Paris: The best 1 euro coffee

You can still find a good €1 espresso in Paris. Photo: Mariela M.

With so many chic coffee shops opening in Paris offering locally-roasted high quality brews, Cheapos might lament the loss of notoriously cheap café.

But fear not! Paris’ City Hall workers took it upon themselves to crowd source places in Paris where €1 espresso still exists, reassuring locals and tourists alike. The results are in from Twitter and the good news is that there are at least 70 places where those down and out in Paris can still go for a shot.

You’ve been warned

The catch? Obviously, this won’t be the best coffee you ever tasted, but who’s being choosey? Just prepare to add a bit more sugar.  Also, don’t expect to be lounging on a sun-soaked terrace with your mug of Joe all afternoon long. Paris dreams dashed – but at least it’s still Paris!

When price goes down, so does location. Coffee is almost always cheaper when consumed at the bar in France (like in Italy), which means don’t plan on getting too comfy at a table – your best bet is a stool, or, more likely, standing. But hey, think of all the extra wine you can buy with each centime saved!

Location, location, location?

Where to go? Well, again, you won’t necessarily be hopping into the trendiest cafés around the Louvre or in St-Germain. Chic is rarely cheap (although some of the spots, like Chez Prune, are quite trendy).

But chic is also in the eye of the beholder, after all. Be prepared to go down some side streets that you may not have wandered otherwise.

The cheapest…

If you’re really drained for cash, coffee is only 45 centimes at Le Café des Petits Frères des Pauvres in the 17th, at 47 rue des Batignolles. It’s a bit out of the way, but it’s supposedly a hoot and a grab bag of people at 9 a.m. in the morning.

Montmartre

Closer to where the action is in Montmartre, Au Bon Coin at 49 rue des Cloys in the 18th is not far from many budget hotels and hostels in the neighborhood. Your 1 euro will even get you a spot on the terrace if you’re game for it.

Or head to the counter of La Sancerre, at 35 rue des Abbesses, closer to the basilica Sacre Coeur.

Latin Quarter

In the Latin Quarter, stray south of Notre Dame up towards the Pantheon and Le Piano Vache at 8 Rue Laplace will serve you a €1 coffee with a chair (and a table!).

The same goes for La Montagne Sans Genevieve, 13 rue du Pot de Fer over by rue Mouffetard.  Both are great finds in a charming neighborhood laden with tourist traps.

Marais

Even the chic Marais has its share of affordable finds. Head to La Perle at 78 rue Vieille du Temple at the counter and arm yourself with a one-euro coin.  Perhaps we have Galiano to thank for scaring clients away and subsequent low prices, or else for it becoming so popular…

Canal

If you make it to the Canal-St-Martin neighborhood, you can get a dose of trendy at Chez Prune, 55 bis quai de Valmy, where a café inside is just €1.  Or take it to go and drink it while sitting on the banks of the adjacent canal if the sun is out to play.

Check out the city’s map of other locations to check out while in Paris, but be warned that prices change and this project will continue to evolve.

Your favorite €1 café?

Have something to add to the list Let us know any other notable addresses for notably cheap café in Paris!