Picture this: You’re wandering down the streets of Paris, you could have slept in but today you wanted to wake up early and explore the city just when it’s waking up itself. There are people scurrying quickly around you, in a hurry to get to work but you are in no rush. In fact, you have all the time in the world, so what do you do on your easy morning in Paris? Well, the answer is simple. You take a pleasant stroll and discover countless cafes enticing you in with the scents of freshly baked pastries and aromatic coffee beans. From one who’s been in this very position, the endless amount of options you have can be a bit daunting when you don’t speak French and you’re in a foreign land.
To help you with this, I’m counting down 5 of the best cafes in the City of Love that is sure to attract every type of traveler.
. Le Barboquin
This edgy café is located in one of Paris’s coolest neighbourhoods- Belleville, in the morning the quiet coffee nook is dotted with locals who come to peruse the wall of books for a cosy spot of reading while enjoying organic juices or strong black coffees. With a laidback 60’s vibe inside and a contemporary graffiti laden street outside, Le Barboquin is eccentric and inspirational for the countless artists and writers who lurk at this neighbourhood hangout. Holybelly
View this post on Instagram
Le Barbouquin, lieu culturel, artistique et gourmand 🧡#food#books#artistA post shared by Le Barbouquin (@le_barbouquin_officiel) on Jul 14, 2018 at 12:12pm PDT
View this post on Instagram
In love with the vibes at HB19 ❤️ And once you've got the vibes covered, you halfway there! 🙌 #Hb19 #ItsGoodBecauseWeCareA post shared by Holybelly (@holybellycafe) on Mar 29, 2019 at 3:46am PDT
Sometimes you must wait for the good things, and this café is one of them. Always bustling, this café is a blend of the owner’s time spent in Australia meaning that brunch is a celebratory affair that they have perfected. The café even has an English menu, so you’ll find visitors from around the world here, which comes highly recommended by all its past clientele. You can’t go wrong with any choice you make of their delectable menu items, however give the pancakes and hash brown a try and you won’t be disappointed!
3 Café Oberkampf
View this post on Instagram
Capturing le moment parfait @marissa.co 💙 📷 @nick_bentley : : : : : : #coffeeshop #coffeeshopvibes #breakfast #brunch #lunch #foodphotography #paris #igers #instafood #dailyfoodfeed #specialitycoffee #parislife #coffeelife #baristalife #breakfastallday #coffeeinparis #coffee #cafeA post shared by Coffee Shop & Cantine (@cafeoberkampf) on Aug 23, 2018 at 11:56pm PDT
If you’re on the look out for a small café that lures you in with visions of amazing coffee and both healthy and not so healthy food options, then this is the place for you. This tiny gem is a big hit with the younger crowd who line up for the iconic Lost in Cheeseland sandwich, a grilled cheese sandwich with a mouthwatering chill jam. The food here is reasonably priced and its close proximity to the center of Paris makes this café worth the visit.
Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole
View this post on Instagram
Tu fais quoi dans la vie? Je fais de mon mieux. « Cit » —- Coucou le monde, ça va? Come avete passato il weekend? Il mio è stato un weekend di completo relax, senza sveglie, senza orologio al polso e senza telefonino. Ho passato un weekend facendo cose semplici, leggendo, ascoltando musica, andando a fare la spesa al mercato, comprando nuovi fiori e come ogni domenica che si rispetti, facendo una bella maschera per il viso! Quali sono i vostri rituali per staccare la spina e rilassarmi? Bisous et très belle soirée 💋💖 —- Pic by @impastastorie —- #howtobeparisian #spring4igers #travellingthroughtheworld #cherryblossomtree #semplicecomeunsorriso #insiemeaprimavera #stesylife #topfrancebloggers #whpfavoritecolorA post shared by 〰️αηαςϯαςία〰️ (@st3sy) on Apr 14, 2019 at 12:17pm PDT
I’m going out on a limb here and saying that this café is the most Instagram worthy one on the list. Vibrant purple chairs spill out onto the pavement in the warmer months and lovely green wisteria provides a sort of security blanket around the façade of the café that makes it almost fairy-tale like. Just the shortest of walks from Notre Dame, this is a perfectly Parisian café that serves up homemade style dishes, and you may even be invited down into the cellar to choose your own wine.
Coutume CaféThis one is for all the coffee connoisseurs out there because the specialty at Coutume Café is marvelous coffee of every blend imaginable. The revolution of coffee in Paris has seen brewers like those at Coutume providing some of the best coffee you’ll find in the city. Inside, you’ll find an industrial space with a heavy Scandinavian influence, which makes the ambience feel light and inviting. Delicious sandwiches and soups sit alongside frothy cappuccinos on the menu that has been lovingly curated to offset the simplistic nature of this café that is a must visit for all.
View this post on Instagram
Un café por favor ☕️A post shared by Silvia (@secondswithyou) on Apr 16, 2018 at 11:30pm PDT
So, there it is! I’ve no doubt that whether you’re in Paris right now or you have plans to go someday, you’ll be spoilt for choice with what I consider to be some of the very best cafes in the city.
Do you agree with these choices? Is there a café that you think deserves to be on the list? Leave a comment below and tell me what your best Parisian café experience was like!
