Coutume’s original café is on Rue de Babylone in the 7th arrondissement, near Le Bon Marché on the Left Bank. White tile, stainless steel, a visible coffee counter and pavement tables give the room the feel of a working café even when most people are there for brunch. It is the Coutume address to choose when you want time for both coffee and food.
Coffee
Coutume roasts its own coffee in France. The Babylone counter serves single-origin espresso, milk drinks and cold coffee. An espresso lets you taste the coffee on its own before you decide whether to buy beans. If you are coming for a meal, a milk drink makes a straightforward first order and leaves room to try a different preparation after eating.
Filter
Ask what is available as a hand brew. The menu can offer the same coffee through different preparations, which gives two people sharing a table a way to compare without ordering several unrelated beans. If you find a coffee you like, look at the retail shelf and ask which beans suit the brewer you use at home. Allow more time for the hand brew than you would for a coffee to go.
Food
The Babylone kitchen serves brunch and lunch, with dishes such as pancakes, buns, bowls and salads. There are also cookies, financiers, cakes and other sweets at the counter if you are between meals. The operator takes reservations at this address, which is worth knowing when several people are coming for brunch. For one person, a filter and a pastry make a smaller visit with the same coffee choice.
Service & Room
The room can accommodate more sit-down visitors than a small Paris espresso bar, and the terrace gives another option when the weather is good. It still gets busy around brunch. Choose an earlier coffee stop if you want time to talk about beans, or reserve if the meal is the point. Coutume also serves coffee at Poissonnière, La Procure and several other addresses. Use Babylone when you want the original café and its kitchen in one visit. The Galeries Lafayette café has a separate pastry menu on the second floor of the Coupole store.
Why Filter Notes shortlisted Coutume Café
Coutume Babylone gives you a chance to taste a house roast as espresso and filter, then stay for a proper meal near Sèvres-Babylone. The combination is worth the detour when the group wants brunch and you care what is in the cup. Expect a busier room at the weekend.