The best coffee shops in Paris for velvety pours and serious vibes

From the espresso shot, or café court (short coffee) slowly sipped at the counter, to the after-dinner café allongé (‘longer’ coffee), enjoying a cup of coffee has been part of Parisian life since at least 1689, when Café Procope opened in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Cut to today and, while historic roasters like Maison Verlet remain in operation, there has also been a boom in contemporary specialty coffee. Roasters like Brûlerie de Belleville, Lomi and Coutume supply beans across the city, filling locals’ cups at home and beyond.

In Paris, coffee lovers have it all. Whether you’re after a classic espresso or a modern pour-over, the city’s buzzing coffee scene promises a top-notch cup wherever you are – from slick stops in fashionable Marais to a renowned roastery in Montmartre.

1st arrondissement

Télescope Café

Best for: A pioneer of Paris’ speciality coffee scene
Address: 5 Rue Villédo, 75001 Paris, France 

Télescope is a pioneer of Paris’ speciality coffee scene, opened by photographer-turned-barista Nicolas Clerc more than a decade ago. The minimalist space, tucked near Palais Royal, is small and considered – you’ll often find Clerc himself behind the counter pouring cups brewed from global roasters like Koppi, Tim Wendelboe and Coffee Collective. Don’t overlook the Aeropress – perfected after years of fine-tuning – or the house banana bread, a staple for the steady stream of regulars.

Motors Coffee

Best for: An award-winning barista, outdoor seating
Address: 7 Rue des Halles, 75001 Paris

Owned by Thomas Philips and Lola d’Harcourt, Motors is a neighbourhood hangout where the menu changes weekly. Beans rotate from a mix of acclaimed roasters, with choices ranging from espresso to frozen pour-over and dirty chai. Thomas, the reigning French Brewers Cup champion, is often preparing the signature pour-over himself – the drink to order if you want to understand why this café has become a fixture for Paris’ coffee crowd. While the inside is compact, regulars gather at outdoor tables over coffee matched with sweet and savoury rolls (try the black sesame or saffron and orange).

3rd arrondissement

Dreamin’ Man

Best for: Dreamers of the Parisian good life who need peace and quiet
Address: 140 rue Amelot, Paris 75011 / 12 rue Perrée, Paris 75003

Time refreshingly falls away inside this teeny wabi-sabi pocket of Paris. Owner Yuichiro Sugiyama is usually behind the wooden bar studiously pouring coffee for the crowd of arty locals who swing by daily. The beans come from April and Prolog roastery in Denmark and homemade cakes are made by pastry chef Yui Matsuzaki – her perfectly fluffy scones are must-tries. It’s very small, so get there early or expect to wait for a table.

Boot

Best for: Homely Paris atmosphere
Address: 19 rue du Pont aux Choux, Paris 75003

Inside an old cobblers with the original ‘cordonnerie’ sign still painted above the door, and with just eight seats inside, this is probably Paris’ smallest coffee shop and most popular with a Japanese and Korean crowd who take coffee in Paris very seriously. The signature is made-to-order pour-overs and flat whites, although they also do espressos. Inside feels very much like being in the kitchen of someone’s Parisian studio flat, with magazines piled high on the windowsill and lined along shelves. Don’t miss the homemade pastries to have in or take away such as cookies and nutty cakes.

4th arrondissement

JŌHŌ coffee

Best for: A fashionable crowd
Address: 14 Rue des Écouffes, 75004 Paris, France

Childhood friends Victor Journo and Samuel Afif opened JŌHŌ in 2025 with the aim of creating a welcoming space where coffee, art and history intersect. The pocket-sized locale is the place to pick up a flat white or iced matcha in the Marais. Drinks are served in handcrafted ceramic mugs created in collaboration with Paris studio Maison Mic Mac and topped with housemade mikado sticks. JŌHŌ sources its beans from Replica Coffee Roasters in Belgium, while pastries draw inspiration from Journo’s grandmother’s recipes – don’t miss the tahini madeleine.

Cafe Nuances

Best for: Psychedelic design
Location: Several locations,  including 51 rue des Francs-Bourgeois

Café Nuances has four locations across Paris, each recognisable by its futuristic aesthetic that contrasts with the traditional architecture it occupies. Interiors blend stainless steel with bright lighting and bold paintwork to create a fully immersive space. The menu features classic blends alongside inventive flavoured lattes and matcha. Owned by brothers Charles and Raphaël Corot, the group works with a small number of thoughtful coffee producers committed to a traceable and sustainable supply chain.

MiniCafé

Best for: Laidback lattes and matcha
Address: 10 Rue des Barres, 75004 Paris

MiniCafé takes its name from its original compact location on Rue des Deux Ponts. New for 2025, the café has expanded with a second site just around the corner on Rue des Barres. Not so mini anymore, it sits in the heart of Île Saint-Louis, serving Vietnamese coffee, flavoured matcha and affogato, alongside classic lattes and espresso. Order a coffee to go and stroll along the Seine, or grab a table outside and watch the neighbourhood in action.

Recto Verso

Best for: being present
Address: 6 Rue Portefoin, 75003 Paris

Recto Verso is a peaceful coffee shop in the Marais, named after an album the founders listened to when they first moved to Paris. There’s no WiFi, and a sign politely requests no laptops, encouraging visitors to fully be present. The café spills onto the pavement, where a cool crowd perches on wooden benches and stools against the shop’s brick facade. Alongside classic drinks, order a hojicha latte made from Japanese roasted green tea.

5th arrondissement

Tram Café

Best for: Latin Quarter sightseeing
Location: 47 rue de la Montagne Ste Geneviève, Paris 75005

Slotted on a picturesque street that winds up to the Pantheon, the regal resting place of France’s greatest luminaries including Simone Veil and Victor Hugo, Tram is one of the last arty strongholds in an area filled with tourist traps. Not quite a coffee shop, it’s now a fully fledged restaurant plating up crunchy cheese croque monsieurs and fresh salads, but you can still get a cup of joe to have sitting in (outside of peak meal times) or to go. It often overflows with locals stopping by several times a day from breakfast to evening drinks.

10th arrondissement

Résidence Kann

Best for: Interior design aficionados
Location: 28 rue des Vinaigriers, Paris 75010

This coffee shop is operated by minimal contemporary furniture brand Kann Design, and its interiors regularly shift to showcase new collections. Low tables and stools face out through wraparound windows, where locals mingle over a brew. Popular breakfast orders include kumquat, banana and hibiscus granola with honey and ginger-infused yoghurt or the sandwich of the moment, each one prettier than the last, rounded off with a deeply aromatic espresso. Furniture fans should know that the brand’s showroom is just a few doors down at number 51.

11th arrondissement

Café Méricourt

Best for: Speciality coffee and weekend brunch
Location: 22 rue de la Folie Méricourt, Paris 75011

Café Méricourt’s mint-green facade gives way to a cool stone-toned interior, right in the thick of the Folie Méricourt neighbourhood’s boutiques, bars and restaurants. Locals convene here over baked eggs, either with spinach, leeks, onions, pine nuts, spices, feta or as a shakshuka, alongside other offerings like granola and pancakes. The owner is often behind the counter pouring creamy cappuccinos, iced matcha coffee or housemade cold brew.

18th arrondissement

Two Doors

Best for: Bohemian creatives living near Montmartre
Location: 27 rue Francoeur, Paris 75018

Tucked away on a quiet street in Montmartre, Two Doors is characterised by a gentle palette of exposed red brick and raw plaster walls. On the white tiled counter, sticky cinnamon rolls and creamy lattés are served to thirsty punters. You’ll hear more English than French spoken here, with international locals dropping by for a spot of reading on one of the wooden benches, or to soak up some rays on the terrace out front. There’s also the usual roster of bites like carrot cake, ham and cheese sandwiches and gooey cookies in flavours like chocolate chip and matcha.

Lomi

Best for: Coffee purists
Location: 3 ter rue Marcadet, Paris 75018

Lomi is one of the leading specialty artisan coffee shops in Paris, with one of its original creators, Paul Arnephy – who determined its roasting profile – continuing to win the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France (best craftsperson of France) distinction in 2018. Today, Lomi supplies more than 300 businesses across the country and has its own roasting facility in Provence, a coffee school and its own parcels on coffee plantations across Central and South America. In its small roastery and cafe at the foot of Montmartre, three types of coffee are on the menu, the 100 per cent Arabica being the signature (which is especially good for espresso).

Noir

Best for: A leading roastery with locations across Paris
Location: Several locations

Noir is a specialty coffee roastery headquartered in St Ouen on the city outskirts that has a collection of soothingly designed coffee shops, including the Ile St Louis outpost in the heart of the city. It offers somewhere to write and read while the sunlight makes its trajectory across the exposed limestone walls, polished concrete floor and a beamed ceiling, while you sip on arabicas from Rwanda to Brazil.

Coutume

Best for: Expert coffee-lovers who care about sustainability
Location: Several locations

A Romainville-based coffee roastery with sustainable production at its heart, Coutume’s offering is informed by Australia’s contemporary coffee culture. One of the first specialty coffee shops in Paris, it now has a dozen locations around town. There is a broad range of rich and aromatic coffees and beans at its industrial-chic outposts that retain a cosy, lived in feel.