The Best and Cheapest Coffee in Paris

My family is an expert at two things: Japanese food and coffee. That is, the consumption and critique of these delectables. My widely traveled grandfather will only eat sushi at two restaurants in America and has been going to the same coffee shop in Taiwan every day for the last thirty years (when he’s home). My childhood memories of the kitchen consist predominantly of the sound of the coffee grinder and being told that we only drink Jamaican blue mountain coffee because it’s the best.

So, you can imagine the coffee emergency when my mother visited Paris. The cafes around town charged 5 euros per cup, the hotel breakfast was 14 euros, and both were not up to snuff. However, before noon on day two, my mother had discovered the best coffee in her neighborhood near Opera. Cafes San Jose at the corner of Rue des Petit Champs and Rue Saint-Anne had great tasting brews for 1 to 1.50 euros, and includes a free chocolate. Another good sign: the tiny shop is constantly packed.

Next up is the Young family review of the restaurants on Rue Saint-Anne, the Little Tokyo of Paris. We tried almost all of them in one week.

Cafes San Jose 30, Rue des Petit Champs

Get in touch with the author @untappedmich.