Télescope was one of the first in a collection of cafés that are changing the way the capital caffeinates. With only a few tables, no wi-fi and scant food options, the focus is squarely on the nectar inside your cup.
Practical information
Address: 5 rue Villedo, 75001
Nearest transport: Pyramides (7, 14)
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 8:30am-6:30pm; closed Sunday
Telephone: no phone
Website Facebook
What people are saying
Le Figaro (2014) “Si David Flynn, co-créateur du lieu, a quitté le navire pour rejoindre la Brûlerie de Belleville, Nicolas Clerc, ancien photographe, reste aux manettes de cette valeur sûre fondée en mars 2012 près du Palais Royal. Il a néanmoins arrêté de torréfier ses grains sur place et se fournit à l’international chez Has Bean (Angleterre) ou Koppi (Suède).”
Lost in Cheeseland (2013) “The filtered coffee here is my go-to drink of choice but everything on the menu deserves tasting.”
Serious Eats (2013) “… a short menu, no wifi, a few small and perfect-looking baked goods, and impeccably crafted coffees. Until recently, the shop was roasting their own beans, but this has unfortunately ended. The change hasn’t hurt quality, though: beans from international roasters still fill the hoppers to delicious result.”
Lost in Cheeseland (2013) “It is the café we all dream of frequenting, where the baristas behind the bar know your name, your beverage of choice and consistently offer an out-of-cup experience.”
Time Out (2012) “Even the coffee menu looks pretty minimalist – no trendy flat whites here… small stocks of beans to ensure freshness, from 3-5 different plantations that come from diverse regions as Kenya, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras and soon Brazil and Colombia.”
Eater (2013) “It’s also one of the few shops in the city doing pour-over on a kalita wave. All the coffee is excellent, and the relaxed atmosphere is distinctly Parisian.”
Hipsters in Paris (2013) “It’s somewhat Scandinavian decor just as sparse as its menu, where only espresso, filter, noisette or white can be ordered at the pine-hued bar.”
The New York Times (2012) “Sometimes Télescope uses its own beans roasted by Flynn at Coutume Café, sometimes it turns to guest roasters: Caffenation, Counter Culture Coffee, Has Bean, Kaffa, Square Mile, Wrecking Ball. Rare for Paris, café filtre, brewed to order on a Kalita “Wave,” shares the menu with espresso drinks. Even more unusual for the city, it’s open every day of the week.”
The owner is unpleasant, impolite and an uncommon species of frustrated hipster that you wish you never come across again in your life.
He treats customers like s***, tells them to ”f*** off”, told me ” vous n’êtes qu’un c** ” and fired back at me with ”please write a s***review of my coffee on the Internet like other idiots do”. Check.
Do not go there, there are plenty other places with much better coffee and a SMILE !