7 Best Cafés Around the Eiffel Tower Paris
One of the first things I do whenever I am in a new city is google "Best Coffee shops by the (insert any big tourist destination here)". Coffee is my love language and I'm always searching for the perfect place to get one. Now living in Paris for more than the last decade I've seen my fare share of openings and closings (thankfully more openings!) and some really tried and true places. It's easy now to say what the best cafes in most areas of the left bank are for me (sorry I'm a left bank of Paris girl and I've definitely spent my 10000 hours of research on the coffee shops here on this side of Paris.
Written in collaboration with Wafa from the Cups and Dishes Blog, all photos by Paris Photographer, Katie Donnelly Photography
So without further ado, here are the best coffee shops around the Eiffel tower (for takeaway or Sit Dow):
1. O Coffeeshop
2. Terres de Café
3. Zia
4. Kozy Bosquet
5. Petibon Café
6. Noir Coffee Shop
7. Bleu Olive
1. O Coffeeshop
23 Rue de Lourmel, 75015 Paris
www.ocoffeeshop.com Instagram
15 minute walk (1 km away from Eiffel Tower)
KATIE: What I love about O coffeeshop is that it’s in a super calm area, but even so, you go in and it’s bustling. It’s the mark of how you know somewhere is good. It's a great place that's just a short walk from the absolute mayhem that is the Eiffel Tower. It's a really popular spot with locals and if you're there in the morning you see they absolutely have a regular crowd. This Paris cafe serves up some yummy treats like banana bread and avocado toast. It is NOT the typical café (like most famous cafes Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots) but that's a good thing. Unfortunately typical parisian cafes have mostly bad coffee (sorry Paris). So you really have to search out the "torrefacteur" (we'll get to that word when you read about Terres de Café) or more along the lines of an Australian coffeshop which THANKFULLY we have a lot of both on the left bank and right bank of Paris.
WAFA: This is my local and regular café. I love it due to it’s amazing breakfast and coffee. World renowned banana bread is toasted for you with a nob of butter! Delicious organic eggs over avocado on toast with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and paprika really set you up for the day. You will not find croissants here but delicious baked tarts, cinnamon rolls and cakes by Chef Hélène Touin . They have a rotating lunch menu that is simple yet full of flavour. Owned and run by two coffee surfer dudes Timothee Teyssier and Matthew Sloane, they will welcome you with their warm Australian French smiles and charm along with a creamy cappuccino. So go in order your coffee and enjoy this modern cafe and it's cool vibe.
See Wafa’s full review on her coffee blog HERE.
2. Terres de Café
67 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris
www.terresdecafe.com Instagram, Facebook
5 minute walk ( 350 meter from Eiffel Tower)
KATIE: The first time I walked into a Terres de Café was at their Marais location with my mother in law. What drew us in was the incredible smell of the coffee beans. This location has that same charm and incredible coffee (and a really friendly staff!). If you’re a local and are looking for fresh coffee pods for your nespresso machines, they sell them, or if you want a great coffee to take back as a souvenir from Paris, they sell bags of beans too. I love that they are coffee specialists and their excitement and passion rubs off on you. Also, their gluten free brownies are to die for!! This is in a great location as it is a stone's throw away from the Eiffel Tower and absolutely a favorite spot for locals. There's another one of their locations right by our photo studio in Saint Germain des Pres and is a nice spot for takeaway. It's always cozy in all of their locations because they're small and warm and make the entire block smell like their heavenly beans. It's the only local roasters on this list and if you're a coffee snob this might be the one that's perfect for you.
WAFA: Don’t let this tiny café fool you. Go in and discover one of Paris’s top coffee specialists. A prizewinner for best retailer in Paris 2015. It serves fair-trade organic coffee from their own sustainable coffee farms in Africa and Latin America. They serve snacks and set lunch menus that include sandwiches and quiches that are all hand made on site. You will discover gluten free brownies and varied milk options. Long tables and benches inside makes it a great communal space, or you can people watch from their bright outdoor seats. I love their ethos and outlook on coffee, just look at their logo! No one knows what you are sharing over a cup of coffee with friends, Terres de Cafe gives you that personal space. Ears will be burning!
See Wafa’s review on her blog HERE
3. ZIA
22 Avenue de Tourville, 75007 Paris
www.ziaparis.com Facebook & Instagram
12 minute walk (950 m away from Eiffel Tower)
KATIE: I love when you walk into Zia that the light that pours in from the large windows, the beautiful artwork on the walls, and that the coffee’s plain GOOD. For a paris coffee shop, this isn't one of the new places but I think that works in it's favor. You have such a big returning clientele that it's a great mix of tourists and locals. It's a hop skip and jump from the iron lady and it's sister restaurant around the corner Milagro is one of the best restaurants in the area. And it really is a prime location, the eiffel tower neighborhood is probably the most popular destination in Paris aside from the Louvre and the latin quarter/saint germain-des-pres. With so many people coming into this area it's pretty amazing to have something that's got such a cozy atmosphere and quality coffee. (It's about the only place in Paris where you can get a TRUE breakfast burrito too.) You can get different kinds of alternative mils and can even get it to TAKE AWAY which is unheard of in Paris other than a few other coffee shops! The food is good and fresh, and every time I go in all I want is their amazing banana bread, and granola. Seriously, try it!
WAFA: This is a small bright café with modern art hanging that is bursting with amazing flavours from American owner and chef Justin Kent. The coffee and tea is good along with their baked snackes. Breakfast is served till 12 and then you have the lunch menu.
I would recommend the home made Granola for sure. Their fish dish is also great and just the right portion. Reasonably priced and varied menu is what you get at Zia, exciting flavours is where Justin really exceeds in mixing flavours and textures. Using organic local produce and leaving your belly truly satisfied. It really is a hidden gem.
4. Kozy - Bosquet
79 Av. Bosquet, 75007 Paris
This is a new one that I had to add even though it's been here in the 7th arrondissement for a WHILE. It is a cute coffee shop in the great spot next door to the Eiffel Tower and champs de Mars, they have another one right next to my Photo Studio in the 6th Arrondissement too. The hot chocolate is kid approved and it's one of the best places for a typical weekend brunch. The menu is diverse and full of flavor and there is often a huge line out front. The line is WORTH IT because it's the perfect spot for a solid pancake meal which is important to know where to get when you're an American Expat living here in Paris. Now I'm not knocking the french cuisine, I absolutely LOVE French food and especially French breakfast food (baguette, confiture, and croissants... amazing) but sometimes I just want a great cup of coffee and GOOD FOOD! And well, Kozy delivered for pretty reasonable prices too. Would defintiely recommend this parisian coffee shop. They even have a walkup coffee counter where you can get an amazing café crème (my official order).
5. Petibon Café
47 rue Cler, 75007 Paris
Petitbon Café is 3 cafés in Paris that were created by 3 French sisters after living in England. These are their “little goodies”. This location has a few chairs and tables outside and a small inside so you can pop in easily for a to-go coffee. What I love about this little place is that it’s on Rue Cler which is absolutely ADORABLE pedestrian street with lots of little markets. It’s lovely to do shopping or go for a little stroll. There are loads of AirBnb's in this area along with hotels so if you’re staying in the 7th you’re bound to go by this street!
6. Noir Coffee Shop
Noir café is one of many around Paris but each location is slightly different and all GREAT coffee! I’ve been to this one, another in the 7th, and recently photographed a campaign for the brand Ready Freddie in one of their locations in the 9th! This is RIGHT next to the next recommendation on the list Bleu Olive and across the street from Rue Cler.
7. Bleu Olive Epicerie
184 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris
This was a very cute find right next to Noir coffee shop across the street from rue cler. I went here recently with my friend Kelly of the Instagram @AmericanmominParis and we sat at a table by the door. They served the most delicious looking snacks and lunches. I would absolutely go back to this cozy neighborhood find!! They also do take away coffee.
Coffee Details from Photo Session by Katie Donnelly, Paris Photographer
I hope this list inspired you to get a cuppa! If you are looking for something else to do in Paris, what about doing a Paris photo session while you’re here?
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Otherwise, à bientôt! (That’s see you later in French!)
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