Coffee Near the Louvre at Baguett’s Café

One thing that Americans tend to find fairly hard to comprehend is how much the French actually love America.

That might seem contradictory. After all, most Americans seem to hold the misconception that the French poo-pooh pretty much everything about Americans, and while the two cultures have certainly had a fraught relationship in the past (exhibit A: Americans don’t say “hello” enough), America is trendy, these days, in France.

Paris is now home to American chefs, American food (including more than a handful of American burgers), American baked goods, American coffee… and pseudo-American spelling. Exhibit A: Baguett’s.

This coffeeshop near the Louvre first grabbed my attention, I’m sorry to say, because it falls into an ever-growing trend of businesses that like the way the possessive apostrophe looks but, for some reason, don’t really know how it works. These folks aren’t alone, so I’m sorry for calling out only this café (today); it just makes me laugh.

Of course, once inside, I forgot all about this faux pas and focused, instead, on everything Baguett’s does right.

Baguett’s is exactly the kind of coffee shop that’s on trend in Paris right now, with a long list of coffee options (including stellar filter coffee), American-style baked goods, and a slightly-unfinished interior that the French would dub “très Brooklyn.” They also do a phenomenal brunch.

On my recent visit, I tried the golden milk latte, which has quickly become one of my favorite things to order, especially in mid-afternoon when I’ve already drunk my coffee quota. The one at Baguett’s is one of the best I’ve had: rich and spicy, with just a touch of sweetness.

I also love the feel of this spot: it’s cozy, but thanks in large part to the glass pane that makes up the entirety of the front wall, it also allows quite a bit of light to shine through, making it feel less cramped than other similar coffee shops in the city these days.

No matter how well it’s done – or how long it’s on-trend – it will probably always be strange for me to see American pound cake coexisting with real French viennoiseries, but in some ways, it feels like the best of both of my worlds.

Baguett’s - 33 Rue de Richelieu, 75001