Café€TalensacTue-Fri 09:30-18:30; Sat 11:00-18:30; closed Sun-Mon
Horizon Café works as coffee shop and bean cellar on Rue Léon Jamin in Nantes, about thirty specialty references rotating through the brew bar.
Signature drink: Rotating single-origin filter
Tip: The same pair run Alaïa Café; brewing, tasting and latte art workshops are booked through the shop's Instagram account.
Café€Champ-de-MarsMon 08:30-18:00; Tue-Thu 08:30-17:30; Fri 08:30-18:00; Sat-Sun 09:30-18:00Work-friendly
Madeleine Café pours European specialty coffee in a converted warehouse in Nantes, pastries from Maison Arlot Cheng and art on the tall walls.
Signature drink: European specialty espresso
Tip: Lunch is small plates rather than a full card, and the room doubles as a gallery and meeting space for the Madeleine quarter.
Café€DecréTue-Sat 11:00-18:00; Sun 11:00-16:30; closed Mon
Tokki was the first Korean coffee shop in Nantes, pouring Cime beans beside yuja tea, red bean lattes, croffles and bowls of shaved ice bingsu.
Signature drink: Korean Dabang coffee and red bean latte
Tip: Bingsu is the summer order and gimbap carries the lunch counter; the playlist and the pale wood room are Seoul to the last detail.
Café€GraslinWed-Sat 10:00-18:30; Sun-Mon 10:00-18:00; closed Tue
Izi Café Jazz sells specialty coffee and jazz vinyl from one counter on Rue Voltaire in Nantes, a spare room of wood and metal built around records.
Signature drink: Specialty espresso
Tip: The records racked along the wall are for sale as well as for listening, and the pastries are made for the shop rather than bought elsewhere.
Café€DecréTue-Sat 09:30-18:30; closed Sun-Mon
Alaïa Café pairs a specialty coffee bar with a low-waste boutique on Rue de Budapest in Nantes, lunch and Saturday brunch from local producers.
Signature drink: Specialty espresso and house juices
Tip: Adeline and Florian went on to open Horizon Café; Saturday brunch is the busy service and vegan or gluten-free plates are handled.
Café€BouffayTue-Fri 08:30-18:00; Sat 10:00-18:00; closed Sun-Mon
Curieux Coffeeshop keeps a fully plant-based counter behind its specialty coffee near Commerce in Nantes, sweet and savoury alike made without dairy.
Signature drink: Espresso with plant milk
Tip: Everything on the counter is vegan, which makes it a safe stop if you avoid dairy; the room is small and fills fast at lunch.