Last updated October 2026
Paris may be the City of Light, but it could just as easily be called the City of Cafés. Few places on earth have turned sitting at a small round table with a coffee into an art form – and after more than a decade of visits, these are the cafés I return to again and again. This guide covers the 10 best cafes in Paris, from the literary institutions of Saint-Germain to the prettiest tearooms on the Right Bank, with what to order, where to sit and the little details that make each one worth the detour.
The best cafes in Paris at a glance
Short on time? For the classic Parisian café experience, go to Café de Flore. For the best hot chocolate in Paris, it’s Angelina. For pastries and a pretty terrace, Carette. For proper specialty coffee, La Caféothèque.
| Café | Neighbourhood | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Café de Flore | Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th) | The quintessential Paris café | $$$ |
| Les Deux Magots | Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th) | Literary history, people-watching | $$$ |
| Angelina | Rue de Rivoli (1st) | Hot chocolate and Mont-Blanc | $$$ |
| La Maison Rose | Montmartre (18th) | That pink façade | $$ |
| La Palette | Saint-Germain-des-Prés (6th) | A local-feeling terrace | $$ |
| Café Kitsuné | Palais-Royal (1st) | Coffee in the gardens | $$ |
| Café Marly | The Louvre (1st) | Views of the Pyramid | $$$$ |
| La Caféothèque | Hôtel de Ville / Le Marais (4th) | Specialty coffee | $$ |
| Café des Deux Moulins | Montmartre (18th) | Amélie fans | $$ |
| Carette | Place des Vosges & Trocadéro | Pastries and breakfast | $$$ |
The 10 best cafes in Paris
Paris has few rivals when it comes to café culture – the coffee, the people-watching and the art of passing time. Here are the ten worth planning your days around, starting with my absolute favourite.
1. Café de Flore
Neighbourhood: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th | Address: 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain | Métro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Line 4) | Best for: the quintessential Paris café
In the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Café de Flore has been a gathering place for artists, intellectuals and locals since it opened in the 1880s. Over the decades its banquettes have hosted Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway, and it remains one of the most famous cafés in the world.
Today it’s a mix of Parisians and travellers, with a menu of French classics – croque-monsieur, omelettes, salads – alongside coffee, pastries and its much-loved hot chocolate, served in a little pot so you can pour it yourself.
What to order: the hot chocolate (chocolat chaud à l’ancienne) and a croissant. Insider tip: go before 9am for a terrace table without the queue, and head upstairs if you want a quieter, more local-feeling room.
Read more: 50 Things You Must Do in Paris
2. Les Deux Magots
Neighbourhood: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th | Address: 6 Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés | Métro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Line 4) | Best for: literary history and people-watching
Just a few doors from Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots has a storied past of its own. Sartre and de Beauvoir worked here, and in the 1940s and 50s it became one of the meeting places of the Existentialist movement – what many consider the golden age of Parisian intellectual life. The two carved Chinese figures (the “magots”) still watch over the room.
Today it’s as popular as ever, particularly during Paris Fashion Week, when the terrace facing the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is one of the best people-watching seats in the city.
What to order: a café crème on the terrace. Insider tip: if Flore’s queue is long, Deux Magots is right next door – and the terrace view is arguably better.
3. Angelina
Neighbourhood: Rue de Rivoli, 1st | Address: 226 Rue de Rivoli | Métro: Tuileries (Line 1) | Best for: the best hot chocolate in Paris
For as long as I can remember I have been smitten with Angelina. There are now several locations across Paris, but my favourite remains the original Belle Époque tearoom on Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Tuileries Garden, which has been open since 1903.
The famous hot chocolate – thick, rich and served with a pot of whipped cream on the side – is the reason most people come, and the tearoom is said to have been a favourite of Coco Chanel and Marcel Proust.
What to order: the L’Africain hot chocolate and a Mont-Blanc (meringue, chestnut cream and whipped cream). Insider tip: the queue on Rue de Rivoli can be long on weekends – go first thing on a weekday, or skip the line and take a hot chocolate to go for a walk through the Tuileries.
Read more: A Guide to Visiting Angelina Paris
4. La Maison Rose
Neighbourhood: Montmartre, 18th | Address: 2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir | Métro: Lamarck–Caulaincourt (Line 12) | Best for: that pink façade
Known on Instagram as “the pink café”, La Maison Rose has become a must for travellers in search of old-world Parisian charm. The rose-coloured glasses might cloud your judgement a little – but that’s the best way to see Paris, in all of her glory.
What to order: keep it simple with a coffee or a glass of wine on the small terrace. Insider tip: arrive early in the morning for photos without the crowds, then spend the rest of the day meandering through Montmartre, the artists’ quarter that has kept so much of its village charm.
5. La Palette
Neighbourhood: Saint-Germain-des-Prés, 6th | Address: 43 Rue de Seine | Métro: Mabillon (Line 10) or Odéon (Lines 4, 10) | Best for: a local-feeling terrace
This historic café, surrounded by the galleries of Rue de Seine and steps from the École des Beaux-Arts, is one for the books – literally. It has long been a haunt of artists and students, with Picasso and Hemingway among its famous regulars, and its painted ceramic interior is one of the prettiest in the city.
What to order: a glass of wine and a plate of charcuterie in the late afternoon. Insider tip: the leafy corner terrace is one of the best spots in Saint-Germain to people-watch, any day of the week.
6. Café Kitsuné
Neighbourhood: Palais-Royal, 1st | Address: 51 Galerie de Montpensier | Métro: Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre (Lines 1, 7) | Best for: coffee in the gardens
Tucked beneath the arcades of the Palais-Royal, Café Kitsuné blends Parisian style with Japanese minimalism. The coffee is excellent, and the fox-logo cup is recognised the world over.
What to order: an iced latte or matcha latte and a fox-shaped shortbread biscuit. Insider tip: take your coffee to go and find a chair in the Palais-Royal garden – one of the most peaceful places in central Paris.
7. Café Marly
Neighbourhood: The Louvre, 1st | Address: 93 Rue de Rivoli (Cour Napoléon) | Métro: Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre (Lines 1, 7) | Best for: views of the Pyramid
Set inside the Louvre itself, Café Marly’s arcaded terrace looks straight out over I.M. Pei’s glass Pyramid. The menu sticks to French classics – think French onion soup, croissants and typically Parisian service. You are paying for the view and the location, but it’s an essential Paris experience to have breakfast here at least once.
What to order: breakfast or a coffee on the terrace. Insider tip: come back at dusk when the Pyramid is lit up – the terrace is at its most magical after dark.
8. La Caféothèque
Neighbourhood: Hôtel de Ville / Le Marais, 4th | Address: 52 Rue de l’Hôtel de Ville | Métro: Pont Marie (Line 7) | Best for: specialty coffee
If you’re after the best coffee in Paris rather than the most famous terrace, this is the place. One of the pioneers of specialty coffee in the city, La Caféothèque roasts its own beans and offers an extensive selection from around the world in a cosy, unhurried space by the Seine.
What to order: ask the barista for the single origin of the day, as a filter or espresso. Insider tip: visit on a Sunday, when Le Marais really comes to life, then walk to Place des Vosges – in the warmer months it’s the perfect excuse to kick back and watch Paris pass you by.
9. Café des Deux Moulins
Neighbourhood: Montmartre, 18th | Address: 15 Rue Lepic | Métro: Blanche (Line 2) or Abbesses (Line 12) | Best for: Amélie fans
This café is one of the most famous in Paris thanks to its starring role in the film Amélie, where Audrey Tautou’s character works as a waitress. It’s a charming, cosy neighbourhood spot with vintage décor and outdoor seating, just down the hill from the heart of Montmartre.
What to order: the crème brûlée – Amélie’s favourite thing to crack. Insider tip: pair it with a walk up Rue Lepic to the Moulin de la Galette and on to La Maison Rose.
10. Carette
Neighbourhood: Place des Vosges (Le Marais, 3rd/4th) and Trocadéro (16th) | Address: 25 Place des Vosges; 4 Place du Trocadéro | Métro: Chemin Vert (Line 8); Trocadéro (Lines 6, 9) | Best for: pastries and breakfast
There’s no denying my love for Carette. Ever since discovering this tearoom (open since 1927) on one of my early trips to Paris, I have returned every visit since. My favourite is the Place des Vosges location, under the arcades of the oldest planned square in Paris – perfect when passing by en route to a museum or simply strolling Le Marais. The Trocadéro location comes with views of the Eiffel Tower.
What to order: the pain au chocolat (some of my favourites in all of Paris), the macarons and a takeaway coffee. Insider tip: get a pastry box to go and eat it in the Place des Vosges gardens.
Paris café etiquette: what to know before you go
- Seat yourself. At most traditional cafés you choose your own table – just catch a waiter’s eye.
- Terrace vs. bar prices. Coffee costs more at a table, and more again on the terrace, than standing at the counter (au comptoir).
- Know your coffee. “Un café” is an espresso. A café crème is the closest thing to a latte, and a noisette is an espresso with a dash of milk.
- Take your time. You won’t be rushed – and you’ll need to ask for the bill (“l’addition, s’il vous plaît”).
- Tipping. Service is included by law; rounding up or leaving a euro or two for good service is appreciated but not expected.
- Go early. The famous cafés are calmest before 9am and busiest from late morning on weekends.
Where to stay near the best cafes in Paris
If café-hopping is high on your list, base yourself in Saint-Germain-des-Prés (walking distance to Flore, Deux Magots and La Palette) or Le Marais (for Carette, La Caféothèque and Place des Vosges). For my favourite hotels in both, see The 12 Best Luxury Hotels in Paris.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous café in Paris?
Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés are the most famous cafés in Paris, known for their literary history with Sartre, de Beauvoir, Hemingway and Picasso.
Where can I get the best hot chocolate in Paris?
Angelina on Rue de Rivoli is famous for the best hot chocolate in Paris, served thick with whipped cream on the side. Café de Flore’s hot chocolate is a close second.
Which Paris café was in Amélie?
Café des Deux Moulins at 15 Rue Lepic in Montmartre is the café where Amélie works in the film.
Where is the pink café in Paris?
The “pink café” is La Maison Rose, at 2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir in Montmartre.
Do you need a reservation for Paris cafés?
Most Paris cafés don’t take reservations for coffee – arrive early to get a terrace table. Café Marly and Angelina’s restaurant are the exceptions where booking for a meal is recommended.
Which neighbourhood has the best cafés in Paris?
Saint-Germain-des-Prés has the highest concentration of classic cafés, while Le Marais and the area around Palais-Royal are best for specialty coffee and tearooms.
More Paris guides
- The 12 Best Luxury Hotels in Paris
- 50 Things You Must Do in Paris
- Secret Paris: 30 Beautiful Hidden Locations in Paris
- The Secret Passages of Paris: A Complete Guide
- A Guide to Visiting Angelina Paris
See more of my travels on Instagram
Brooke is a Tasmanian-born writer and professional baker who started World of Wanderlust in 2013 and has since travelled to 86 countries. These days her guides focus on what she knows best: the bakeries, hotels and places worth crossing the world for.
