Paris: Other Restaurants or Cool Cafes

A Saint-Germain landmark since the 1880s, this cafe was the haunt of Sartre, de Beauvoir and the post-war intelligentsia. The Art Deco room and pavement terrace still draw a mix of regulars and visitors. Prices reflect the address rather than the plates. Classic cafe fare covers omelettes, croque-monsieur and hot chocolate.

Next door to its rival on Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this cafe carries the same literary weight, tied to Hemingway, Picasso and the Surrealists. The house hot chocolate is a fixture. The terrace faces the church square. It runs a namesake literary prize each year, awarded from the premises.

Opened in 1862 beside the Palais Garnier, this Second Empire cafe sits under a landmarked ceiling. Napoleon III styling frames a menu of brasserie classics and refined pastries. The terrace looks onto the opera house. It works for a grand coffee stop or a full meal before a show.

A driver of the Paris specialty-coffee wave, this roaster near the Bon Marché helped set the city's third-wave standard. House-roasted beans feed espresso and filter, with a brunch menu alongside. The bright room fills at weekends. It suits a proper coffee rather than a traditional cafe experience.

Open since 1896 near the Grands Boulevards, this cavernous bouillon serves French classics at low prices in a listed dining hall. Waiters in long aprons still scribble the bill on the paper tablecloth. No bookings are taken, so queues form. It offers a taste of old, affordable Paris dining.

A canal-district favourite, this all-day diner-cafe built its name on savoury pancakes and strong coffee. The stack with egg and bacon is the order to know. Two sites near Canal Saint-Martin serve a young, international crowd. No bookings mean queues at weekend brunch.

A newer name on the Paris cafe map, this address pairs a careful coffee programme with seasonal French plates. The room leans contemporary rather than classic. It suits a relaxed lunch or an afternoon stop. Menus change with what is in season, so daily specials reward a look at the board.

Founded in 1903 on rue de Rivoli, this Belle Epoque tea room is famous for its thick hot chocolate and the Mont-Blanc pastry of chestnut cream and meringue. The gilded salon draws a steady queue. Branches now sit across the city. It remains a set-piece Paris afternoon treat.