Working at a café goes totally against French nature. Cafés are for socializing, for relaxing, for having apéritifs after a long day of work. For dipping croissants in café crèmes so the crumbs don’t get stuck to your sweater. Cafés, historically, are the antithesis of work.
Alas, my friends, I have a thesis to write.
Finding cafés in Paris where laptops aren’t frowned upon/wifi is readily available* is hard. Many of the cafés on my list are actually called “coffee shops”, a distinction typically marked by coffee that is roasted somewhere nearby (if not on-site) and shops that are much more of a riff off Australian coffee shops than French cafés (hence the anglicism). I wouldn’t dare take my laptop to an actual café, lest I have my carte de séjour swiped and I banished from Paris.**
TL;DR? Don’t worry, I made a map.
DOSE Dealer de Café (5e and 17e)
DOSE and its baristas will be in the acknowledgements for my thesis (I am sitting there as I type this). They make a perfect almond milk latte, have an endless supply of “sexy water”, and a bar for workers to feel less guilty about hogging a whole table at lunchtime (once the rush is over, we all promptly return to the tables). They also have a carte de fidelité, something which is necessary for students on a budget.
Le Cairn is a combo mini-health shop and coffee shop rolled into one. They have gluten-free treats and a good lunch selection, plus a mother-and-son team behind the counter making all the juices and drinks. They are right next to the Eiffel Tower, and are so kind to the many students who come in and tourists who stop while sightseeing.
The first time I stepped into Bleu Olive, I was totally enamored by their bright teal walls and yellow beehive accents. I wanted to live there, or at least make my apartment look exactly like it. For now, visiting them and admiring the décor will have to do.
Right off rue des Martyrs (the only street in Paris), KB has a large outdoor seating area and a cozy inside. I love their red tea, and always hope to sit by a window to watch the crowds walk past, or admire the square with the carousel. It’s particularly picturesque around Christmas!
Fun fact: This is the first place Clotilde and I met! It is a nice coffee shop up in Montmartre, with a chic interior and comfortable seats perfect for working. They also have a bar for solo workers, though I’ve never had a problem getting a table.
Friends’ Faves:
I tend to gravitate towards the areas in which I live, go to school, and work. For more geographic variety, I asked a few friends where their favorite places to work are. Here are their choices!
From Kristal:
Les Petites Gouttes (18e)
Les Petites Gouttes is a comfortable bar/restaurant with big tables inside and out. During the day, it’s a comfortable place to work with great food and free wifi, then it’s happy hour and fun!
From Abby:
It would be easy to miss the Café Curieux when wandering around the 5th arrondissement of Paris. With it’s black exterior and barred windows, this café certainly lives up to its intriguing name. The interior is full of eclectic pieces; mismatching sofas, vintage TV sets, and old boardgames fill the room, giving a rather cosy home-away-from-home feel. I love sinking back into a retro sofa, with a latte and my laptop, and working in a completely unique environment that doesn’t have an impersonal, even sterile feel that often emanates from co-working spaces.
Abby also recommends Liberté (20e) and says they have good brunch too!
From Melissa:
Located in the Marais right next to the Seine, this warm and cozy spot is the perfect place to spend a rainy afternoon with your laptop or a good book. La Caféothèque brews their own coffee and even sells fresh coffee beans at their shop in front. You can choose from comfy couches (often hard to find in Paris) or colorful wooden tables in the back room. There’s free wifi and plenty of wall plugs. Accompany your coffee with a delicious slice of cake and you’ll be happy for hours.
Melissa also recommends Strada (5e), Café Kitsuné (1e, 9e, 11e), Loustic (3e), and Merci (3e).
From Taylor:
Les Pères Populaires is a grungy haven that’ll transport you all the way back to Seattle circa 1995. The interior looks like it could be the inside of a converted school bus; with a plethora of mismatched chairs and dusty old books. It conveniently serves up a healthy variety of food and drink options in addition to offering free Wi-Fi to its customers. Catering to the freelance scene by day and beer enthusiasts by night, it’s the perfect spot for those who live by the motto ‘work hard and play hard(er)’.
Endless thanks to my Paris friends, Kristal, Abby, Melissa, and Taylor, for helping with this! Now off to work. ♦
*There are plenty of Starbucks in Paris; I am loathe to add them to the list. (But I end up going on Mondays since that’s when many coffee shops are closed, and Abby says the one at Opera is nice.)
**That said, I think some cafés are more lenient about it now. Some.
Have you tried out any of the co-working spaces? My husband was a big fan of the Anticafés when he was freelancing…it might cost more than a regular café depending on how long you stay, but the spaces are great and you get free drinks and snacks. 🙂
http://www.anticafe.eu/
I haven’t yet! I have considered it but the cost has always driven me away. Perhaps I will test it out with my thesis!
After reading this I have decided I need to investigate the many and varied coffee drinks that are available to those of us who pretend to be busy. Only the local Starbucks comes to mind, which I now realize doesn’t count. Think I’ll have to look further afield. As usual I loved your writing almost but not quite as much as I love you. I hope you’re happy. Kisses abound….Classy;
🙂 I would love to hear about what places you have near you! Love you too, bises
I love working at The Hood in the 11th! Great coffee, super friendly staff, and great little treats and lunch! And you can’t beat the WiFi password- smellycat!
Thanks Molly!! I’ll add that on 😉
What a great idea to post! Constantly looking for new places to work. The library can get boring sometimes.
I really like Cafe Craft in the 10th, right next to the Canal. Either you pay for your time or for drinks/food at €3/hr. I can loiter as long as I like, and there’s no one giving me the side eye after a 5-hour day. Not budget friendly per second, but a nice treat from time to time.
Now that I’ve moved over near Bastille, I need to find a new spot. The Anti-Cafes have too many snacks en libre service, which is dangerous for when I’m working on my thesis.
I’d love to see more suggestions for Paris Est!
Thanks!
Thanks! Yes, I’ve trained myself so much that I find it difficult to work anywhere other than my regular café 🙂 I’ve been to Craft and I tried a co-working space last week, and I found it very expensive compared to what I’m used to (and DOSE has a bar so I don’t feel too bad spending a lot of time there ;))
I don’t spend too much time in the Paris Est area anymore, but if you find anything let me know and I’ll be sure to add it!
Cafe Lomi 3 ter Rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris – amazing coffee
Le Cairn (currently) allows laptops only after 2pm.