16 Cafés in Paris to Experience the Parisian Café Culture

Here are some of the best cafés in Paris to experience oh-so celebrated French café culture.

Parisian cafés are more than just eating and drinking venues.

They are social institutions, a place to enjoy the beauty of Paris with friends and family, as well as a relaxing location to get away from it all by sitting outside in the summer, enjoying your cup of coffee, reading a book in the sun, and the many beautiful sights of Paris.

Cafés in Paris have existed for centuries. Even though many modern cafés offer a warm ambiance and delectable desserts, the beauty and charm of the old famous Paris cafés will steal your heart.

If you would like to go on a journey to explore some of the best French cafés in Paris, you are in the right place!

We will explore why tourists and Parisians alike always return to dine at these gems and why you should definitely visit them when you are ever in Paris!

Best Cafés in Paris

The café culture in Paris started in the 19th century and remains strong. So grab a book and a café crème, find yourself a sunny terrace, and enjoy the best Paris cafés.

1. La Rotonde

When Mr. Libion bought a modest-size café on the corner of Montparnasse and Boulevards Raspail at the turn of the twentieth century, he had no idea that the name “La Rotonde” would end up being one of the main attractions of Parisian life.

The brewery is rooted in the “Montparnos” history and has followed Montparnasse’s rich history over the past century. 

Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani spent hours in this popular café.

The interior is beautiful, with red velvet benches in elegant and luxurious living rooms, tastefully decorated, allowing you to enjoy rich and traditional French cuisine in an ambient setting.

Visit La Rotonde and enjoy a morning croissant and a cup of freshly brewed coffee, or share a delicious seafood platter with family and friends for dinner.

• Contact Number: +33143264826
• Location: 105 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Montparnasse Bienvenue Metro Station, Montparnasse Street, 75014
• Opening Hours: 07:30 am to 00:00 am (Mondays to Sundays)
• Website

Read next: Paris in the Summer

2. Odette

Before we start, please remember that you’re in the heartland of excellent Patisserie if you are in Paris, and Odette is one such example!

This charming bakery is just around the corner from Notre Dame, among the narrow winding medieval streets of Paris, more specifically the Latin Quarter.

They sell wonderful coffee and gorgeous, colorful, delectable cream puffs. It’s a great place to have a bite to eat, relax and unwind while admiring the magnificent cathedral.

• Contact Number: +33628636795
• Location: 77 rue Galande, 75005
• Nearest Metro Station: Palais Royal Musee du Louvre Metro Station
• Website

3. Café de Flore

Café De Flore is effortlessly cool! It is an exceptional location with great staff, classic cuisine, and fine wine.

It’s one of the most famous cafés in Paris and rightly so because their menu is fantastic. It’s not a surprise this is one of the best brunches in Paris.

We highly recommend popping in for a nightcap while watching the world go by in the 6th arrondissement.

Visiting this beautiful, vibey café makes you realize why you came to Paris in the first place.

• Contact Number: +33145486060
• Location: 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Mabillon Metro Station, Acadie Square, 75006
• Opening Hours: 7:30 am – 01:30 am (Monday to Sunday)
• Website

4. Café Les Deux Magots

The café’s name, “Les Deux Magots” (meaning “the two Chinese figurines”), is derived from the sign of a novelty business that originally stood on the same spot.

It was founded in 1812 at 23 rue de Buci and expanded in 1873 to Place St-Germain-des-Prés in the 6th arrondissement. The two statues that now adorn the hall are relics from that period.

Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, who lived around the corner on Rue Bonaparte, were fixtures here. 

It is a charming neighborhood with a unique ambiance, a breath of fresh air, and a well-known French café with an outdoor terrace facing the church.

Les Deux is definitely a café to visit if you are in the French capital, and its menu is extensive and offers its patrons something different.

People come here to observe the endless Parisian ballet, admire the city’s silhouettes and lights, sample old-fashioned chocolate, and converse around a magnificent dish of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Now, one of Paris’s oldest cafés, Les Deux Magots, continues to attract celebrities from the arts and literature, politics and fashion, and tourists from all parts of the world.

• Contact Number: +33 1 45 48 55 25
• Location: 6 Place Saint-Germain-des-Pres, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Mabillon Metro Station, Acadie Square, 75006
• Opening Hours: 7:30 am to 01:00 am (Monday to Sunday)
• Website

Read next: Paris in the Spring

5. Café Tournon

If you’ve ever roamed the streets of Paris searching for a break from the city’s busyness, you’ve probably come across Café Tournon in the upscale 6th arrondissement.

You can get a soothing cappuccino or a glass of Beaujolais wine and enjoy something delectable from their wonderful menu, but the establishment’s rich history sets it apart.

It was a hangout and haven for African American artists and musicians for decades. The Saint-Germain neighborhood’s jazz scene got its start here, where Duke Ellington used to play with his band. 

• Contact Number: +33142013873
• Location: 18 Rue de Tournon, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Saint-Michel Metro Station, Saint-Michel Square, 75005 
• Website

6. Angelina

Angelina, a tea establishment named after his daughter-in-law, was founded by confectioner Anton Rumpelmayer and his son René at No. 226, Rue de Rivoli, in 1903. Art Nouveau is a style as well as a period in history.

The interior, built by renowned Belle Epoque architect Edouard-Jean Niermans, combines sophistication, charm, and refinement to create a romantic and poetic atmosphere.

Angelina quickly became very popular, thanks to the location’s allure and the Rumpelmayer’s pastry mastery.

Proust, Coco Chanel, and some of the biggest French fashion designers convened in the famed tearoom.

Today, tourists and Parisians are queuing to try Angelina’s menu, especially the famed Mont-Blanc and “L’Africain” hot chocolate.

• Contact Number: +33 1 42 60 82 00
• Location: 226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
• Nearest Metro Station: Madeleine Metro Station, Madeleine Square, 75008 Paris
• Opening Hours: 9:00 am – 7:30 pm (Monday to Friday), 10:00 am – 6:00 pm (Saturday)
• Website

7. Ladurée

Laduree on 16 rue Royale was established in 1862 and still features the original murals with sweet muses and wainscoting. The house has been expanding since 2011 when it opened a shop on rue Royale 18.

This is a little Paris gem, and we call it a sweet tooth’s dream destination! Pop into Laduree for a deliciously sweet pastry experience!

• Contact Number: 0142602179
• Location: 16 Rue Royale, 75008
• Nearest Metro Station: Solferino Metro Station, Jacques Bainville Square, 75007
• Opening Times: 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (Monday to Fridays), 09:00 am – 7:30 pm (Saturdays), 10 am – 6:30 pm (Sundays)
• Website

8. Le Select

With its wooden tables, seats, stucco, moldings, and terrace, Le Select Café is the ideal Montparnasse establishment designed and decorated in the style of the 1920s and was frequented by Henry Miller, Hemingway, Picasso, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Le Select will delight you with its wonderful menu, variety of beverages, and friendly, professional staff.

Even celebrities like Scarlett Johansson absolutely love their perfectly seasoned tartare and famous farm chicken roasted in its own juices!

• Contact Number: +331 45 48 38 24
• Location: 99 Boulevard de Montparnasse, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Vavin – Montparnasse Bienvenue
• Opening Hours: 07:00 am – 2:00 am (Sunday to Thursday), 07:00 am – 3:00 am (Friday to Saturday)
• Website

9. Le Procope

The oldest café in Paris, Le Procope, has been a legendary eatery in the 6th arrondissement of Paris since 1686.

It was here that the world’s greatest writers and thinkers gathered (Rousseau, Diderot, Verlaine, etc.)

This Parisian café, in keeping with its renowned and historical surroundings, serves classic food on its menu in the form of calf’s head, homemade millefeuille, Coq au vin, braised ox cheek, and the Café Procope’s tiramisu.

• Contact Number: +33140467900
• Location: 13 rue de l’Ancienne Comedie, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Mabillon Metro Station, Acadie Square, 75006
• Opening Hours: 12:00 pm – 00:00 am (Monday to Sunday)
• Website

10. Du Pain et des Idées

Du Pain & des Idées tells the story of Christophe Vasseur, a passionate self-taught baker who left everything behind in 2002 to live in this historic 1875 Parisian bakery.

Du pain & des idées embody a purist baker’s craft, in which the finest raw materials, primarily from organic farms, are processed using ancestral processes that ensure taste and health.

Only bread and pastries are available because of this bias.

The chocolate-pistachio snail, fresh apple slipper, baker’s flan, orange blossom brioche, and legendary pain des Amis are just some of the house’s specialties. Still, its menu has more delectable options available.

• Contact Number: +33142404452
• Location: 34 Rue Yves Toudic, Paris, IdF 75010
• Nearest Metro Station: Gare de l’Est Metro Station, Strasbourg Boulevard, 75010
• Opening Hours: 06:45 am – 8:00 pm (Monday to Friday)
• Website

11. La Fontaine (former La Fontaine de Belleville)

The team behind the Brûlerie de Belleville has created a fantastic French-style café Bistrot.

By just preserving the decor and updating the menu, Thomas Lehoux and David Flynn have reinvented the concept of an old-style Parisian café.

The founders of the Brûlerie de Belleville refurbished this 1920s café with great care, retaining its majestic mirrors, beautiful ceiling, and paintings. The tables are hand-painted new, and the rattan seats are from Maison Gatti.

Craft beers from the local area are available, including Deck & Donohue in Montreuil, Outland in Fontenay-sous-Bois, and coffee from the Brûlerie itself.

However, the café’s bright terrace, which overlooks the crossroads of street Juliette Dodu and la Grange aux Belles, is the highlight for many of its patrons.

• Contact Number: +33 1 42 85 79 37
• Location: 31 rue Juliette Dodu, 75010
• Nearest Metro Station: Gare de l’Est Metro Station, Strasbourg Boulevard, 75010
• Opening Times: 08:00 am to 10:00 pm (Monday to Sunday)
• Website

12. Le Consulat

Le Consulat Café lies on its own little land island on Rue Norvins in the 18th arrondissement, associated with famed artist Vincent Van Gogh.

You’ll find a menu of traditional French wines, an excellent beverage list, plenty of French cuisines, and plenty of vintage charm upon arrival.

Arrive early to prevent missing out on a seat! If you prefer meat, the Steak au Poivre Avec Pomme Frites (steak and fries) is said to be among the best in the area.

If you are there for a quick pop-in, order an espresso and take a seat on the cafe’s beautiful terrace to observe the world go by.

• Contact Number: +33146065063
• Location: 18 rue Norvins, Montmarte, 75018
• Nearest Metro Station: Abbesses Metro Station, la Vieuville Street, 75018
• Opening Times: 11:00 am – 22:00 pm (Monday to Sunday)

13. Café de la Paix

You know you’ve arrived somewhere unique when you walk into the Café de la Paix. Surrounded by a unique ambiance and décor you won’t find anywhere else in Paris.

The Napoleon III style’s gilded paneling and vaulted ceiling mix effortlessly with minimalist furnishings and a natural color scheme.

Since its establishment in 1862 on the Place de l’Opéra, the Café de la Paix has symbolized Parisian life.

Loved by many French writers such as Emile Zola and Guy de Maupassant, this café has witnessed significant events in the capital’s history and has seen generations of Parisians meet, fall in love, and enjoy special moments over coffee.

• Contact Number: +33140073636
• Location: 5 Place de l’Opera, 75009
• Nearest Metro Station: Opera Metro Station, Opera Square, 75009
• Opening Hours: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm & 6:00 pm – 11:30 pm (Monday to Sunday)
• Website

14. La Palette

This internationally known café has long been a true institution, with a diverse audience ranging from philosophers and artists to simple tourists looking to commemorate the iconic restaurant with a cliché.

If you want to feel like a true Parisian, visit La Palette and enjoy some delicious dishes from their extensive menu.

• Contact Number: +33143267143
• Location: 3 Rue Jacques Callot, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Saint-Michel Metro Station, Saint-Michel Square, 75005
• Opening Hours: 08:00 am – 2:00 pm (Monday to Saturday), 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (Sundays)
• Website

15. La Maison Rose

La Maison Rose is a unique and pleasant neighborhood café in the 18th arrondissement that serves a variety of foods influenced by French “farm to table” cuisine and Italian Cucina Povera.

Seasonal vegetables, excellent meats, poultry, and fish are all available on the menu. La Maison Rose is eco-friendly and carefully selects its products and vendors.

Working with local producers from the 18th district, they focus on seasonal, local agriculture and support the local economy.

• Contact Number: +33142644962
• Location: 2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir, 75018
• Nearest Metro Station: Jules Joffrin Metro Station, Jules Joffrin Square, 75018
• Opening Hours: 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Wednesdays), 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Thursdays & Fridays), 11:30 am – 10:00 pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
• Website

16. La Closerie des Lilas

You still hear the sound of the piano in the historic center of La Closerie des Lilas, which houses the memories of great artists, including Paul Verlaine, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, André Gide, Oscar Wilde, and Emile Zola.

Discover the bartenders’ diverse drink innovations and the timeless classics, whether you’re alone or with companions.

Many unknown artists and enthusiasts carry on the history of happy encounters. Come and enjoy their delectable menus in the heart of Paris.

• Contact Detail: +33140513450
• Location: 171 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006
• Nearest Metro Station: Saint-Placide Metro Station, 127 Rennes Street, at the corner of Notre-Dame-des-Champs Street, 75006
• Opening Hours: 12:00 pm – 2:15 pm & 7:00 pm – 10:15 pm (Monday to Sunday)
• Website

Final Words on the Best Paris Cafés

Whether you’re ordering a flat white, chai latte, or a black coffee, these cafés are the perfect spot to feel the famous Parisian café culture.

It’s an intrinsic part of French culture, so you can’t afford to miss it. Pick a busy corner, take your time with your favorite beverage, and do some people watch. You won’t regret it.