Paris is finally becoming an international specialty coffee hub

Just ten years ago, specialty coffee shops were hard to come by in the French capital. Today, the City of Lights has an eclectic scene of homegrown and international operators

In 2026, the arrival of yet another influential specialty coffee group in Paris underlines the momentum behind the city’s burgeoning specialty coffee scene.

Yet, barely more than a decade ago, specialty coffee was largely absent from the world’s culinary capital, with Parisians seemingly reluctant to embrace the caffeinated revolutions underway in cities like London, Berlin and Copenhagen.

Those days, it seems, are long gone as Paris welcomes a new wave of sophistication in the cup – and specialty coffee businesses from around the globe are taking note.

Following a slight delay to its original December 2025 launch, Latvian specialty coffee roaster and café chain Kalve Coffee has opened an outlet on Paris’ Rue Desaix, located near the Eiffel Tower and Champ-de-Mars.