The many fans of Café Oberkampf will rejoice at the opening of a sister restaurant with longer hours and online reservations. With its light and airy interior, friendly staff, and an addictive breakfast roll, Café Méricourt is currently our #1 favorite place for breakfast or brunch in Paris.
This tiny café on a small street just off the rue Oberkampf perpetually has a crowd of young people lingering outside. They’re all waiting to snag one of just a dozen seats before the daily supply of Shakshuka runs out. The Lost in Cheeseland sandwich, named after the food writer who was an early supporter, is also a big hit, along with healthier fare like muesli and granola. If you come after 10am, expect to leave your name and to kill some time wandering around the neighborhood before a table opens up. If you prefer not to wait, their sister restaurant Café Méricourt opened around the corner in June 2017 and has much more seating.
Notable dishes:
Shakshuka
Lost in Cheeseland sandwich
Practical Information
Address: 3 rue Neuve Popincourt, 75011 Hours: Closed Wednesday & Thursday. Open Monday, Tuesday & Friday from 8:30am-4:30pm. Open Saturday & Sunday from 9:30am-4:30pm. Telephone: none, but their email is contact@cafeoberkampf.com WebsiteFacebookInstagram
Pancakes, poached eggs and hearty seasonal fare served alongside excellent coffee sourced from Belleville Brûlerie in a sunny space along the Canal St. Martin. An international array of coffee preparations (flat whites, espressos, long blacks, cappuccinos, and very good “real deal” filtered coffee) are accompanied by hot chocolate made from homemade chocolate syrup and a selection of teas from Le Parti du Thé. The exceptionally friendly service is notable. Also notable, the lines for weekend brunch. Get there early.
Address: 52 rue Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010 Nearest transport: Jacques Bonsergent (5) Hours: Open every day Reservations: Walk-Ins Welcome Telephone: 01 42 41 73 31 Average price for lunch: 10-19€ Style of cuisine: Soup, salad & sandwiches WebsiteFacebook
Reviews of interest
Sprudge (2015) “While the coffee is carefully selected, here the focus is more all-around cafe as opposed to coffee bar; it’s the entirety of Blackburn that’s important, not just what they’re serving. There are fresh juices if you’re not in a coffee mood, all food and most of the pastries are made in house, and there’s even an inviting couch at the back – a vintage Scandinavian model of course.”
Good Coffee in Paris (2014) “… the awesomely understated Blackburn Café, content in its isolation and home to some excellent coffee… Coffee is à la demande (by request), with an interesting variation in the beans, which have origins as diverse as Indonesia, Ethiopia and Salvador. There are several seating options depending on how much conversation is desired, and sections for reading and laptop work.
Ob-La-Di might be the most Instagrammed café of the 2015 rentrée, but there’s real substance at this stylish spot in the Haut Marais. Most of the baked goods are made in-house, and many of them manage to be vegan and gluten-free, and still actually taste good. Coffee is expertly prepared with Lomi beans by Lloyd, formerly of Boot Café, who also curates a killer playlist most days. Creative offerings include an affogato made with cookie dough ice cream, horchata, a vegetarian burger, and avocado toast that is worth an eye-popping €9 price tag due to the homemade purple potato bread and chimichurri sauce, plus pomegranate seeds.
We have not yet reviewed this coffee shop, but you’ll find practical information about location and hours on this page, along with links to other reviews. Feel free to share your own opinion in the comments.
Practical information
Address: 54 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75001 Nearest transport: Madeleine (8, 12, 14), Concord (1, 12, 14) Hours: Closed Sunday; Open Monday-Saturday Telephone: 07 82 52 93 63 WebsiteFacebook
Reviews of interest
Sugared & Spiced (2015) “Excellent coffee, super friendly service, and pastries supplied by Broken Biscuits. I’m not often in this neighborhood but when I am, I make sure to come here for a cup of coffee.”
Le Fooding (2015) “Aux commandes de cette ingénieuse structure modulable conçue pour évoluer avec les saisons (dedans/dehors de bois et verre), un jeune couple anglo-australien. Chez Daniel Warburton et Angelle Boucher, cafés d’exception provenant de micro-parcelles (expresso du Brésil, déca du Chiapas… 2,60 €), jus de fruits maison (4€), yoghourt au granola et fruits, spongieux cake au citron et amande…”
Hipsters in Paris (2015) “If you happen to be stuck around Madeleine or visiting François Hollande, starving or in need of a real coffee, stop by Honor. It’s a belle concept with gentil people who deserve your business.”
Sprudge (2015) “… a surprisingly casual and relaxed setting… And different it is. For starters, it’s an “outdoor” cafe. Think of it like a greenhouse that doesn’t have plants but serves coffee instead… The other big difference for the Paris coffee scene is that there isn’t any filter or pour-over coffee available. But instead, working off of a Mahlkönig EK43, they are serving up “filter shots”, a nod to Matt Perger’s Coffee Shots.”
Paris Bouge (2015) “On pourrait donc s’attendre à un café hors de prix… Et bien non, pas de surprise désagréable ! Comptez 3 euros environ pour un vrai bon café, 4 euros pour un chocolat chaud fait avec amour. Le tout avec de la bonne humeur et les larges sourires des deux baristas. Une adresse qu’on aurait bien envie de garder rien que pour nous.”
The New York Times (2015) “The name “Honor” is a nod not only to the street and to the patron saint of bakers but also to the couple’s ethos of honoring good hospitality and “baristaring,” as they refer to their craft… And if the coffee isn’t enough of a lure, Warburton and Boucher also offer a short but smart selection of quiches, sandwiches, salads and, bien sûr, dessert.”
A design and home goods shop that happens to have an excellent coffee counter where Benoît Touche makes espresso, chai lattes, and filtered coffee using beans from local roaster Coutume.
A shoebox sized coffee shop inside a former cobbler. The coffee's made for walking so plan to take your Belleville Brûlerie coffee and Emperor Norton baked goods to go.
Address: 10, rue du Nil, 75002 Hours: Open Tuesday-Friday 12:30-3:15pm, 4-7:30pm. Open Saturday 10am-3pm, 4-7pm. Closed Sunday & Monday. Telephone: +33 1 84 17 24 17 Website / Facebook
Fuel your coffee fetish at the same place that Pierre Hermé does. This little shop on the foodie dream street of rue du Nil sells coffee equipment and freshly roasted single-origin beans from 15-20 small-scale coffee farmers. It’s not a true café where you can linger, but you can grab one of the most interesting shots of espresso in town or an expert cold-brewed coffee. And for chocoholics, they offer Claudio Corrallo chocolates and homemade chocolat chaud.
An Absolute Favorite