Coffee in Paris: Part Deux

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I cannot keep up with the Parisian coffee scene! We all know that I visit Paris pretty frequently but every time I go back there’s ten new coffee shops to try. Whilst France doesn’t have a monumental reputation for specialty coffee in the same way it does for pastries, I think Paris is doing something very right – especially if you know where to go.

Last year I wrote a blog post documenting every coffee I had on a trip to Paris. And as I slowly continue to explore its coffee scene, we’re back again for part deux. This time around, on a 48-hour visit, I managed to squeeze in five different spots in Paris, all brand new to me. I cannot emphasise how many pins I have on google maps so its barely dented my list. On my days off in Edinburgh, I like to dot around the city hunting for batch brews and I’m no different when on holiday.

Our hotel was located between Place de la République and Oberkampf so a couple of featured spots are in the local area. My preferred way to start any day is with a coffee in one hand and a pain suisse in the other. We left our hotel in the morning, made a bee line for a boulangerie before dipping down into the Metro to take us across the city. And, not to brag, this is the first time in all my visits to Paris where I have been able to order confidently in French. And I don’t just mean a simple, “Bonjour. Cold brew si’l vous plait,” I mean ask me if my friend wants her matcha latte to be made with cows milk, level of confidence. One day I’d love to be fluent in French but until I have the time and money to commit to lessons, this was a real step in the right direction.


Tanat

Av. Victoria

I was hesitant whether Tanat qualified as a new spot, only because I have ‘technically’ visited before. However, it’s just too nice to omit from this post. Formerly known as Kawa, they underwent a re-brand in 2025, and changed their name to Tanat as they approached their 10-year anniversary. Consistently named as a top coffee company in the world, it was a courageous choice to move away from a name that was synonymous with the brand. But the bold, orange packaging remains relatively unchanged.

I wanted the first coffee stop of the trip to be somewhere renowned. Tanat’s customer service is faultless, even when some of their customers are less than polite. I think the order my friend and I placed was incredibly chic, cold brew and espresso tonic where we sat outside on the streets of Paris. It always amazes me how close you can be to popular attractions, Le Louvre, Pont Neuf and Notre Dame and still find little pockets of quiet.

Two iced coffees sat on a silver try on the streets of Paris. The coffees are served black with glass straws.

Cortado

Rue Charlot

A little pocket of Spain in the heart of Le Marais. Cortados are small milk beverages (think of a flat white with less milk) that originated in Spain rather than Italy like most popular menu items: latte, cappuccino and americano.

A cortado would’ve been the obvious order in a shop named after the beverage however I only stray from black coffee once every six months and unfortunately, today was just not that day. We visited at around 4pm and I was lucky that they still had batch brew left and took a cup to go. The baristas were lovely and said that if it was too cold (presumably from being made much earlier) that they were happy to swap it for an americano. Not necessary for me but a kind offer.

A peek on their Instagram will show how they champion their staff and the community they’ve created in Paris. I picked up a loyalty card for my next visit to the city. I just hope that I remember to pack it!


Forêt Forêt

Rue des Tournelles

Having only been open for two months Forêt Forêt is certainly the newest spot that I’ve visited as it begins to establish itself in the Parisian coffee scene. The indoor botanical spot is gorgeous, filled with plants and home to the cutest Australian Shepherd called Serge. They have a no laptop policy meaning it is the perfect place to hideaway with a book or catch up with friends. I had an americano using beans from French roaster Tribute. Lovely and light with some orange and grapefruit notes. As much as I would have loved to stay and hang out with Serge we took our drinks away and enjoyed them in Places des Vosges, soaking up plenty of sunshine.

an organically designed interior space of a cafe. There is a bench sculpted to have a curved back, lots of natural light and plants everywhere

Noir

Rue Soufflot

Noir have a plethora of beautiful coffee spaces across the city, so of course they were on my radar. With so many spots to pick from it was hard to choose which to visit, so I let fate decide where I ended up. We were strolling along the Left Bank from Jardin du Luxembourg to the Pantheon and a Noir appeared on its doorstop. Housed in an old pharmacie, the warm interiors and mood lighting were tasteful. And for being on the doorstep of a popular Parisian site, it was almost serenely quiet inside. I had a little espresso for an afternoon pick me up. Something I wouldn’t dare to do back home for fear of being kept up all night. I think the Noir on Rue Richer is the one I’d like to visit next, its the tiles!


Fauna

Rue Oberkampf

Fauna was the very last stop I made in Paris’ city centre before travelling onward to Charles de Gaulle. I wanted to take some time to sit in a coffee shop, write my postcards and soak in the last of the city. It was the perfect place to do so as my suitcase and I had a little spot by the window to watch all the comings and goings. I had my final cold brew of the holiday, even garnished with a little orange peel. The attention to detail from the staff continued when they also brought some tap water to my table.

a glass of black cold brew coffee with an orange peel garnish. the coffee is sat on top of a table with illustrated postcards

I would argue that specialty coffee in Paris is typically more expensive than it is back home. On average, a cold brew was around 6€ compared to the £4 that it is at my work in Edinburgh. However, since pastries are so much cheaper, it definitely balances out. Enjoying a coffee in a beautiful public park or a botanical cafe is a small joy in life and I’ll keep writing these posts as I seek them out. No matter which city I find myself in.

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