The cafe is one of the most Parisian institutions, dating back to the 17th century, when Silvio Procopio opened the first cafe in Paris, Le Procopio (which exists to this day).
Most of you probably know famous cafes like Deux Magots or Café de Flore in the Saint-Germain district , but we Parisians prefer to drink “our” coffee in “our” places (the truth is that many of us would prefer to drink wine in a cafe at all, but that’s another story).
Today I want to recommend to you some of these cafes, which I particularly like and where I enjoy sitting at the end of the tours I take. Here you will find cafes in places you haven't always thought of, a teahouse that you shouldn't miss, and more.
Since, like many places in Paris (especially since the Corona pandemic), many cafes are opening and closing at an increasing rate, I will update the article from time to time to add chic cafes that have recently opened or delete places that have closed. Therefore, it is highly recommended to save the article and return to it every time you travel to Paris.
You are welcome to join me on a journey through my favorite cafes in my city.
Recommended cafes in Paris
Rosa Happiness
The first recommendation in this article is relevant to all those who come to Paris during the summer and are looking for a fun place to sit while it's hot outside.
To be precise, this is not exactly a cafe but more of a Guinguette, a word that does not have an exact equivalent in Hebrew and means a place usually found near a lake or river, where you can sit comfortably, drink a coffee or a glass of wine, and snack on something.
In fact, this is not just one place, but a network that currently includes four locations in Paris and its surrounding suburbs:
- Rosa Seine – This is a ship anchored under the bridge Alexander III The magnificent. You can sit inside and outside the ship. Address: Port des Invalides.
- Rosa Butte – A small cafe located inside Bute Chaumont Park and is run by Mimi and Zouzou who came to Paris fromCamargue And they brought the spirit of the place with them. Address: Parc des Buttes Chaumont 2, allée de la Cascade.
- Rosa Est – Found inside a small question (wooden house) inVincennes Forest And you can sit not only inside but also on deckchairs in the garden and by the lake. Address: Porte Jaune, Avenue de Nogent.
- Rosa West – Located in the suburb of Asniers (not far fromThe animal cemetery The famous) and not far from the bridge that connects the suburb to Paris. Address: 20 Quai du Docteur Dervaux, Pont d'Asnières, Asnières-sur-Seine
The food served here is influenced by the South of France, Italy and Spain and you will find different types of tapas (even hummus, as you saw in the video above 🙂 ), pizzas (including the famous piscia from Provence ), cheeses and more (the menu is slightly different in each restaurant). In short, everything you need to accompany your glass of wine or beer, while you sit to enjoy the little paradise that Rosa Bonner has created for you.
Link to the network's official website
Who is Rosa Bonheur?
Before we move on and recommend more cool cafes in Paris, it might be worth saying a few words about Rosa Bonner, after whom the places we've been talking about are named.
Rosa Bonheur was a painter of Jewish origin whose full name was Marie-Rosalie Bonheur. She was born in Bordeaux in 1822 to a family of painters (her brothers and sisters were also involved in this). She specialized in painting animals such as horses and cows and her paintings can be found in some of the most important museums in the world, including the Musée d'Orsay . Here is an example of one of her famous paintings:
Rosa Bonnard's paintings were very successful in France and England, which allowed her to buy an estate not far from Fontainebleau, where she lived the rest of her life and died in 1899. Rosa Bonnard is today considered a groundbreaking painter, as she was one of the only women in the 19th century (along with Berthe Morisot ) who pursued painting as a profession and not just as a hobby.
Le Petit Palais cafe
Almost all of you are probably familiar with the Grand Palais (currently undergoing renovations for the Olympics) and the Petit Palais. However, how many of you know the magical café of the Petit Palais?
This cafe is located in the museum’s garden and can be reached even if you don’t feel like seeing one of the permanent and changing exhibitions there. Of course, the most fun is to sit in the garden, but if it’s cold outside, you are welcome to sit inside and enjoy a reasonably priced coffee and a light meal (for example: a sort of “business” quiche and chocolate mousse).
And if you've come this far, it's highly recommended to read the article about the Champs-Elysees , where you'll find quite a few attractions and interesting things in the area.
Address : Avenue Winston Churchill
Opening hours : Every day, except Mondays and holidays, between 10:00 AM and 17:00 PM.
Lapérouse et Mimosa à l'Hotel de la Marine
The Hôtel de la Marine , one of the most talked-about museums in Paris, reopening in the summer of 2021, has its own gastronomic world.
It is important to note that, as with the Petit Palais, it is not necessary to enter and visit the museum (which is, by the way, exceptional) in order to enjoy the Lapérouse café or the restaurant, which opened in October 2021, La Mimosa.
Café Prouz, named after the famous 18th-century sailor who disappeared, is actually another branch of the famous restaurant (which was particularly loved by Victor Hugo ), located on the Quai des Grands Augustins on the banks of the Seine. Here you can drink coffee, tea with a wonderful meal or a glass of wine as an aperitif.
For Mimosa, on the other hand, come for lunch or dinner, inside or outside on sunny days in spring and summer. The restaurant is run by chef Jean-François Piège, who has already won several Michelin stars. Piège has extensive culinary experience. In the past, he worked at Alain Dux's restaurant in Plaza Athena, then at Aux Ambassadeurs, and finally at Crillon, where he earned 2 Michelin stars.
Here is an article in French (but with English translation) that will tell you a little more about this talented chef, his restaurants, and his work:
This restaurant wants to take you out of the “grey city” and straight into the sunny atmosphere of Provence . That’s why the restaurant is named after the mimosa flower, a yellow flower that grows in the south of France , and also the name of recipes in which the egg is the dominant ingredient. For example: Mimosa egg: grated egg yolk on top of half a hard-boiled or soft-boiled egg that resembles the mimosa flower.
We go there for the decor as much as for the quality of the dishes and products! Both places have a terrace overlooking the inner courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine, but La Prouse also has a terrace facing the side of the Place de la Concorde itself. In the summer it's a must!
Address :
Hotel de la Marine (Café Laperouse & Restaurant Le Mimosa)
2 Place de la Concorde 75008 Paris
The Meurice Hotel Tea Room
Le Maris is one of the 9 great Parisian hotels. It is ideally located opposite the Tuileries Gardens on Rue Rivoli, not far from Place de la Concorde . The original hotel was founded in 1771 by Charles Maris in the town of Calais, to provide high-class accommodation to tourists arriving from England. In 1815, the Parisian branch of the hotel opened on Rue Sainte-Honoré and in 1835, it moved to its current location.
Since that year, the Maris Hotel has hosted a long line of nobles and other wealthy people (including the Nazi military governor of Paris , von Schultz, but that's another story). Since it originally catered to an English audience, it has maintained the tradition of a tea hour where fine tea was served accompanied by a wide variety of cakes.
The current manager of the tea house is pastry chef Cédric Grolet, and I highly recommend that you treat yourself to wonderful tea and pastries at 17:00 PM, and enjoy, along the way, the design by the famous interior designer Philippe Satrec.
If you wish, you are of course more than welcome to continue straight to the hotel restaurant afterwards, run by none other than Alain Ducasse, and enjoy a wonderful meal (it's not for nothing that the restaurant received 2 Michelin stars).
Address:
Rue de Rivoli 228
Substance Café
If in the past, Paris was talked about as a city that didn't really have good coffee, the trend has changed in the last 10 years. If coffee is as important to you as the cafe, and you want a quality and special cup of coffee, it's recommended to come to Substance. This is a groundbreaking cafe in Paris, founded by a young barista and his wife. The attention to the quality of the coffee and style is so high that some call it "Nazi coffee." The place serves filter coffee, espresso with frozen and filtered milk, macchiato, and more. There are no takeaway cups, no sugar, no food, and there are 15 seats at the bar. You can buy the easy coffee on the spot, and various coffee accessories to make it. The perfect place for those who are only interested in coffee.
There is also the option of Omakase – coffee tastings according to the time you have and your budget.
Address : 30 Rue Dussoubs
Terres de Café coffee shop chain
This coffee shop chain started in 2009 in Paris, as part of the trend and aspiration for quality coffee in Paris. The chain has several branches throughout the city, elegantly decorated and spreading the rich aroma of coffee from afar. It is actually more of a “coffee bar”, for those who want a rich and long coffee experience. People come here like they come to a wine bar – to drink different types, talk about coffee with an expert barista and buy coffee or even coffee machines.
Boar
This cafe is run by a guy named Pierre Jacques, who is “crazy” about coffee. There is no coffee roasting at the place, but he hosts guest coffees from France and other places around the world. For example, there is coffee from Yemen, which is not at all easy to get. You can also buy chocolate and tea there.
Address : 23 Rue Faidherbe
Dreamin Man
A small café, not far from the Place de le République. The place is run by Yuichiro, the former barista of Boot Café. The café is decorated in a minimalist style and is a pleasant escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. There are a few tables and a little space at the bar, the place is always full and you have to wait, but the coffee experience is worth the wait. There is a selection of different types of filter coffee, and a limited snack menu, but as mentioned the focus is on quality coffee.
Address : 140 Rue Amelot
Looking for more places to have a drink?
You've been walking around Paris, sitting in the cafes and restaurants, and now you're looking for a fun place to have a drink? Then don't miss my article on the rooftops of Paris.
FAQ
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What is the Rosa cafe chain and where are its branches located?
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More on the subject
Great article❣
Thanks for an interesting article
Note: All Rosa Bonheur cafes appear on Google Maps as “temporarily closed.” Worth checking out
Moti Bar-Tal
Since these are places where you sit and drink water by the river, they are closed in the winter. They are supposed to open in the spring.
Looking forward to my next trip to Paris.
I know Maurice and the others, I would love to meet you soon.
Waiting to go to Paris so this whole crazy situation can be over.
Paris is definitely the best city in the world.
Thank you very much for an impressive and extremely enriching website about Paris. I am reading and saving the articles for my 17th visit to Paris.
Thank you, Thanda. Every article and every word by Zvi and his friends increases the longing for the city of lights. We are heading there when the coronavirus passes.
Once we've arrived at the Maris Hotel at 228 Rivoli Street, it's impossible not to enter the adjacent café, "Angelina" (226 Rivoli Street) and savor its legendary cup of hot chocolate (along with other unique delicacies and spectacular pastries).
Great article
Waiting for the day I return to Paris
Of course, you keep the material.
Thanks !