France has wonderful tourism resources-sidewalk cafes, food styles to discuss, a myriad of wine producing regions, area cheese from unpasteurised milks and historic sites to please any eye.

But rarely will I find a cup of French coffee deemed pleasant. There is a solid failure because of what I think is a no barista culture-anyone brews but few skills exist from the green bean upwards. The fancy espresso machines are everywhere. 

A rare Parisien site-a flat white at Cafe Lomi

So why? Maybe because France has a long affinity with Vietnam, but Viet beans generally are low end. And our contrasting Italian friends show the high standards as their affinities come from Brazil whose natural and honey style beans now just make an espresso sizzle.

So it has been outsiders who are slowly bringing the improvements to France’s coffee offerings with roaster start-ups using high quality beans and then following through with barista education to deliver top drinks of flat white or espresso-Americans, Australians, New Zealanders etc.

So here are ten Parisian coffee shops who should separate their offer of flat white or espresso from drossy coffee over cream or spoilt milk or short long blacks masquerading as espresso.

My fav is Bob’s Kitchen; a totally unpretentious spot yet one where I encountered a voice from Brisbane, and an expresso which delivered. The roast beans of super quality originated at the artisan torrefacteur Lomi.

Coffee service from a Brisbane voice- BOB’S KITCHEN

TEN TOP PARISIEN CUPS OF COFFEE

TELESCOPE rue Villedo,  5, 75001 Paris, +33 1 42 61 33 14 (1 arr)

CREAM rue de Belleville, 50, 75020 Paris, +33 9 83 66 58 43 (20 arr)

BOB’S KITCHEN  rue des Gravilliers, 74, 75003 Paris +33 9 52 55 11 66 (3 arr)

CAFE BELLEVILLE rue Pradier, 10, where it started in Belleville, roaster  distributes to over 20 specialty cafes; Paris +33 9 83 75 60 80 (19 arr); I even spied Ethopian Yirgacheff.

Belleville area

CAFE LOMI  rue Marcadet, 3,  Paris +33 9 80 39 56 24 (18 arr) ; artisan roaster and specialty coffee

TEN BELLES  rue de la Grange aux Belles Canal St Martin, 10, +33 1 42 40 90 78 (10 arr)

CAFE LOUSTIC rue Chapon, 40, Paris  +33 9 80 31 07 06 (3 arr)

FOUNDATION CAFE rue Dupetit Thouars, 16, Paris(3 arr) Belleville roasted

LA CAFEOTHEQUE  rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, 52,  Paris +33 1 53 01 83 84 (4 arr)

KAFFEE BAR 19 rue de l’Ourcq, 26 B, Paris,+33 1 75 42 82 63 (19 arr)

The author wishes to acknowledge Cafe Lomi and Cafe Belleville for their pictorial.