Holybelly 5 in Paris's 10e set the city's brunch standard in 2013. Sarah Mouchot and Nico Alary run a walk-in line that does not budge for influencer outreach.
Tip: Arrive at 09:00 or after 14:30 to avoid the queue. The pancake stack is the dish.
Address: 5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris
Fragments in Paris's 3e is the daylight-flooded specialty cafe anchoring the upper Marais coffee scene. Bench seating, two pour-overs, no music after 16:00.
Signature drink: V60 filter
Tip: The chocolate banana bread is house-made. Pair a V60 with the Saturday flat-white pastry combo.
Hexagone Café in Paris's 14e is the Montparnasse-side specialty bar pouring single-origin espresso and Italian-style breakfast pastry. A neighbourhood roastery.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: The cornetto from the bakery next door is the breakfast set; chase with an Ethiopian filter.
Shakespeare and Company Café in Paris pulls Cafés Belleville espresso beside the English bookshop. The Notre-Dame terrace is the 5e's most photographed.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Tip: The terrace catches the cathedral view; arrive at 09:30 for a seat before the tour buses.
Strada Café in Paris's 5e is the Latin Quarter specialty room that anchors Sorbonne students on a thesis week. Two espresso machines, six filter stations, no music.
Signature drink: Espresso
Tip: Plug points along the long bench. The €8 filter-and-pastry set is the lunch deal.
Boot Café in Paris is the postcard 3e Marais espresso bar with a painted boot facade and seven seats inside. Pulls Lomi beans, runs a cash-only counter.
Signature drink: Flat white
Tip: Cash only. Take a coffee to the Square du Temple a block away rather than waiting for a seat.
Café de Flore in Paris is the Saint-Germain literary cafe Sartre and de Beauvoir made famous. The cafe crème still arrives on a silver tray at the same tables.
Signature drink: Café crème
Tip: The first-floor mezzanine is quieter than the terrace. Order the chocolat chaud in winter.
