Angelina's, Paris, France

Since having opened in 1903, Angelina’s has unquestionably become the most well known hot chocolate in all of Paris and potentially that of France, as well. Word has it that Angelina’s once drew the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel and while you might not seem famous faces when you visit, you will certainly see happy ones. While it is clear that the café itself is worth seeing–designed in an early 19th Century decor–the thing that truly draws people to Angelina’s is the hot chocolate. This specialty of the house is actually a variety of hot chocolate called Chocolat Africain (translation: African Hot Chocolate). This isn’t your everyday powdered Nestle’s hot chocolate mix, but instead a a teapot filled with melted milk chocolate covered in freshly made whip cream. Those people who are not fans of rich chocolate should be aware that Angelina’s hot chocolate is made for the die-hard chocolate-lovers out there. But I must say, even though I am not a huge fan of chocolate, I thoroughly enjoyed my cup.

Neither the hot chocolate, nor the meals (which I also hear are good), run cheap at Angelina’s. Regardless, it’s still worth stopping in for a nice warm drink on a cold day. The ambiance is pleasant, the service is above par (for Paris), and the drinks are good. After you finish up, consider crossing the street and to take a stroll through the beautiful Tuilerie Gardens.

Le Vrai Paris, Paris, France

Located on the corner of Rue des Abbesses and Rue Germain Pilon, Le Vrai Paris is a delightful café in the heart of Montmartre. Situated next door to the popular café/restaurant Le Sancerre, Le Vrai Paris is ideally suited for those who love people watching. Even on a gloomy day like today, people were out in force, crowding the surrounding streets.

Le Vrai offers its customers comfortable seating on their sidewalk terrace, although one should expect to get up close and personal with their fellow diners if you visit on a weekend. You will find a relatively eclectic group of people visiting Le Vrai Paris, including tourists, expats, locals and the chic young Parisian crowds that spend their afternoons in the area. The wait-staff was surprisingly friendly, as I’m not typically used to waiters in Paris serving up smiles along with my café creme. Prices were what I expected–€3.80 for a café creme– given that this area is very popular with locals and tourists alike, but I was happy to see they were lower than the €5 that I have paid similarly trendy neighborhoods.

Next time you find yourself in Montmartre, stop by Le Vrai Paris for a café or a quick meal, you’ll be happy you did.

Day & Time of Visit: Saturday @ 3:00PM

Want to see photos from my visit?: Cafe Review Photos

Want to see this location on a map? Map of My Visits

Cafe Charbon, 11th Arrond., Paris, France

That being said, I still enjoyed my experience. The interior of the cafe is decorated nicely and I have no doubt that this would be a great place to grab a happy hour drink or spend an entire night here (according to iGuide, Cafe Charbon stays “rocking until dawn both in the bar downstairs and the medium-size dance hall upstairs, making it a favorite among young Parisians, especially after the other places in the neighborhood have closed”) . As for the people watching, it was sub-par during this particular Monday afternoon. I did get to witness the shooting of some kind of TV program at the cafe, during my stay, however. As for the coffee itself, my cafe creme was the best I’ve had in Paris, thus far, and came at a pretty standard price from what I’ve seen: 3.00 €.

While I wouldn’t put Cafe Charbon at the top of my list of regular cafes to visit any day of the week, I think this place would definitely be worth visiting during an evening or any time during the weekend when people are out and about.

Day & Time of Visit: Monday @ 3:00PM

Want to see photos from my visit?: Cafe Review Photos

Want to see this location on a map? Map of My Visits

Cafe Beaubourg, 4th Arrond., Paris, France

Located at 43 rue Saint-Merri (careful, there’s a identically named cafe a couple blocks away on St. Martin), Cafe Beaugourg looks onto a square right off of the Pompidou Centre. I had previously seen reviews talking about the performers in the square, so I was hoping to get a show while I read my most recent book, Is Paris Burning? by  Larry Collins. I was in luck. Today, a group of four dancers spent the afternoon performing a dance routine consisting of Conga, breakdancing, hip-hop, and more. I shot a video of them in action which you can view here.

First impression: Great location. As I mentioned, this cafe sits on a nice open courtyard and chairs are set up so you can easily drink your coffee and watch the people and entertainment at the same time. There’s no question, a cup of coffee is not cheap here (5.00 € for a Cafe Creme ), so if you’re looking for a great deal, look elsewhere. But the setting makes it worth grabbing a drink here at least once, though you wouldn’t want it to make it your regular cafe.

The coffee was tasty, so no complaints there. The service was pretty standard, but I certainly liked the fact that I spent a couple of hours here and didn’t once get the impression that I was being rushed to leave. To sum it up, Cafe Beaubourg is a great place to people watch, catch some cool street artists in action and spend a leisurely hour or two reading your book, undisturbed.

Day & Time of Visit: Sunday @ 2:00PM

Want to see photos from my visit?: Cafe Review Photos

Want to see a video of the performers near the cafe?:  Street Performers at Cafe Beaubourg

Want to see this location on a map? Map of My Visits