1. Partisan

Though the café has a reputation as a tourist and poser-Bobo playground, the coffee, of which there are several varieties, all made in house, is delicious and fairly cheap, one of their rich, ultra tangy espresso runs at a consistent 2 Euros. Their pastries are also equally as delectable as their coffee, particularly the seemingly inauspicious peanut-butter chocolate chip cookies, the glazed lemon cake, the carrot cake, and tiramisu pair divinely with a long black or any coffee of your choice.

36 Rue Turbigo
75003, Paris

2. Back in Black

Located on the edge of the 4th arrondissement leading into the 11th, Back in Black, a subsidiary of KB Roasters, is my go-to coffee shop for working, hang-outs with friends, or even just a quick coffee, which is a hit every time. I always opt either for their long-black, or their filter coffee. Both are excellent options, the long black and espresso have a distinctly complex nutty flavor, which contrasts beautifully with their lush banana bread that, I must admit, is the best I have ever tasted with the exception of my mother’s!

25 Rue Amelot
75011, Paris

3. Telescope

Another hidden gem, Telescope Café is scarcely a block away from La Comédie Française, Jardin du Palais Royale, and the Palais Garnier all at once! With its inviting, comely interior, Telescope is the perfect way to start a morning exploring the 2nd and 9th arrondissements, with a steaming cup of their intense espresso and banana bread, croissant, or any other of their mouth watering pastries.

5 Rue Villédo
75001, Paris

4. Motors Coffee

Motors Coffee, catty-corner from the monolith of Les Halles is a breath of fresh air after escaping the asphyxiating air-port architecture of the Les Halles shopping mall complex. There is a broad selection of coffee to choose from and the origins and flavor notes of each type is listed on a minimalist chalkboard menu. They also offer an assortment of baked goods, the best of which is their salted chocolate chip cookie which is best enjoyed with their long- black or espresso.

7 Rue des Halles
75001, Paris

5. Maison Fleuret

Tucked right off of Boulevard Saint Germain, near the never overdone classics Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, Maison Fleuret, a concept shop and two story coffee shop provides a welcome reprieve from the roar of the boulevard and an intellectual escape with the compendium of Gallimard edition books lining its soft, pastel green walls and mahogany bookshelves. The coffee is profusely flavorful and never too bitter, especially when accompanied by the many items on the cafe’s breakfast and lunch menus respectively. The cafe is often fully occupied so make sure to avoid peak hours such as first thing in the morning or in the mid to late afternoon.

30 Rue des Saintes-Pères
75007, Paris

6. Résidence Kann Coffee Shop

Apart from its lovely ambiance and perfect location adjacent to Canal Saint Martin, Résidence Kann Coffee Shop also boasts some of the most deluxe and richly flavourful coffee I’ve ever tried in Paris. Pair their luscious coffee with their popular pastry, the roulé cannelle, or any of their innovative tartines!

28 Rue des Vinaigriers
75010, Paris

7. Galleria Continua

Why not kill two birds with one stone and visit a cutting-edge art gallery and get your coffee at the same time? Visit Galleria Continua in the third arrondissement for sharp Italian coffee, gelato, and paninis, then take a look at their free expositions which showcase the work from a variety of international contemporary artists.

87 Rue du Temple
75003, Paris

8. Literally any tabac, boulangerie or train station kiosk first thing in the morning…

Perhaps, it’s the early morning suffusion of exhausted excitement, the unorthodoxy of waiting at 5h45 AM for a train or the desolating homogeneity of every morning squandered on silently waiting for the next RER for ten minutes because you always miss the first one, “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” blaring in your ears galvanizing your anxiety about the future as the wind attempts to blow you onto the tracks in ferocious gusts but the best coffee is from train stations, even if it tastes like it burnt coffee grounds, or as though it could kill you. The best coffee I’ve ever had in Paris was at 8h00 in the morning last December from the Relay! kiosk at my RER station while my partner and I waited for the train to whisk us to the Charles De Gaulle airport that would take us to the States to see my family.

The other best coffee I can recall, was a typical little espresso brought back from a boulangerie on my 21st birthday by my partner, accompanied by a heap of viennoiseries, and his glowing smile, “Close to You,” by the Carpenters blaring out of his chipped black Marshall headphones.

If you can take away anything from that outburst of sentimentality, it’s that there certainly is phenomenal coffee in Paris but the best coffee of your life can come from anywhere.