With each new travel destination comes a list of must-sees, must-dos, must-gos and must-experiences. Whether it’s the top of the Empire State, the bottom of the Barrier Reef or the middle of the Sahara Desert, there are things considered essential to their respective places. However, as eye opening as these attractions are I also find fantastic experiences occur when you focus not on where you are but on who you are. Whether you love model cars or antique lamps, searching for your passion in a new place is a great way to spend a day when travelling. Not only do you experience a new take on your old flame, but it forces you to get off the tourist trail and explore a different area. And these journeys are sometimes the most memorable.
For me it’s food (did you guess?) and coffee. While some people may scoff at walking across town to try the best dumplings, I never pass up the chance to go out of my way for a fantastic feed. You end up with dumplings and the fun of exploring somewhere new.
Also, as soon as I’m in a new place (or know I’m going to a new place) I research my coffee options and try to find the best the city has to offer. While it is easy to explain this away by the fact I need caffeine to function, it is not that simple. After all, a tea or substandard coffee would satisfy my cravings. But the experience of a new, good café is one I savour. A café is the perfect place to sit amongst the locals, watch the world go by and marvel at the way the ritual of coffee can be so different.
And that's how I ended up at La Cafeotheque in Paris.
After a couple of reputable sites (here and here) pointed me in the right direction, I was able to find this oasis. As it is located on a quiet one-way street (rue de l’Hôtel de Ville) that's parallel to the busy Quai de l’Hôtel de Ville it's easy to miss La Cafeotheque. Actually, it's easy to miss this cafe if you've lost your sense of smell. Otherwise the aroma of roasting coffee will entice you in if you're nearby.
The front section is taken up by a roaster and a wall of beans, ready for those who enjoy a home brew to grab and go.
The back room is where it's nice to stay a while. A short bar encircles the barista nook while small couches and armchairs are scattered around the cosy space. It's a little messy, a little eclectic and very homey. Each time I went in there were people who knew the staff, and when they didn't the baristas were never stingy with a chat.
La Cafeotheque features a different single origin coffee of the day, and many times the baristas were deep in conversation (with each other and with customers) about the merits of particular regions.
In keeping with the mismatched chairs, there seems little order to the price of a coffee. It's a different price depending on whether you sit at the bar, on a couch or have a take-away, but a couple of times they just charged me a price seemingly at random. The regular price for a cappuccino enjoyed on a couch is €5, which is pretty steep for a daily fix. Yet (like most Parisian places) they have no problem with people sitting and nursing a coffee for an hour, so it was worth the price just to relax in the calming space.
And a few steps in front of the cafe is the Seine and the Pont Louis-Philippe. I'm not saying I wouldn't have discovered this pretty view without the cafe, but a good coffee in me sure made the experience of wandering out more pleasurable.
La Cafeotheque
52 rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville
Paris, France
Ph: 01 53 01 83 84