Becca Marriner

There’s no question about it, I’m definitely cooler in Paris.

Who would’ve thought that the self-titled old lady would be caught drinking coffee at 5pm? Being on holiday, all normal routines were out the window, including my early bedtime, so having caffeine later in the afternoon was a non issue. On a recent trip to Paris, timed around the January sales, my friend and I had a girly weekend of shopping, food, and coffee. Having both thoroughly explored Edinburgh’s coffee scene, we were excited to see what Paris had to offer. I’ll admit that a few weeks ago, France’s capital is not somewhere I would have associated with a tasty brew but I was more than happy to be proven wrong.

Our Airbnb was near Place de la Bastille, which is somewhat reflected in the coffee shops we ended up at. Prior to the holiday, I had been recommended an app called Coffee Trip that was perfect to help filter through the robusta offerings for something a little more specialty. I wanted to share my findings, knowing that I’ll definitely be returning to some spots when I next visit Paris. I hope you’ll also bookmark one or two!

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WHITE Coffee

Rue de Terenne

Within 90 minutes of landing in France, I had already dropped my suitcase at the Airbnb and hit the boutiques of Le Marais. As the trip had been booked with shopping in mind I was making good time but I did need a bit of fuel to help me carry my purchases. WHITE Coffee provided a lovely cup of batch brew en route to Merci. The sleek exterior threw me for a loop when I couldn’t understand how the door worked and no obvious door handles in sight. With a shiny interior, mirrored ceiling and matcha available, it was a coffee shop for definite ‘cool girls.’ Maybe that’s why I was almost kept out?

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Harvest.

Rue de la Roquette

A relatively new addition to the Parisian coffee scene is Harvest. Only a stone’s throw from our Airbnb it was easy to grab a takeaway espresso when walking to the Metro. With beautiful, organic interiors and earthy tones, you can tell a lot of attention went to the small details before opening, including choosing the teaspoons. I didn’t ask specifically, but judging from the bags on the counter I believe my espresso was from the Guji zone in Ethiopia. Not my first time having beans from there but not often that I’ll opt for it as an espresso. Delicious, not too floral (personal preference) and such a smooth texture.

We were enthralled and went back the next morning to sit after packing and checking out. This time I opted for cold brew; iced coffee being the obvious choice in January. Fantastic coffee again, the delicate colour (almost tea like) is such a green flag and made it a personal favourite from this trip. A credit to the baristas as well for latte art in a wobbly looking cup. You would never catch me attempting a rosetta in something like that.

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Yellow Tucan

Rue des Tournelles

With only one barista who stepped out for smoke breaks, there was certainly an element of French charm to Yellow Tucan. The interior was covered in plants; their size obscuring windows and trailing leaves all around the walls. I have no doubt that it’s a popular spot with locals as they only had one croissant left by the time we arrived. Yellow Tucan also had a selection of coffee to buy for home brewing, even as pods for machines which is something I’ve not seen before. Keeping with my trend of black coffee, I ordered and americano as a longer, even leisurely, drink for my first morning in Paris.

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Kawa Coffee

Av. Victoria

Kawa’s reputation goes beyond France with their beans also being stocked in coffee shops in the UK. I was so excited to try here, owing it to their large selection of retail, a few of which available to drink on pour over in the shops across Paris. Coffees ranged from 8€ to 20€, the more expensive being Gesha beans sourced from Panama. I’ll be one to admit that I have expensive coffee taste, similarly to the way I enjoy blanc de blanc champagne. But in this case, the higher price tag scared me and I opted for a washed Costa Rican (Don Joel Coe #3) instead. It was juicy, fruity and tasty but upon reflection, I wish I had chosen a Panamanian instead, I was on holiday after all!

In the Av. Victoria cafe, where I found myself after exploring the recently reopened Notre Dame, there are seats at the bar so you can watch the baristas in all their expertise. It was fun to watch and nice being on the other side of the bar. But listening to how some international tourists spoke to them, yikes! My customer service would’ve slipped if it was me…

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Café Nuances

Rue de Vieux Colombier

After completing a very grown up tax refund following a very grown up bag purchase at Le Bon Marché, a coffee was needed. Being privileged to work with one of the few modbars in Scotland (there’s only 4 or 5), I sought one out in Paris for a bit of home comfort. There was a rainbow and ceiling and disco tiles at the entrance, loudly announcing their presence amongst the traditional Parisian facades. Grabbing a long black to go, in an orange cup, matching my orange and turquoise shirt, I set off in the direction of the Seine for a glimpse of the sunset. I’m pointing this out so you can grasp just how late in the day I was drinking coffee.

Owing to the modbar’s sleek design and subsequently hidden boilers, there are no cup warmers or hot taps on hand as with other La Marzocco designs. It was fascinating to watch the barista make my coffee as it was different to how I would at my work.