Bonjour Katrina

Apparently the coffee culture in Paris has radically changed in the last 10 years.  Before moving here I read David Lebovitz's book, "The Sweet Life in Paris", and when I came across the chapter on coffee (my favorite chapter--duh), I was shocked to hear that the coffee in France is horrible.  Living in Boston for 6 years had spoiled me with the very best coffees, but at least now I was prepared.  "Ok. I'll just have to switch to tea," I thought.

Café Mericourt serves good specialty coffee, including filtered coffee {pour over} which is apparently a sign that experts are serving your cup a joe.  It's a fairly roomy cafe with plenty of greenery to satisfy the bohemian heart, but their main draw is their groovy brunch menu.

Le Peloton Café is located close to the Seine with plenty of shopping around.  The most distinctive aspect of this shop is their English-ness. The menu is in English and everyone (employees and customers alike) seem to speak English.  If you're tired of racking your brain to put together a simple French sentence then this is your haven, my friend.

They serve coutume coffee (as seen HERE) and pull their shots on a Marzocco (if that matters to you). The coffee is so good. I haven't tried them yet, but their waffles are well touted on instagram. Make sure you bring cash.

This coffee shop has a dark, romantic feel to it.  A great date spot, I would think.  But not with your 3ish year old and baby...and the stroller and the large diaper bag (and on this special day: the giant balloon + happy meal).  My husband and I really need to invest in a camel.