaving, I told him that I would return for filter coffee (ironically, using the wrong word for return). And a few days later, I kept my word, strolling in and greeting Nicholas (who was again behind the bar) and taking a seat. 

Similar to the previous visit, he was chatting animatedly with locals who were sitting at the tables across from the bar. 

I had the same coffee that I had at Motors a few days earlier, the Gesha Village from Ethiopia roasted by Parisian roaster Datura (on his recommendation), which was great (the color purple came to mind – purple fruits and purple flowers). 

One other thing to note here: It’s a very small space, and they have strict rules about laptops (no laptops), where you should sit, and about how many drinks you need to order (one per person) to maximize the amount of people they can serve. Also, they prefer cash under €5, and will add an upcharge for cards under that limit. 

Back in Black & KB Coffee Roasters (Roaster, Multiple Locations)

For this section, I’m combining two separate – but related – places under one heading.

The first is Back in Black, a coffee shop in the 11th arr. right off of Place de la Bastille, and the second is KB Coffee Roasters, a cafe in the 9th with an excellent terrace (perfect for people watching!). 

The basic difference, at least to me, is that Back in Black is the place to go for the more coffee-forward approach (it’s their flagship cafe, with the roasting happening in the back), and KB is the place to go for the great terrace and the vibes. 

They both use the same coffee, and the main difference is the approach in presentation, with Back in Black having a stronger coffee program (for example, no hand brews on the weekend at the location in the 9th) and a more industrial-chic vibe, while the location in the 9th has more warm wood tones and a cozy vibe. 

I’ve been to the cafe in the 9th multiple times at this point, and I stopped by on this trip for a little espresso pick-me-up before a walking tour on a cool, gray afternoon.

It was busy, and this is one of the few laptop-friendly (not on weekends, though) coffee shops on this list. 

This was, however, my first time at Back in Black, and I was excited to see what kind of fun coffees they had on offer. 

As you walk in, you can see straight to the back of the building, where you’ll see a big roaster – this is where all the roasting happens – and between you and the roasting operation, there’s a long white bar with an espresso machine and multiple different grinders. 

After a quick back and forth, I settled on the El Diviso Thermal Shock chiroso (they also had the sidra from the same farm as batch brew).

It was a highly processed coffee, and was intense, fruity, and I probably wouldn’t want a whole bag of it, but it was worth trying a cup. 

I/O Café (La Cabra, 3rd Arr.)

i/o Cafe is in Paris’ 3rd Arrondissement near the Place de la République, and it was just a few blocks away from the apartment we used as a home base for Paris on a recent trip. 

This is another of the cafes in Paris that exclusively serve La Cabra (along with Caractère above), and they have a list of “Grand Cru” coffees available for pour over (and one fancy espresso) for the nerds, though it is almost always busy and the space is tiny, so I’m not sure how they make that work. 

I almost walked by it without noticing it because it’s such a small space, with barely enough room for the coffee equipment, baristas, and the small pastry selection to fit inside. 

My favorite filter coffee from a recent trip came from them. It was an anaerobic natural Colombian coffee roasted by Danish roaster La Cabra, and it was beautiful.

On this latest trip, I had a Bourbon Aji from Colombia, and it was like tart raspberry juice (which I think is a good thing). 

Side note, all of these amazing coffees from northern Europe are making me think I need to make a trip up there at some point. 

I was telling him about our plans to visit Italy – specifically Sicily – and he remarked that I probably wasn’t going to get good coffee there in Italy. 

I pointed out that different doesn’t necessarily mean bad, and that I would have said the same about the coffee scene in Paris seven years ago, and look where we are now!

Anyway, great coffee here at i/o. You should go. 

Cafe Caractère (La Cabra, 11th Arr.)

This small cafe in the 11th arrondissement, a few blocks northeast of Place de la Bastille, is one of a couple places in Paris where you can find famous Scandinavian roaster La Cabra.

And on this visit, I learned why: one of the owners here (and of i/o) has some sort of exclusivity deal for serving La Cabra in Paris. 

I’ve only been here once at this point, and it was right around opening so things were still very much a work in progress on the “ready to make pour over” front.

I was the only one there for the time being, so I had a chance to chat with the barista (who didn’t speak French and who actually worked at a La Cabra cafe – ostensibly in Denmark – before moving to Paris).

The menu here is fairly similar to most other places on this list – you have their basic coffees, including batch brew and all of your usual espresso drinks, and then you have their “grand crus” – the special coffees available as pour over using a V60.

I had a choice of three coffees – one less “grand” than the other two, and I went with “Potosí” – a funktastic natural process coffee from Colombia – that I DEFINITELY wouldn’t want a full bag of (it’s not my type).

It was served in sort of a beaker that felt very science-y, which I thought was a fun touch.

There’s not a whole lot of seating inside (maybe 6-8 tables for two), so this probably isn’t the place to come to set up and get some work done.

Kott Café (Multi-roaster, 11th Arr.)

This place was a complete accident. I was in a little bit of a rush to get to a tour, and I was at my favorite gluten free bakery in Paris, Chambelland, in Oberkampf to pick up some baked goods. 

Backpack full of bread, I stepped out into the dreary November drizzle and the coffee shop across the street caught my eye because I had heard about it from a barista early in my trip, but it had slipped my mind until right at that moment. 

What a pleasant surprise this place was! 

I was the only person there for most of my stay, and I was able to have a nice conversation with the lone barista about the coffee scene in Paris, switching between French and English as needed (it was the last day of my ten day trip, so my French was as good as it gets). 

They have a BUNCH of different roasters, including People Possession – a French roaster known for more funky coffees that I am familiar with but hadn’t seen yet. 

The other special thing I noticed is the fact that they have a freezer selection of beans (which I didn’t notice until after I ordered) with fancy beans that they’ve accumulated. 

You can also order basically any coffee that they have available for purchase, which is pretty cool (again, I didn’t realize this until after I ordered and the barista was working on it). 

I had a washed Ethiopian coffee roasted by Hexagone, a Parisian roaster down south of the river, and it was light and bright, cooling into a sweet, expressive cup with a distinct stone fruit note. 

If I were to return, I would absolutely go for their fun freezer selection and get a special cup of coffee that I wouldn’t be able to find elsewhere. 

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