5 Great Coffee Shops in Paris, France.
I can't
believe Jessica
and I wrapped up our Parisian getaway almost a month ago! We've been able to do
and see so much and I'm very excited to share my recommendations with you. I'm
going to break things down into my favorite restaurants, places for
site-seeing, and coffee shops. Today I want to share all the best coffee shops
we've been to on this trip!
To
be quite honest, it took me a little bit to get used to the coffee in Paris. A
lot of places we went had black coffee, espresso, and coffee with milk. I
usually add cream and sugar at home so I had been ordering coffee with milk
(cafe au lait) and adding sugar but was only able to manage half a cup. It
reminded me of coffee with either almond milk or skim milk. Like, it was trying
really hard but just couldn't fool me.
It took
Jessica and I several days to find the closet thing to half and half/cream in
the grocery markets. Apparently most places in France don't carry
half-and-half, so we got what we hoped was cream. We read horror stories online
of people adding sour cream or liquid eggs to their coffee because all the
labels are in French. Luckily I have the Google translator app on my phone (SERIOUSLY
get this app if you're traveling because it is a huge help). We picked up
"Crème de Normandie Fleurette Entière" which is basically a heavier
cream so just a splash in our coffees has been doing the trick when we make
coffee in the morning with the Aeropress I packed. As far as our favorite spots
to go out for coffee, we've narrowed it down to our top 5.
We found a Starbucks our first weekend in Montmartre and got café lattes, but I'm not going to count this as a "good coffee shop" because it's a worldwide chain.
We found a Starbucks our first weekend in Montmartre and got café lattes, but I'm not going to count this as a "good coffee shop" because it's a worldwide chain.
The
first authentic French place we went was called Hardware Société, and
holy cow I cannot recommend this place enough! If you like fresh, yet fun
design you'll be in love. They have a Paris location, just across from Sacré
CÅ“ur, and another location in Melbourne, Australia. Both times we went (yes we
made a return visit) I ordered truffled roasted mushrooms with onions, fresh
greens, walnuts, and a 64 degree egg over toast. So stinkin' good! The first
visit I tried their iced latte and Jessica got cafe au lait (both great) and
the second visit we shared a pot of English Breakfast Tea and I bought a bag of
their espresso blend that we made for the remainder of our trip. Their coffee
is from Padre Coffee. I highly recommend!
The
next place that I recommend is Strada Cafe. I'm so glad that we stumbled
upon it because their cafe crème (espresso with cream) was to die for! The
staff there was also very friendly and helpful with all of our questions about
their coffee and the surrounding area. There is a college right down the road
behind Strada Cafe so a handful of students were there working on things which
gave it a very collegiate and young vibe. I really loved the set up too; lots
of natural light and furniture that provided a cozy and stylish atmosphere.
Next,
we visited the Shakespeare + Company Cafe. Not only was it a great
cafe, but it is a must-see for book lovers! There is a pretty spacious seating
area for a French cafe and then a bookshop PACKED with books from any genre you
can think of attached to it. The cafe has coffee, fresh pressed juices and
smoothies, and a variety of yummy treats (including vegan and gluten free
ones)! Jessica got a surprise book from the "Lucky Dip" box for only
6 euros which was pretty neat.
When
we were in Deauville, France (I know it's not Paris but this one needed to make
the list!) we stopped by a coffee shop/bakery that was too cute! The
employees hardly spoke English but I loved that about it because I felt more
submersed in French culture. I actually got to use my translation book when
ordering. This cafe's name was Yvonne and it was decorated with neon lit signs
and photos of old women laughing wearing flapper dresses and feather boas. It
really screamed "I am woman, hear me roar!" in the most sophisticated
way. I got a veggie quiche and a double espresso and Jessica got cafe au lait
and yogurt. We also got a croissant framboise to go. Delicious!
One
more stop was at La Galette des Moulins. I had read about this on both
Google and Yelp and it got great reviews. Jessica and I stumbled upon it on one
of our last days in Paris and each ordered Paris Brest (a coffee flavored
eclair) and espresso. We sat on the terrace while it began to ran and a street
musician played in the distance. I felt like I was in a movie!
While
everything mentioned above was great, the espresso and pastries and atmosphere,
I saved my favorite for last. Soul Kitchen is a must see! If you ever
find yourself in Montmartre, please go find Soul Kitchen and get an iced latte
and a cookie or even stop by for lunch. They also have a few vegetarian and
gluten free options. Simply reading the menu is enough to make your mouth water
and your tummy grumble. We visited twice during our stay and I wish it would
have been more! On my birthday I decided that I would like to have coffee and a
biscuit with butter and jam. Thank you for the loveliest start to a birthday,
Soul Kitchen!
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