The other side of Paris

MANILA, Philippines - You can say this is the chocolate, coffee and crepe side of Paris. In four days, after an overnight trip to Orleans, I found myself bonding with three nieces in Paris. As age would dictate, the younger ones charted our way for the few days in cold November. Armed with Google maps and a huge appetite for anything Parisian, we mapped our way to many new – to me at least – places to discover.

First  stop was for coffee. We located three cafes in the list of many Paris guides as the “must see” third wave cafes:

Coutume. Located near Rue de Bac, Coutume is a busy place at lunch where many locals come for its coffee, homemade sandwiches, salads and soups. The “pour over” bar is at the rear end of the place where Thomas gladly explains your choice of the day. Would it be African or Costa Rican pour over in a Kalita pot or a V-60?  Ethiopian in a V-60 please. I also had a surprise salad... I was surprised it was so good – I mean in a place known for coffee. I had the seafood salad which had fresh plump calamari, a fresh seared slice of tuna and some freshly boiled shrimps.

Telescope. I came here  to try their coffees again and their granola, served with creme fraiche and a dollop of raspberry confiture in between the crème and the granola (which I think is also homemade). For coffee, I had an Aeropress Ethiopian which was a bit too “third wave-y” for me. It was roasted too light for my taste. Some people may like it (so they can taste the berries, etc), but I wanted a darker roasted lot. This one is near Palais Royale on Rue de Villedo. Try the granola or the cookies with a noisette or a latte, if you are not into “third wave” coffee.

Ten Belles. Enough of my “third wave” acidic coffee choices. I decided to get my third coffee sample as a noisette – much like my favorite macchiato – or an espresso with a dollop of foam. Hmmm, I tasted the sourness again. I guess this is how third wavers now drink their coffee. I am a classic. I tried to ask for sugar but it was seen as illegal and not recommended (There is a sign that says “Sugar is for babies”). Though I never take sugar in my coffee except when I cannot drink it as black, I chugged the noisette to just get over the experience and use the caffeine for the rest of our walk around Gare de L’est and  Quai St. Martin. Pretty place though.

Next is chocolat chaud or hot chocolate. I never thought I would get into the habit of asking for hot chocolate at breakfast. But this is Paris. Time to check the two landmarks for coffee, high tea and breakfast:

Angelina’s. This standard destination on Rue de Rivoli has to be the place for the best hot chocolate I have tasted, in Paris at least. A foodie friend asked me to buy her some chocolate powder to take home so I decided to try the drink. Well, she is not a foodie for nothing. The chocolate was so creamy and had just the right amount of sweetness to it. I could not believe I drank the whole potful. It was great with their pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant).

Laduree. Anyone who walks along the Champs Elysees must eventually turn and walk into the doors of Laduree. We had a wonderful breakfast seated at the window-side, watching the world go by. I had to try the hot chocolate to compare. It was just as good. There is a certain sweetness and gritty texture but good anyway. The breads in the basket with a stick or long roll of French butter was classic and simple. And so was my simple course of two fried eggs. Classic simple and good.

For the third group of eats in Paris, who can resist a crepe? But the Brittany-born specialty can best be had at Rue de Montparnasse where for the first time I saw the most number of creperies on one street!

We were pointed by friends to one of the oldest creperies named Josselin. And if Josselin the original is packed, next door is Le Petit Josselin.

I had my favorite Nutella and banana crepe while my companions had the plain butter crepe and the other one, a Nutella crepe. All good! They say it’s always best with hot cider or even cold apple cider, which Josselin had. That’s a new combination for me.

Paris will always have new places to see and old established haunts to revisit. But to someone like me, even an old place can be so new, just like my discovery of this creperie street and the reason why it is close to Gare de Montparnasse (train station).

History tells us (actually our friend Jocie Ernecq told us) that the Bretons (Brittany natives) came to Paris through this train station and close to it  they established many creperies so they will not miss home too much. Crepes are a staple in Brittany, France.

On your next visit, try these new places for coffee, crepes and chocolate. You will probably see Paris  through the eyes of a young caffeine-seeking tourist with a bit of the classic tourist in you hanging out at the usual chocolate haunts as well. And don’t forget the creperie street. Rue de Montparnasse (not Boulevard).