Paris Specialty Coffee Roasters

Paris may be well known and loved for its café culture, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that what’s in the cup is necessarily any good (I talk at length about why this is the case in my guide to Paris). If you’re as into coffee as I am, whether the silkiest Chemex or the flattest of whites, then you’ll be thrilled to know that coffee roasting has taken off in a big way in Paris in the last decade. These past few years have seen an explosion of new roasters in the city.

If you didn’t catch the video version of the best coffee in Paris already, then here are five of my favorite specialty roasters in Paris, keeping me caffeinated and ready to face the Parisian grind.

KB Coffee Roasters / Back in Black

KB Coffee Roasters, originally Kookaburra Coffee, is one of the OG roasters in Paris. Their location at the top of Rue des Martyrs is iconic, the busiest coffee shop in all of Paris. One visit will demonstrate why. Between the bustling location, their expansive terraced seating, and the perfectly framed view of Sacre Coeur peeking out up the street, it doesn’t get much better.

Back in Black is their second location, down near Bastille on Rue Amelot, and where they do their roasting and kitchen tests. The food menu is a bit more robust, if ever-changing, and the space is sprawling with plenty of work-friendly tables. It’s the perfect spot for a quick meeting or coffee date in the 11th arrondissement.

Cafe Nuances

The new kid on the block, Café Nuances just opened in 2022 and is already making waves. My friend Lindsey Tramuta introduced me early on, just around the corner from Place Vendome, and I fell in love with their roast. If you really want to lean into the medium and light roasts, this is your best bet while you’re in Paris. They’ve always got an interesting selection on, can do a variety of styles of pour-over, and have a rotation of tasty pastries. Located in an old creamery, it comes flush with style - but that’s all the flush you’ll get as there’s no toilet on site, so be sure to take care of that before visiting.

Partisan

Partisan is located on the edge of the Haut Marais, central but not touristy, busy but not overwhelming. Their coffee leans a little darker to my taste (and now that I’ve gone public with that opinion, their founder won’t stop joking about it), but it’s always good. What draws me here more than anything are the friendly staff, copious natural light thanks to the massive windows, and the chocolate chip cookie. The secret is that they brown the butter when making it. So good.

Coutume

Located on the Left Bank, Coutume has been around for a long time and even trained a large number of the baristas that went on to spread the gospel of Joe across the French landscape. Their space on Rue Babylone is cozy and generous, with lots of tables to choose from and a gentle buzz of conversation that will make you feel right at home. You’ll find their coffee all over the city, which has been a lifesaver in more than one otherwise coffee-free neighborhood.

Hexagone

Mainland France, when seen on a map and slightly squinted at, resembles a hexagon. It’s a nickname that hasn’t just stuck around, but also inspired all kinds of delightful surprises like this little oasis in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. A little out of the way, Hexagone is worth a trip if you’ve got extra time and a craving to visit the Montparnasse Cemetery. They tend to have a nice variety of beans on hand from which they’re actually brewing on any given day, which also makes them a great spot to try a little tasting a la carte if you’d like to do some comparison and test your tastebuds.

The Beans on Fire / Farfelu (Formerly)

The Beans on Fire in Paris is a collective coffee roaster that has enabled all sorts of people to get their start in roasting in the City of Light. They currently have two locations, their original over near Saint-Ambroise and the famous Atellier des Lumiers, and Trois Freres, named after the street on which it sits near the top of Montmartre (formerly Farfelu).

Whether you need some coffee to stay awake during a light show, or to take a break from walking up the tallest hill in Paris, The Beans on Fire is there for you. 

Want more coffee options in Paris? Check out my guide! There are a few favorites that didn’t make this list (originally written in May of 2022) and you won’t want to miss them.