Finding ourselves recently in the yonder region of the 13th arrondissement – in the newly-developed area called “Paris Rive Gauche” – we came upon a café called Cayo.
The interior is spacious, with a tall ceiling and ceiling-to-floor windows. Walls are bare or are painted sea green. Tables with a polished, colorful, broken-shard finish provide a comfortable place to sit.
Three large potted plants stand at the entrance to the principal dining room.
The café was quite noisy with conversation. The bare walls of the room and the concrete floor do nothing to attenuate the clamor.
I ordered the espresso of the day, a cup of Cirilo from Peru, while my partner ordered a cup of tea called Double Jeu – thé noir aux amandes et noix (Double Game – black tea with almonds and walnuts).
The espresso, served without a glass of water, had a strong, fruity, tart flavor.
While we enjoyed our beverages, the music of British artist Vegyn played over the sound system.
I left my table to explore the rest of the café. Passing through a second large dining room I came upon Foxx, who was working near his coffee roaster. He graciously agreed to pose next to the machine for a photograph.
I purchased a 250-gram bag of whole-bean Cirilo Andarapino from Peru, took it home, and brewed a cup of coffee using the pour-over method.
The result was an agreeable coffee with “balanced sweetness, gentle acidity, and long fruity flavor,” just as the description indicates on the package. I did not detect any exotic notes that one often finds with single-origin coffees, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of the beverage.
Café Cayo
9, Rue du Chevaleret
75013 Paris
Café Cayo serves breakfast, brunch (on weekends), lunch, and dinner.
