Top 10+ Cafés and Coffee Shops in Paris

Use your 5 senses, and think of Paris.

Sight? La Tour Eiffel from up close as you gaze at it while having a picnic at Champ de Mars.

Touch? The paper wrapping up the baguette underneath your arm.

Hear? “Euuuuhs” and “ah bah oui” amongst sirens and honking cars.

Taste? Sumptuous macarons, the delectable tang of a crisp Roquefort, and a nice red wine.

Smell? Coffee!
* Cigarette smoke is essentially part of the natural air in Paris, so it doesn’t count for “smell”.

While that was written all in good fun, café culture is definitely alive and well in the French capital. Although it was very difficult, I have made a list of my favourite spots to get a great cup of coffee in Paris!

1. Nuance Café

One of my favourite spots, this minimalist café just a short walk away from Le Jardin des Plantes (5ème arrondissement) serves up great cups of coffee or tea along with fantastic baked delights in a cozy environment. Not a fan of sweets? Not to worry! Nuance has plenty of heartier options, all boasting nuanced (sorry) flavours. They constantly switch up their menu, so you can look forawrd to new findings each month. There is also a separate brunch menu if you’re in the mood for food. The service is also top-notch for Paris, with very friendly staff.

Best of all? Vegetarian and gluten free options are always available. My favourite is the carrot cake - they don’t skimp on portion sizes, either! Amazing!

2. Ob-La-Di

Ob-la-di is ob-loody great! An on-trend spot in Le Marais, this café’s interior is the right mix of chic/ hipster. Great cups of coffee complement delicious healthy fare such as avocado toast and homemade yogurt, berries, and granola. Kind staff help make Ob-La-Di a winner in my books!

3. Le Voltigeur

This cramped-but-cute café in Le Marais dishes out some great cups of coffee. If you order anything with foam (cappuccino, latte, etc…), be prepared to receive a gorgeous message in chocolate written across your drink. The yellow tables really help brighten up this space just moments away from some great shopping in the 4ème arrondissement. The café also has some options for brunch that are vegetarian friendly, but not much if you’re gluten intolerant.

4. Marcelle

After a day of browsing the shops along Rue de Rivoli or in Forum des Halles, stop by Marcelle for a healthy and filling snack or meal (think granola, açai bowls, ricotta and avocado toast) and a nice cup of coffee with their own housemade almond milk.

Another huge bonus of this café is their interior; located on multiple floors, it isn’t difficult to find a secluded spot for you to go and read a book, or spend a few moments chatting with your friends.

The other great thing about this café is the amount of attention paid to those with dietary restrictions; options for vegans, vegetarians, and gluten free individuals exist (and taste very good)!

5. Motors Coffee

I found Motors Coffee one day while strolling along Rue de Rivoli, and noticed a sign saying “Emily Ratajkowski and Batman drink this coffee”. I was intrigued. When I looked at the menu posted outside the door, the first thing that sold me was “caramel latte with popcorn”. Needless to say, I had to try it. It was a compulsion. And it was a beautiful, tasty, sweet, buttery, and fabulous compulsion. The atmopshere of the café was also really nice, and I quite liked the “rock-and-roll” touches about. I feel like if Bat Out of Hell The Musical became a trendy café, this would be it.
Oh, and their single bathroom stall’s door promised boobs inside. I, an owner of aforementioned breasts, was indeed inside, so they weren’t wrong.

6. Strada Café

Strada Café, with it’s high-ceilings (for France) and comfortable seating, is a great café in the 6ème arrondissement. A spot I often popped into on my way to my university classes or Le Jardin des Plantes, this café makes nice coffee and had pretty nice service, too!

They also do a couple of “café-style” cakes/ breads, and they usually have an option for those of us who are gluten sensitive, too!

Also: they have their own branded cups. I have such an affinity for cafés with their own branded cups… don’t ask me why… I just find it adorable. Enjoy the photos of that below!

7. A Lacroix

My absolute favourite spot on Rive Gauche for grabbing patisseries while enjoying a view (of the Notre-Dame, no less!), A Lacroix is a great spot with english speaking staff and lot’s of beautiful looking desserts. With an every-changing repertoire of sweets, I was thrilled to try each time I walked into this café. Their giant macarons are also nice to nibble on while walking along the Seine!

8. Café KitsunÉ

Seduced by the possibility of getting strawberry milk, my friend and I popped into Café Kitsuné one sunny afternoon. Unfortunately, we found out that only the Japanese chain sells this particular drink, but if it wasn’t for that confusion, we would never have tried the Yuzu ice tea! Although this isn’t your “typical” french café, Café Kitsuné is definitely a fun spot for any trendy café-hopper to try on their journey. Located in Le Jardin du Palais Royal, this 1er arrondissement spot also has a corresponding store, Maison Kitsuné, that can help you get your fix of Japanese/ French-inspired clothing.

Café Kitsuné - sipping our drinks in Le Jardin du Palais Royal

9. RÉpublique of coffee

Do the words “mexican-style coffee shop” and “vaporwave aeshetic” intrigue you? While the café doesn’t self-identify in this way, that was the consensus that me and three friends came to the moment we walked into this fabulous little spot in the 10ème arrondissement. Up-to-date on the latest café fads such as charcoal latte, and a menu of mexican fare (guacamole, bean dishes, etc…) that changes on a weekly basis, this café packs a serious punch in both the food and drinks department.

10.Baguett’s CafÉ

Any of my trips to the Louvre or the Palais Royal were accompanied by a visit to Baguett’s café. With plenty of yummy gluten free options (and vegan and vegetarian ones, as well), I always had a scrumptious breakfast accompanied by a nice cup of coffee.

The place is very cozy, with wooden tables and fairy lights all around. There are tons of sandwiches and desserts that you can take-out to eat while strolling pictroesque side streets.

I highly recommend their muffins and brownies, as well as their hot chocolate. SO MUCH WHIPPED CREAM!

11. Caféothèque

I have a love/ hate relationship with Caféotèque.

While my first visits were excellent, my last few were very, very poor. Hoping those final impressions were just a fluke, I will mention the café as it had been very good when I first discovered it.

My good visits found that this café had extremely good roasts that changed often. I took the liberty of trying their cappuccinos, flat whites, lattes, chai lattes, and filtered coffees. They were all excellent, and they also had a delicious gluten free quiche (which is no longer sold).

The café also has a nice interior, and multiple rooms that have a different vibe. The tropical room is my favourite, and it’s a good spot in which to study, read a great book, or gab with friends.

12.MATAMATA CoffÉ

Another little café tucked into the 2ème arrondissmenet, MATAMATA Coffee has pretty little red cups that house well-roasted coffee. The basement level has a cool interior, and is a nice reprieve from the busy shopping streets outside the café. The café is also propice to studying or working on your laptop. Brunch is available, as are little cakes and cookies. Their servings of icing are very generous!

12. Café Beaubourg

Café Beaubourg, overlooking Le Centre Georges Pompidou

Say what you will about Le Centre Georges Pompidou, it certainly makes for the perfect subjet of an impassioned dicussion with friends. What better way to have that impassioned discussion than over a posh iced latte from Café Beaubourg? Beautifully dressed waiters bring you overpriced drinks. However, as an occasional treat, it’s enjoyablly elegant (and expensive) café in which to feel fancy. While not my usual pick for morning coffee or a chat with friends, it’s a nice occasional finish to a (free) visit to the Centre Pompidou.
If you do happen to go, make sure to pop by the washrooms as I found the architecture very cool!

14.Shakespeare & Co.

An extremely popular spot on Rive Gauche facing the Notre Dame across the bank, Café Shakespeare & Co. is the extension of the adjacent english language bookstore that has lived in it’s current location since 1922 (though the bookstore itself began in 1919).

With weekly booktalks every Thursday, this café is the perfect place from which to grab a coffee and enjoy an author discussing their latest work (in english)!

There aren’t too many seats inside, but there are benches outside that provide a great place form which to people-watch.

Their placemats are also questionnaires in English boasting philosophical questions such as « How would you like to die and in what form would you choose to come back? » Deep.

N.B.: You will see many people carrying Shakespeare & Co. tote bags. They are good quality. You’re welcome.

15. Café de Flore

16. Paradis du fruit

Not exactly a café, this little spot serves up some nice coffee with a seriously great view - The Notre Dame. Tuck into organic and healthy meals, or sumptuous desserts with a proper cup of Parisian coffee by your side as you watch the world go by from your spot on the terrace.

Anyone who is interested in Parisian café culture can’t discount the notoriety of Café de Flore. As one of the oldest cafés in Paris, a myriad of famous faces and names have passed through these walls. It’s doors first opened in 1880, there’s a high chance any of the seats at which you find yourself sitting in nowadays has previously been occupied by notable philosophers, movie stars, or authors.
Although there are food offerings, the real draw is grabbing a cup of coffee on the terrace as you people watch and discuss the woes of having to wait for your next cup of coffee to arrive at your table.

Café de Flore also makes a famous hot chocolate, which tastes great any crisp autumn morning.

17. CafÉ Oberkampf

Nestled in the 11ème arrondissement, this small café has big-flavoured roasts. There are tons of brunch options available, as well as lot’s of sweet treats to nibble on. If you’re celiac or gluten-intolerant, Café Oberkampf is only a skip away from nearby celiac-friendly bakery Chambelland.

18. La crêperie Soufflot

While not exclusively a « café / coffee spot », this crêperie also offers some good quality cups of coffee to go along with your buckwheat pancake, or croissants in the morning.

I really loved the amount of foam, plus the chocolate sprinkled on top!

This spot, located moments away from the Luxembourg RER B station, is just a skip away from Le Jardin du Luxembourg, Le Panthéon, and La Sorbonne.

19. KB CAfÉ

I stumbled upon KB after going up Sacré-Cœur Cathedral. With it’s roots in the 9ème arrondissement, this coffee shop/ roastery makes a mean cup of coffee, and has a cool distressed interior that matches the laid-back vibe of the staff. They also sell their beans and coffee gear online, which, by the way, ships internationally!

Le Train Bleu

While not explicitly a café/ coffee spot, this beautiful restaurant inside Gare de Lyon does make flavourful cups of coffee in arguably one of the most beautiful interiors for a restaurant in all of Paris! I really enjoyed the caramel ristretto, and it came accompanied with complementary madeleines (not gluten free, however).