The first Paris cafe that we went to on our trip was the beautiful Café de la Paix. It’s located near the Paris Opera so you have an amazing view of the building from their outdoor covered patio. It was actually raining the day we went so it made the experience more charming, but fair warning, this was probably the busiest cafe that we went to while in Paris.

CAFÉ DE LA PAIX REVIEW

// Food //

Since Café de la Paix was our first cafe in Paris, we decided to each get a typical Parisian breakfast: a coffee and a croissant. Also, just a heads up, they usually drink espressos and not your usual Starbucks-size coffee. So, to accommodate for the American taste, they have termed an espresso with water as a “café americain.” It’s still not your regular-size cup of coffee we usually see in the states but at least it’s larger than your average espresso.

// Cost //

The cost was probably on the higher end compared to most cafes since it’s such a popular place. We got the “petit déjeuner parisien” which gives us a choice of a hot drink and a French pastry for 9 euros ($10.48 USD). The tip is already included in the total amount so that’s the exact amount that we paid for.

// Where to Sit //

I will say that you won’t have a bad seat either inside or outside. If you sit on their outdoor patio, you will have a great view of the Paris Opera and definitely get to people watch. If you sit inside, you will be surrounded by beautiful French art and crystal chandeliers. We sat on the patio and loved it out there. Unfortunately, the Paris Opera was covered with scaffolding for Paris Fashion Week so we didn’t have a good view of that. But what we did have is being able to people watch and watch the rainfall. Maybe because I never get rain in LA, I felt like being out there made it extra special.

// Service //

Not sure if we went on a busy day or a busy time but we had to wait in line for a while for a seat. The gentleman that was manning the front door said it would be around 20 minutes which we didn’t mind since we already made the trek. Our waiter was super quick with our order and also spoke English if anyone was worried about that.

Now, I have to go on a semi-rant about another waiter though. I was taking pictures of the inside for the blog when this other waiter rudely came up and started berating me saying to not take pictures of the customers, which I totally was not. Granted, there were people in my pictures but I wasn’t taking pictures of them! He was so loud that almost everyone in the cafe turned around to look. I was so confused why he was so rude to me about it. He could have politely told me on the side but instead decided to make a scene. Unfortunately, that incident ruined the rest of my experience at that cafe. Just be aware that you might get yelled at for taking pictures.

Besides that situation, I thought the service was fine. Our waiter was quick and took care of us. Since the cafe was so busy, you do see all the waiters frantically running around so you might have to hail them down.

// French Health Pass //

Yes, they do check for your French Health Pass or your recent Covid test QR code. I didn’t have either and was able to enter with my CDC card and passport. 

// Would I Come Again //

If that other waiter didn’t ruin my overall experience, I would say definitely yes. But since he did, I think there are other Paris cafes out there that I need to visit first. If I do go back, I would definitely sit inside. Especially at the bar. That bar was absolutely gorgeous (which was the picture I was trying to take when I got yelled at).