I have always had a fascination with France ever since I was a child. I would often dream of sitting in a outdoor cafe in the center of Paris, under the bright shining sun as if the time stays still, just like in the movies. This scene has been romanticized in my head many times.
Two of the most popular cafes in Paris is located on the Left Bank in the St. Germain des Pres quartier, not too far from each other. They are the Cafe de Flore and the Cafe les Deux Magots. Famous French, English, and American writers frequented these two cafes, and now they are a sure destinations for tourists charging an unthinkable amount for a cup of average espresso. The most expensive coffee that I know in Paris is located on, not suprisingly, none other than the Champs Elysees. With a cup of tiny espresso coming to a tab of 7.90 Euros. Yes you read that right, close to ten big bucks for a bad cup of coffee along with equally bad service.
Parisian Cafes come in a variety of forms, and prices vary from a simple brasserie, a fancy cafe, or of course there's always Starbucks! Prices also differ depending on whether you want to stand at a bar to drink your coffee, sit inside, or sit on a terrasse. If you decide to do what many French do, which is to order at the counter, the coffee is usually more or less around one euro. I quite enjoy doing this because it's interesting to see the locals come in and chat a few lines with the owner along with their coffee and newspaper. Also, because I'm cheap and I don't want to pay extra just to sit! In the mornings many brasseries will also offer a tartine or croissant for breakfast at the counter.
Of course if it's sunny outside and you have plenty of time to kill, then there's no reason to stop you from sitting at the terrasse, which costs double the amount of a coffee at the counter. Rumor has it that cafes have to rent the outside space from the city, therefore, it's only fair that they charge you for using it.
But the best experience I've had was in the city of Narbonne, in the region of Languedoc Roussilon. The weather was sunny, with not a cloud in sight. The temperature was just right, I was comfortable in a light sweater (this was in March 2010). We hadn't planned on sitting down for coffee, but it was simply too nice outside not to take advantage of it.
If you're not familiar with coffee in France, if you ask for "un cafe", it means a very very tiny cup of strong espresso that you can down in one sip. If you want something a little less strong, go for a "cafe allonge" which is similar to our version of cafe Americano (it's bigger, and hence more American like right?) You can almost never find drip coffee in restaruants or cafes, and free refills, forget about it! In a restaurant, the coffee is always offered at the very end of the meal, after you have finished your dessert.
I would recommend going to different places to enjoy the coffee experience, there is not one way that's better than the other. It's all about the experience!
