Ten Belles

A small canal side room that was pouring serious coffee in Paris before most of the city had caught on, with a terrace that fills up fast the moment it's warm enough to sit outside. Canal Saint-Martin has become one of the most fashionable stretches of Paris over the past decade (a mix of independent boutiques, wine bars, and exactly this kind of café), and Ten Belles was an early fixture of that shift rather than a later arrival riding it. The space is tight (a handful of tables, a counter doing most of the work), which is part of the charm and also the main complaint on a busy Sunday, when the queue can run along the canal itself.

Retail beans, house made sourdough, and Ten Belles branded goods are sold alongside the espresso and filter menu, and the bakery case is worth as much attention as the coffee list. Dogs are welcome, which suits a neighborhood where a canal side walk and a coffee stop tend to go together. Come on a weekday morning if you want an actual seat.