While we LOVE Parisian cafés and highly recommend experiencing the city’s café culture during your trip, not ALL offer an authentic local experience. Some cafés, especially those near major tourist attractions and the historic famous ones, can be filled with only tourists, are super expensive – or both. Avoid the tourist traps and overly-hyped venues by visiting some of these best non-touristy cafés in Paris.
(WA = Wheelchair Accessible)
Image Courtesy of Bar Du Marché via Instagram
Bar Du Marché
While we can understand the temptation to go to the famous historic cafés of Saint-Germain (yep – we mean the Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots), they are REALLY overpriced AND mainly frequented by fellow tourists. If you would like a more affordable and authentic café, go to this one found a short walk away. Although a few other tourists might also be seated on its great terrace overlooking the bustling rue de Buci, it’s a real café frequented by locals. The waiters dressed in cover-alls and cute caps, add to its appeal.
Bar Du Marché | Saint-Germain
Image Courtesy of Chez Ginette
Chez Ginette
They might be quaint, however, the cafés on and around Place du Tertre are SUPER touristy. We recommend you skip those (AND La Maison Rose) and go to this attractive classic café that sits just behind Montmartre, a mere few minutes’ stroll from the tourist hubbub at the top of the hill. You can choose to sit outdoors on the shaded rue Caulaincourt or in its bright interiors with large windows. Its reasonably-priced menu is more creative than traditional cafés, with a few tapas-style items to share and some tasty vegetarian dishes.
Chez Ginette | Montmartre
Image Courtesy of Le Mansart via Instagram
Le Mansart
Although this café in South Pigalle looks traditional, with an Art Deco decor and typical café tables, it’s a popular hangout for the residents of this cool local neighborhood. It’s best for a drink in the evening when you can mingle with the bar’s regulars, nibble on some snacks, or challenge your travel partner – or a Parisian – to a game of foosball, a great way to practise your French.
Le Mansart | South Pigalle | WA
Image Courtesy of Partisan via Facebook
Partisan
If it’s amazing coffee you’re after, you won’t find it at most traditional cafés. But coffee fans will be thrilled with the growing number of modern coffee shops, like this spacious one on the edge of the Marais. They roast their own coffee, which means they take their cup of joe very, very seriously. You can sip on this in their airy minimalist interior or outdoor terrace. And if you really like what you’ve sampled, they sell it in bags so you can take one home as a unique souvenir of Paris.
Partisan | North Marais
Image Courtesy of The Dancing Goat via Instagram
The Dancing Goat
Among our list of best non-touristy cafes in Paris is this venue near Père Lachaise which has all the allure of a classic café yet serves great modern coffee and food. It has a classic zinc bar, light wood tables and chairs, and funky lighting. Instead of typical French café food, they serve great lattes, creative cakes, breakfast bowls, and some other light snacks, which makes it a great place to fuel up before visiting the city’s most famous cemetery or wandering around nearby Belleville.
The Dancing Goat | 20th Arrondissement
Image Courtesy of La Fontaine via Facebook
La Fontaine
Previously owned by the Belleville Brulerie, one of Paris’s earliest modern coffee roasters, this café has a laid-back Parisian feel and is a local favorite around the Canal St-Martin. Originally opened in 1908, you’ll love its classic café look with large mirrors, dark wood tables, and a zinc bar. You can come for a coffee, a glass of craft beer or natural wine, or a meal of French dishes with a contemporary twist.
La Fontaine | Canal St-Martin | WA
La Contrescarpe
Skip the overrated people-watching cafés, such as Le Nemours or Le Café du Marly, and come to this café on the Place de la Contrescarpe instead. From its large terrace, you can take in the buzzing ambiance of the pretty square at the edge of the Latin Quarter that mixes locals, students from the Sorbonne University, and a few tourists who drifted away from the masses. We think it’s best for a drink or a casual meal. It’s also near some of the places in our Emily in Paris filming locations article, namely the apartment where she lived, so you could pop by here after visiting those.
La Contrescarpe | 5th Arrondissement | WA
Image Courtesy of La Barbouquin via Instagram
Le Barbouquin
One of the best non-touristy cafes in Paris is this little gem on a quiet street in Belleville – where you might be the only foreigner. Its clever name combines the word “bar” with “bouquin,” a slang word for book in French. As you can imagine, the cozy café is the ideal place to curl up with a book over a decent cup of coffee or light lunch. It also hosts small concerts, often on Thursday late afternoon. Afterwards, take a wander around the area to discover it’s fantastic street art scene – some examples are usually plastered on the exterior walls of the café and neighboring streets.
Le Barbouquin | Belleville | WA
Image Courtesy of Le Louis-Phillipe via Instagram
Le Louis-Philippe
We wanted to include at least one traditional café and this charming one in the South Marais has one of the nicest views in the city, up towards the picturesque rue de Barres. It has great outdoor seating and an inviting interior, with a vintage wrought iron spiral staircase. It’s a great place for a coffee or a meal that will please all food desires as its menu has everything from vegan bowls to French onion soup and snails.
Le Louis-Philippe | South Marais
Image Courtesy of La Recyclerie
La Recyclerie
If you want a cool local hangout, come to this eco-friendly café set within a former train station of the “Petite Ceinture” railway. It’s bright and spacious main room is perfect for a late-morning coffee that morphs into a lunch of healthy dishes made of locally sourced ingredients, some from its own garden. On nice days, you can enjoy these on the few tables located down by the old train tracks. It’s also very close to the Saint-Ouen Flea Market, so it’s a great place to go to before or after you’ve visited the famous market.
La Recyclerie | North 18th Arrondissement
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