Paris Insights - The Blog

Cuvée Noire opened about five months ago on boulevard Saint-Michel. My partner and I went by just recently to taste their espresso and to purchase a quantity of roasted coffee beans.

The shop’s counter is a massive block of cream-colored marbled stone, and the walls and wall benches are sea-green. Stools made of dark wood and covered with sea-green velour mirror the shape of the dark wood tables on which customers can place their coffees, teas, and cakes.

The only espresso being served that day was Noir Velvet, so I purchased a cup.

I found the coffee to be well-balanced with a frothy crema, but I could not immediately identify the strawberry or dark chocolate flavors that the barista claimed I would experience.

I also purchased and shared a slice of Praline Noisette cake with my partner. Measuring about 1″ thick, it was moist and crumbly and had a lovely hazelnut filling.

We both enjoyed it.

While we consumed our food and beverage, rap played over the sound system.

Zoé, the barista on duty, was friendly and helpful.

Because I enjoyed the coffee, I purchased a box of whole-bean Noir Velvet to take home.

Information on the package indicates that the coffee is a blend of beans from Colombia and Brazil, that it was roasted in France, that the date of expiration is May 22, 2026, and that the contents weigh 250 grams.

No information was presented about the precise regions of those countries, the varietal(s) used in the blend, or the date of roasting.

I sent a message to the company requesting information about the precise location of its roasting facility. The reply that I received only indicated that the coffee is roasted in France.

Brewing 18 grams of ground coffee using the pour-over method, I identified the following flavors and aromas:

Flavors: fruity, hint of chocolate
Aromas: Smoked bacon, maple syrup, caramel, hint of chocolate

For me, the coffee has a smooth, pleasant taste. From time to time, I thought that I tasted hints of strawberry.

Cuvée Noire
22, boulevard Saint-Michel
75006 Paris

I recently ventured into the 7th arrondissement to purchase a 250-gram bag of roasted coffee beans from Brûlerie de Varenne, a coffee roasting facility that has been operating at 44, rue de Varenne since December 2016.

The space within the interior of the shop is quite constrained due to the placement of a large, centrally-located counter that displays jars of candied fruits, chocolates, caramels, lokum (Turkish delight), and other treats. I could not resist purchasing a small bag of thinly-sliced dried mango.

The roasting facility offers two “espressos of the day” for tasting. I sampled the Honduras Ceiba, but had entered the store with a specific bean in mind—Éthiopie Moka Sidamo. Fortunately, Sidamo was available for purchase.

The proprietor, Laurent, told me that the beans would maintain their freshness for two months.

I purchased a 250-gram bag of Éthiopie Sidamo, took it home, and proceeded to brew espressos with my 9Barista stove-top espresso machine (pictured on the right in the above photo).

There were no tasting notes on the coffee available at the store, but the salesclerk told me that Sidamo is medium-bodied with floral aromas and fruity flavors. My own tasting confirms that the freshly-brewed Sidamo does have a floral or sweet aroma.  I found it to be tart, like red wine.

Brûlerie de Varenne offers a wide selection of fresh roasted coffee, as well as teas, honeys, cookies, and other types of sweets.

Brûlerie de Varenne
44, rue de Varenne
75007 Paris

Brûlerie Barbès is located in the 18th arrondissement, in the area that is popularly known as “Little Africa.” My partner and I ventured into this neighborhood in December to have lunch at the Creole restaurant Au Paradis Tropical and to explore the concept store Little Africa Village. I took the opportunity to purchase a bag of roasted whole-bean coffee from this coffee roaster, which has been in this location since 1979.

The proprietor, Neylla, was quite helpful and gave detailed information about the coffees in which I was interested. I told her that I wanted a coffee with notes of chocolate. She named four single-origin varieties with that characteristic, from which I selected a 250-gram bag of Pérou Grand Cru.

Neylla also suggested that I try Sidamo beans from Ethiopia. She told me that this coffee does not immediately express chocolate notes.  But she said that if I made a cup of Sidamo espresso, covered it, left in the refrigerator overnight and tasted it the following morning, I would find the chocolate notes that I was seeking.

She graciously gave me a sample of these beans so that I could perform the experiment.

It turns out that she was right—I brewed a cup of Sidamo espresso in the evening, placed it in the refrigerator, and tasted it in the morning. It did express notes of chocolate, even if the brew was a bit sour.

As for the Pérou Grand Cru, it, too, expressed notes of chocolate (without having to be put into the refrigerator), but I found it rather tart with an acidity like grapefruit.

Brûlerie Barbès does not offer an “espresso of the day” to taste on site, but they do offer a wide range of roasted coffee beans with expert help on hand to aid customers in making a selection.

If I lived in this neighborhood, I would come here regularly for fresh-roasted coffee beans.

Brûlerie Barbès
14, rue des Poissonniers
75018 Paris