Caffe Nation

Deserving a post all of its own, even though I didn't get a picture of it, is Caffe Nation, the best cafe in Antwerp which we smelt out thanks to the exquisite roasts they use. We went each of the four days, had three baristas and each made brilliant coffee. In particular I loved an earthy Ethiopian blend which made a wickedly delicious espresso. They also have a long list of inventive drinks like Dr Pepper (ie coffee with lemon-pepper and honey) or Bouchee Blanc (ie a white chocolate mocha). The mood is chilled, you can sit for hours overhearing lame philosophy conversations and see creative types doing their thing.

The eating room

Today we stumbled upon a lovely little cafe in the 5e open every day of the week (something of a rarity round here). It's called La Salle A Manger at 138 rue Mouffetard (M Censier Dauberton). Here's a picture of the little square it faces.



And today was warm enough to sit outside. The coffee was your typical Parisian coffee, long but not bitter and served in a mini bowl. The special cake of the day was cheesecake, which the French call "cheesecake", it's so cute. And indeed it was special, deliciously smooth with a rich mouthfeel, I regretted finishing it. In fact everything was lovely. The passers-by, the cool teenagers, older men in trenchcoats and even our waiter in a paisley shirt. The blossoms on the trees are coming out, the weather is turning and the cafe was reasonably priced. David and I sat scribbling in our notebooks. What more does one need?

FOUND

They said it couldn't be but we found it! Genuine coffee in Paris. Fresh roasted, toffee-like-crema and properly frothed milk. I present, La Cafeotheque.



The storefront sells freshly roasted beans from around the world and the petit salon out the back converts them into liquid pleasure. An amiable Chilean barista used the 'cafe du jour' - which today was Peruvian - to make my ristretto, yes he had heard the word before. He described it as a "refreshing" grind, a thinner pour with delicate aroma and wonderfully smooth mouth-feel. Indeed it was a highly pleasurable experience. We also tried the Colombian which was more conventional, dark but still flavoursome and dynamic as only freshly roasted coffee can be.



The prices depend on whether you drink at the bar or in an arm chair but the coffees all come with caramelised biscuits, it was certainly not one of the more expensive establishments which we have visited and we will no doubt return shortly. Despite being opposite Ile St Louis (just by Pont Marie on the right bank) it was not over-run with tourists and apparently hosts sporadic live music nights in the back.

We found it in the first instance by smelling the roasting coffee as we walked past. The moral being, follow your nose.