Más Café

Is that "plus de café"?
In any case, let's go right to the source of those claims that French coffee stinks: David Lebovitz. He has a follow up about what he said in The Sweet Life on his blog: Where to Find a Good Cup of Coffee in Paris. He says to "ask for café serré, a “tight” coffee" (ristretto in Italian) and gives a list of places he recommends (mainly Italian), including an Italian Espressamente Illy concept store and café located next to the Opéra Garnier. In another post he says "living in France, I’ve gained a new appreciation for Illy café, which is all but impossible to ruin."

At the Illy website, you can search for locations to buy or drink Illy coffee and there are 118 places in Paris, including the Monoprix at 1 Rue De l'hôtel Saint Paul - 71 Rue Saint Antoine, right near our apartment. The Carrefoure Hypermarche also carries it but that is way out west next to the Boulevard Peripherique and way too far for me to want to go, even for Carrefoure - which is really a French Walmart and I shouldn't want to go there anyway.

And, oh good Lord, Illy even has an Illy iphone locator app.
And it's free!
I wonder if David Lebovitz knows that...

Oh my goodness. David Lebovitz ISN'T the only one who thinks Parisian coffee sucks. Here's an article by Oliver Strand in the New York Times Magazine blog: Ristretto | Why Is Coffee in Paris So Bad?. Strand really investigates it as a phenomenon beyond personal taste. So, read that (and its 3 pages of comments) and then we'll go pick up some Illy coffee at Monoprix, if we really can't stand the French taste. But I'm willing to give the stuff a try. As the master roaster and bean buyer for the French coffee giant Cafés Richard said: “The flavors are different. The experience is different. A bowl of café au lait isn’t trying to be a cappuccino.”

Maybe it's like whether you prefer a dark roast or a light roast, a robust African or Sumatran coffee or a mild Colombian coffee.