Paris is undoubtedly the most beautiful city in the world, and after years of living here – I’m still in awe every time I look up to see iron gate fences in between wafts of smelling fresh pastries from around the corner.

eiffel tower view — View of Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; August 2025

However, what many people may not realize is that Paris is very big on café culture, meaning by nature – coffee is a big part of Parisian life.

That being said, a café and a coffee shop in Paris are not one and the same – and often insinuate different meanings. Here’s a breakdown of the difference between a café and a coffee shop in Paris:

☕🥐 Coffee Shops vs. Cafés in Paris 🇫🇷

⏰ Opening Hours	Coffee Shops: Often open as late as 7 pm. Cafés: Usually close earlier, by 5–6 pm at the latest.
🥐 Food Options	Coffee Shops: Limited to pastries or small counter items. Cafés: Full kitchens open until around 3 pm (sometimes closing as early as 12 pm).
🥤 Takeaway Coffee	Coffee Shops: To-go coffees are becoming more common in Paris. Cafés: Less likely to offer takeaway; sit-down service is the norm.
🪑 Size & Seating	Coffee Shops: Usually much smaller, sometimes with minimal seating or no space for laptops/meals. Cafés: Larger, more traditional seating, often with a terrace.
💶 Cost	Prices are usually about the same for both coffee shops and cafés.
🌿 Outdoor Seating	Coffee Shops: Rarely have terraces or outdoor areas. Cafés: More likely to have terraces for people-watching.

What is Coffee Like in Paris?

Honestly, whenever I see my French friends or colleagues having a coffee – it’s almost always an espresso or a café allongé, which is basically the U.S. version of an Americano. I don’t think in all my years of living in France have I ever seen a French person drink a lattee. If anything, they’ll have a noissette – which is an espresso with touch of hot milk or cream.

The overview cards below will break down the different kinds of coffees in Paris:

☕🇫🇷 Paris Coffee Translations 🥐

☕ Espresso

The classic small, strong shot of coffee — served in nearly every Parisian café. This is the kind of coffee I usually see locals drink.

🥄 Noisette

An espresso “stained” with a dash of hot milk — similar to a macchiato. Noisette means “hazelnut” in French, referring to the color.

💧 Allongé

An espresso that’s “stretched” with extra hot water, making it longer and milder — close to an Americano.

🇺🇸 Americano

Espresso with hot water added separately. Lighter in taste, more like traditional American coffee.

🥛 Café Crème

Similar to a latte — espresso with hot milk and a little foam, often served in a larger cup.

🥤 Café au Lait

Usually served at breakfast at home, not often ordered at cafés. Hot coffee with an equal part of hot milk.

🧊 Café Glacé

Iced coffee — served chilled or over ice, more common in the summer months. Americans, beware – Iced Coffee is not the norm in France.

🍫 Café Viennois

Espresso topped with a generous swirl of whipped cream — a sweet and indulgent Parisian favorite.

🌙 Décaféiné

Decaf coffee — all the flavor without the caffeine, often just called décaf in cafés.

maison bergeron paris 7arr — View of local bakery and people drinking coffee in Paris; August 2025

Is Plant-Based Milk Common in Paris Cafés or Coffee Shops?

Plant-based milks like soy, almond, or oat milk are still uncommon in the majority of local French cafés of brasseries – which means that going to a vegan café or coffee shop gives you a much better bet if you’re seeking a dairy-free latte in Paris.

As an American, I usually gravitate towards milkier coffees – of which a traditional French café or brasserie rarely offers. Luckily, I would say that almost every coffee shop I have ever been to in Paris offers oat milk with a slight surcharge – usually around €0,50.

Here are the translations for plant-based milks in French for when you order coffee in a city like Paris:

🥛🌱 Plant Milk Translations in Paris 🇫🇷

Emoji	French Term	English Translation
🌱	Soja	Soy Milk
🌰	Amande	Almond Milk
🌾	Avoine	Oat Milk
🥥	Coco	Coconut Milk
🍚	Riz	Rice Milk

Is Coffee Good in France?

France is often competing with other European Countries like Portugal and Italy as for who has the best coffee, with these countries often mocking the French for their lack of good coffee – but as an American, I have been plenty pleased with the coffee culture in Paris. Honestly, I don’t find Italian, Spanish, or other European countries to be any stronger than in France – but I am also working with my American-born taste buds that are used to a lifetime of watered down coffees from local diners.

The Best Coffee Shops in Paris

Now, onto what we’ve all been waiting for – my tried and true favorite coffee shops in Paris as a local. Every time I discover a new coffee shop I like in Paris, I will add it to this blog post – so be sure to bookmark this page if you’re a coffee fanatic looking for non-touristic places to have coffee in Paris!

My standards for coffee are high, as are my opinions about places to people watch and write while I leisurely sip a cup of coffee – meaning, my guide to the best coffee shops in Paris is bound to be full-proof for those who love a good, strong, delicious cup of coffee.

In this guide, I will also review common coffee chains in Paris and what I think of those – I hope it helps you to either relax or pass on the best coffee shops in Paris.

My Favorite Coffee Shops in Paris As a Local

Bleu Olive

Living near the Eiffel Tower means that I’m often subject to overpriced cafés and lackluster coffee, but luckily – the Bleu Olive is the best local coffee shop in the 7th arrondissement.

The ambiance inside is perfect for remote working, writing, or just a quiet catch up with a friend. I love the mix of wood, blue, and yellow color schemes inside and the staff is always super nice.

Neighborhood: Gros Caillou in the 7th Arrondissement

Vibe: Student friendly; locals only

Why I Love It As a Local: The Bleu Olive is the only coffee shop in Paris that gives me a giant latte for the same price as the “standard” but smaller Parisian lattes I get at other local coffee shops. This makes the Bleu Olive great for people who like a big cup of coffee at a small price, which makes sense – a lot of students from AUP (American University in Paris) are usually hanging out around here as the campus is nearby.

Exterior Bleu Olive in Paris, France; September 2025

Constant

This one only opened in the past few months, but it has already blown me out of the water as another excellent local coffee shop in Paris. The owner is a young guy, maybe in his late 20s or early 30s, and all of the house-made pastries are bound to hit the classic-French-spot.

What I like about this coffee shop in Paris is that, unlike many of the places to get a cup of coffee in the neighborhood, is that the coffee is strong. Constant also offers fun drinks like house-made iced tea and mochas.

The outdoor seating isn’t the best or the most comfortable for a long people-watching-session, but’s it’s perfect for having a coffee while doing a load of laundry or a quick catch up with a friend.

Neighborhood: Gros Caillou in the 7th Arrondissement

Vibe: Neighborhood goers having their daily cup of coffee

Why I Love It As a Local: One of the local coffee shops near the Eiffel Tower that doesn’t rip you off for a sub-par cup of coffee. Plus, I love that I’m supporting a young man in getting his business off of the ground – it’s right across from a laundry mat and very convienent for taking a break while doing laundry.

Le Main Noir

Le Main Noir is another coffee shop in Paris that you would probably never know of if you didn’t take the beaten path off of Paris and went wandering down more residential or non-touristic streets, but it’s truly one of the best cups of coffee in Paris.

Their kitchen is also open everyday until around 3pm, with inventive dishes and several vegan options for everyone.

Neighborhood: Near Montmarte in the 18th arrondissement

Vibe: Minimalist, sleek vibes while still keeping it cozy on the inside

Why I Love It As a Local: On a quiet, residential street near Montmarte but away from the tourism. I also love to sit and read the books they have on the inside, as this coffee shop has a nice tranquil vibe – even on a weekend afternoon, it’s never jam packed or too busy that you feel overwhelmed or rushed.

Torre

A recent discovery, Torre is the perfect kind of coffee shop in Paris to take your laptop and work over a cup of coffee. Unlike many coffee shops in Paris, they actually do a decent iced coffee here – whereas most “iced coffees” in Paris lack a sufficient amount of ice, and the glass or taste isn’t cold enough to the touch.

macbook pro with baby lips and iced coffee — Working with an iced coffee at Torre coffee shop in Paris, France; August 2025

Neighborhood: Invalides in the 7th arrondissement and in near Pigalle in the 9th arrondissement

Vibe: Simple, but the epitome of a textbook coffee shop that gets the job done

Why I Love It As a Local: One of the only local coffee shops in Paris I have found that does a decent iced coffee, with actual big ice cubes inside. Plus, the WiFi is really good - which makes it a great place for remote working.

Fringe

Fringe is another minimalist style coffee shop in Paris, but perfect if you’re just looking for a good cup of coffee. While they offer vegan treats and pastries, I would only rate them as fair – but the coffee is enough to have me coming back. The only downside to this coffee shop is that it’s almost always busy, even during the holiday season.

Neighborhood: Outskirts of Le Marais in the 3rd arrondissement

Vibe: Youthful, similar vibe to the rest of the less touristic and funkier part of Le Marais

Why I Love It As a Local: Solid cup of coffee in a lively neighborhood, making it the perfect stop in between running errands or wandering around other local favorite neighborhoods in Paris.

Local’s Guide & Review to Coffee Chains in Paris

Noir

Noir is actually a decent coffee chain in Paris, with the coffee being strong and fairly priced considering. However, like most coffee shops in Paris, not all of the locations offer full seating – and opt for those little tables or nooks. It’s the perfect set up for catching up with a friend, but not as good for laptop work.

Locations: Several; can be found all over Paris such as in the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 16th arrondissements

Sip or Skip? I would say sip when it comes to Noir, as it’s convient almost anywhere in the city, and of all the locations I’ve been to – the coffee has been good every single time.

noir coffee shop paris — Exterior Noir in Paris, France; September 2025

The Coffee

I was surprised by this coffee chain in Paris, as it looks like your basic minimalist, black-and-white coffee chain from the outside – but on the inside, there are so many options!

Similar to the Bleu Olive, the amount of coffee that they give is excellent for the price. The only thing I don’t love is how dehumanizing it is: the majority of these coffee chains in Paris require you to order from an iPad.

However, what I love most about this chain coffee shop in Paris is that it scratches my itch for a a giant, sweet iced coffee without needing to capitulate to going to a Starbucks (which by the way, is less sweet than in the U.S. – but the prices are simply way too expensive to ever justify going there).

iced coffee the coffee shop paris — Iced coffee at The Coffee in Paris; August 2025

Locations: Several; can be found all over Paris such as in the 2nd, 4th, 7th, and the 9th arrondissements

Sip or Skip? Surprisingly, I say sip! The coffee has good WiFi, functional seating for long-term laptop work, and is the perfect place for any American craving their sweet, giant, iced “Dunkin’ style” coffee in Paris.

BO&MIE

I have been to this chain a couple time with my parents in Paris, both of which are extremely picky with coffee – and both approved of this place. It’s simple, but almost always busy – as they offer several fun coffee drinks and pastries to try.

If you’re walking around Paris for hours at a time, and stumble into a BO&MIE, it’s reliable – and you can relax easy knowing the coffee or pastry may not be local coffee shop or boulangerie quality, but it’ll be as best as you can get on a short moment’s notice.

Locations: Several; can be found all over Paris such as in the 1st, 5th, and 10th arrondissements

Sip or Skip? I’d say you can sip, but if you’re near a Noir or The Coffee or even a local bakery – I would skip and opt for a pastry from a nearby boulangerie if you can.

Terres de Café

This is another common coffee shop found in Paris, but to be frank – it isn’t very good. I’ve been here a few times to try and do work on my laptop, for non-coffee drinks, and espressos – but none of them have been worth the price or visit.

terres cafe in paris — Exterior of Terres in Paris, France; September 2025

Sip or Skip? This is the one coffee chain I have been to in Paris that I simply dislike. The seating is tight, the coffee isn’t good, and it’s just too expensive. The WiFi has also been bad at any location I’ve been to, making it a skip for me whenever I want to work at a coffee shop.

Want to see me in a day in my life going to local coffee shops in Paris? Check out my Paris vlog below!

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Last updated: September 6, 2025

A Local’s Guide to the Best Coffee Shops in Paris