To me, the French café used to feel impossibly exotic. The rich shots of coffee, flaky pastries, slices of baguette, and cultured butter were miles away from the Yuban and white bread of my childhood. I still love cafés, but these days I’m no stranger to good coffee — better than you get in a typical Parisian café, if you ask me — and bakeries turning out decent bread can be found in most big American cities. I regularly buy cultured butter at my neighborhood co-op.
Still, traditional French cafés fascinate me. I love their floor tiles and pitchers for pastis, the regimented rows of wicker chairs on their terraces, and the teasing waiters. I even adore how the toilettes are often stashed at the bottom of narrow spiral staircases. And I like the smells.
In Paris, my coffee ritual changes. Besides the drip coffee I have at the apartment in the morning, I often take a fragrant, if acrid, shot of espresso with a tube of sugar (sugar cubes are hard to find now) in the afternoon. I almost never do this at home, for fear of staying up all night. I sip my petit café outside, where cigarette smoke drifts by. Somehow, neither the smoke nor the afternoon caffeine bother me here.
Some patisseries are cafés, too, and I’m much more likely to indulge in afternoon pastries in Paris (duh). Yesterday, I had a réligieuse — a stack of two balls of puff pastry, each filled with pastry cream and frosted in chocolate. Can’t you smell the chocolate icing and slightly salty pastry? A woman two tables down wafted an aldehydic rose perfume, and the bus rumbling by let off a touch of diesel fumes.
Yes, Paris is lousy with Starbucks, too. With any luck I'll never know what they smell like.
Commenting from my own neighborhood cafe, but instead of bread, they make donuts. Sadly I forgot u my book in the car. Are you reading sunbathing wonderful?
I hope you have a wonderful time!
Hey, there’s nothing wrong with donuts! I’ve been surprised to find lots of Paris patisseries making cookies and muffins, too (often called “muffin’s”). I have stacks of reading piled up–my dream come true.
Tea and pastries are two of the best things in life! Fortunately here in Montreal we have good options in both categories. But Paris atmosphere can only be had there. :-). Enjoy!
Thank you! I am definitely enjoying. Tomorrow I’m planning a trip to Pierre Hermes.
Pierre Herme is the best!
Ah! The penny drops! I had understood Hermès the fashion/perfume people. But now I’ve Googled “Pierre Hermé” – oh my goodness!
Angela, I hope you either plan to walk everywhere, or have packed elasticated waists. I only had to look at that page and I swear I put on 3lbs. :^D
I’m definitely walking a lot PLUS wearing loose dresses!
Yes–I have Hermes on the brain. Pierre Herme, naturally!
I love pastry and coffee shops. I love a perfect croissant like you can only get in some hole in the wall cafe in France, and if you can get your hands on those and a hot cafe au lait, then you have perfection. I have pastry envy this afternoon.
You are so right. A good croissant is hard to come by, even here, but nearly impossible to find in the U.S. You can bet I won’t stop until I’ve found some good butter croissants that aren’t too tender or too flaky, but the perfect mix of both.
Your description sounds heavenly. I am living vicariously through you this week. What fabulous aromas, pastries and people-watching! Maybe I’ll thaw out the little mini cream puffs I have in the freezer, though they would be no comparison (le sigh!).
Definitely thaw out one or two and make yourself a pot of good tea and sit with your feet up. That sounds heavenly to me!
I actually like the cream puffs in their frozen state 😉
Ooh, that’s a treat I haven’t tried yet!
A good croissant is unbeatable in the morning, preferably with a tartine au beurre on the side. I’m partial to a bière blonde (any brand) or a Pelforth Brune at the other end of the day too. Enjoy Hermès!
That sounds so good! I need to stock up for tomorrow morning. Today my breakfast will be a yogurt, but after I “faire des courses,” I’m looking forward to something more substantial.
I was in Portland over the weekend and spent 40 minutes waiting in line for a Blue Star donut. My sister and I were going to share one but we wanted to make eating worth the wait so we bought 4 (to share with 2 other people). Anyway, when I was in Paris several years back, It was so hot but I knew I couldn’t get iced coffee in a proper Parisian cafe so off to a Starbucks I went. The cashier had this horrified look on his face and it also felt like everyone within earshot gasped and froze in place. I eventually walked out with an iced americano but had to endure a little bit of drama!
Looking forward to your daily installment!
Did you like the Blue Star donut? I like them better than Voodoo Donuts, but I have to admit that I don’t have a lot of patience for long lines.
Good for you for insisting on an iced coffee! Maybe you’ll start a trend.
When I visited the ‘Alternative Fragrances Exhibition’ in Paris back in June, there was a little coffee company called ‘Caron’ marooned among the perfume and cosmetic stands. (I meant to ask if they were somehow related to the perfume house of the same name). Anyways, I later visited their little shop in the Marais (rue Notre Dame de Nazareth) and they do a very good iced coffee or frappé, as well as a small selection of decent teas. But for all I know, many other places are doing iced coffees now.
I’m surprised Starbucks isn’t, really. I suppose the iced latte will take over the world at some point.
Sébastien Gaudard? Could it be? Be still my beating heart. 😀
That réligieuse looks delicious. Thank you for sharing your day-by-day Paris adventures. À demain!
It really was delicious! (And it really was Sebastien Gaudard!) I wish I could make a ceramic dupe and keep it on my kitchen counter just to gaze at.
I would love to travel to Paris just for the food alone, especially the desserts. With a little perfume shopping somewhere in there, of course.
I’ve definitely heard worse plans for a nice trip to Paris!