Paris secret: you want to warm up with tea, you want those pastries you’ve been seeing everywhere, but you also want to sit down, dammit, and not just get hustled out the door with your warm little paper sack of croissants. So don’t bother searching for ‘pâtisseries’ on Google Maps. Search instead for ‘salons de thé’, which is code for ‘pastry shops’. There, you can actually sit down, thank you very much…unless the listing mentions ‘chicha’ aka hooka, then it’s a bar for people who don’t drink, but smoke instead. Totally different vibe, FYI.
The Brits aren’t the only ones who know how to do tea, as Paris has its fair share of tea houses, and they are doing it Frenchly. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to relax or just prefer the steamy leaf water to hot brown bean water, these Parisian tea-centric cafés are worth looking into (and perhaps crossing arrondissements for).

Camelia
If you haven’t heard about Camelia yet, it’s high time to check it out, as we already know that this new kid in the « Le Marais » block will make some noice, just you wait. With its variety of drinks, homemade desserts and lunches as well as cute interior and vintage porcelain, this trendy, yet classy (in an totally je-ne-sais-quoi way) tea salon perfectly fits its location. The menu includes almost 50 different types of tea and at least half as many lattes, so you don’t even need to blackmail any of your friendly bean lovers to convince them to drop by. Moreover, it’s one of not-so-many places that are open seven days a week (That’s truly like a unicorn around here…) so if you happen to find yourself in a neighborhood (as you should, because, come on), there’s totally no excuse not to drop by.
ADDRESS: 12 Rue Dupetit-Thouars (3rd arr.)
MÉTRO: Temple (line 3)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Haut Marais
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 57 40 82 80
DEETS: open 7/7, lunch available, vegetarian friendly, women owned business
INSTAGRAM: @cameliateatimeparis

Bontemps
Bontemps has the fortune of having one of the best desserts in Paris (their cookies, called simply “Bontemps”), beautifully complementing their dually amazing tea. Moreover, it’s delightfully located in the Marais and garnished with a frilly, pastel, sugary aesthetic that tenderly whispers, ‘This is the Paris you were promised,’ into your ear. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a dessert focused tea, especially when it’s located in Bontemps’ lush and idyllic “secret garden” terrace. In case of naughty weather, sit inside which is a dulcet, Parisian dream.
ADDRESS: 57 Rue de Bretagne (3rd arr.)
MÉTRO: Temple (line 3)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Haut Marais
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 42 74 10 68
DEETS: garden, dessert shop, take-out available, closed Monday & Tuesday, dainty but luxe vibes
INSTAGRAM: @bontempsparis

Kodama
Kodama is a sleek, indy, tea-temple that maaaaaybe takes itself a bit too seriously, but makes up for it with a great product. Tea here is less about the frilly sandwiches-and-scones experience, and more about the intricacies and emotions of the beverage of choice (don’t worry, you can still get a smattering of baked goods to go with your expertly crafted cup of tea). Every single one of the 40+ teas offered at Kodama’s tea bar is handmade by their “alchemists,” and they range from herbal infusions, to green tea, to black tea, and every color in between. Like all great things, you can also just buy the tea online.
ADDRESS: 30 Rue Tiquetonne (2nd arr.)
MÉTRO: Étienne Marcel (line 4) or Sentier (line 3)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Les Halles/ Montorgueil
PRICE: €
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 45 08 83 44
DEETS: tea house, tea boxes for sale, open daily, dine-in open
INSTAGRAM: @kodamaparis

Thé-ritoires
Come to Thé-ritoires for the ethically sourced tea, stay for the god-awful puns. Seriously. If it weren’t enough that Thé-ritoires’ archaeologist/tea-academic owner has been photographed drinking tea out of a wine glass (somewhere in the distance the Hundred Year’s War has restarted), his website has French tea puns everywhere (degust-thé, véri-thé, the very name of the store itself, it’s ‘tea-ritories’ on French). If you can move past the puns (somehow), you’ll also find that Thé-ritoires serves a wide variety of teas in pretty much every color of the rainbow in an old-timey English style tea house along with house made pastries, sandwiches, and tarts. They carefully purchase most of their teas directly from growers across Asia with, wait for it, integri-thé. Ugh. Great place, they don’t mess around, but lol.
ADDRESS: 5 Rue de Condé (6th arr.)
MÉTRO: Mabillon (line 10)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Latin Quarter
PRICE: lunch/pastry €, tea €€
HOW TO BOOK: Sunday brunch by reservation only
NUMBER: +33 1 42 03 31 51
DEETS: tea centric, closed Mondays, dine-in open, curbside pick up, breakfasts + homemade pastries, tea boxes for sale, gifts available
INSTAGRAM: @the.ritoires

Artéfact
Artéfact is a bit hipster but we love it. Primarily a creator of various ethically sourced, delicately crafted teas and blends, Artéfact also considers itself a “project space,” using their boutique to promote the books and music of various artists while also holding their own exhibits and events. It’s a daring, compelling dive into culture and a purveyor of a fine beverage all in one, and well worth a long in-store visit.
ADDRESS: 23 Rue des Blancs Manteaux (4th arr.)
MÉTRO: Rambuteau (line 11) or Hôtel de Ville (lines 1, 11)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 40 09 96 58
DEETS: tea house, project space, art exhibits, vegetarian friendly, vegan options, takeout
INSTAGRAM: @artefact_marais

Le Valentin Vivienne
If you like secret passageways, clandestine meetings, and a decent cup of Earl Gray, Le Valentin Vivienne is the place for you. No, it’s not actually in some top secret location, but it is tucked away in the Galerie Vivienne, a stunning covered passageway that simmers with old-fashioned Paris charm. Le Valentin Vivienne is known for their remarkably homemade and colorful pastries and desserts, but they also have a lunch menu of French tarts and sandwiches for the savory secretive tea-goer (also dip into their sister location in Passage Joufroy. They have the Covered Passages game down pat).
ADDRESS: 35 Galerie Vivienne (2nd arr.)
MÉTRO: Bourse (line 3) or Pyramides (lines 7 & 14)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Sentier / Palais Royal
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 42 86 80 81
DEETS: tea centric, dine in open, homemade pastries & chocolates, lunch available
INSTAGRAM: @levalentinvivienne

Lai’Tcha
Lai’Tcha might be the coolest tea place ever, probably because it’s not really a tea place. It’s a narrow, minimalistic cave that so happens to be a satellite offshoot of the incredibly popular, Michelin-recognized, Chinese restaurant Yam’Tcha. So, not only can you get all sorts of tea here (including the house special lai’tcha, tea with sweetened condensed milk), you can also get gourmet dim sum or some killer entrees. There’s also a stellar savory small plate brunch worth checking out on Sundays.
ADDRESS: 7 Rue du Jour (1st arr.)
MÉTRO: Louvre-Rivioli (line 1)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Les Halles / Louvre / Rivoli
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 40 26 05 05
DEETS: tea centric, Asian

Mariage Frères Marais
Founded in 1854, Mariage Frères is a staple in the French tea scene and has tearooms all over Paris and the world. Their Marais tearoom, a bright, timeless, vaguely tropical salon, can often be dismissed as snobby (or worse, touristy), but their intriguing offerings of tea-infused food and drink, and the allure of classically schmoozy afternoon tea make it worth the well-trodden trip. Let’s start with the tea-infused salmon: it astonishingly exists, and if that doesn’t immediately tell you how wonderfully over-the-top this experience is, maybe the note at the bottom of the menu that guests can choose one of the one thousand iconic-for-a-reason available teas to accompany their matcha-infused marble cake or roasted chicken with rose tea might be a big clue. This is not a drill. Heads-up: you can’t simply pop in for a cup here as they require you to commit in a big way. A full high-tea or at least lunch is required. You won’t get in and out for less than €30.
ADDRESS: 30 Rue du Bourg Tibourg (4th arr.) / 90 rue Montorgueil (2nd arr.) / 13 rue des grands Augustins (6th arr.) / 56 rue Cler (7th arr.) / 260 Faubourg Saint-Honoré (8th arr.) / 17 Place de la Madeleine (8th arr.)
MÉTRO: Hôtel de Ville (lines 1, 11)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
PRICE: €€€
HOW TO BOOK: from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., for lunch and brunch email: reservations@mariagefreres.com
NUMBER: +33 1 42 72 28 11
DEETS: tea centric, luxe, brunch, lunch
INSTAGRAM: @mariagefreresofficial

T’Cup
T’Cup’s mission is to provide a tea experience as authentically British as possible without actually hopping on a train at the Gare du Nord, and they pretty much deliver on that promise. T’Cup offers the classic three-tier tea goodie presentation complete with sandwiches, some god-tier (sorry) scones with cream and jam, and delectable pastries, all accompanying a looooong and detailed tea list including custom blends. All of this (including some lunch sandwiches and a brunch option for the meal-oriented tea-goers) gets served up in a cozy, cutesy tearoom with a self-described, “Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland” aesthetic. We love self-awareness, and we also love saving money by visiting two countries at once (and scones, we also love scones). Like Mariage Frères, there is a general vibe that this is not like a coffeshop but with tea, but more an experience one must commit a full meal to: not just a place to pop in to to warm up and recharge, but to let them do their whole thing.
ADDRESS: 16 Rue des Minimes (3rd arr.)
MÉTRO: Chemin Vert (line 8)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: reservations made only by phone
NUMBER: +33 1 42 72 00 98
DEETS: tea centric, Britain inspired café, closed Monday & Tuesday, brunch
INSTAGRAM: @tcupparis

Le Salon du Cinéma du Panthéon
Film buffs, this one’s for you. Located in the famous and historic Cinéma du Panthéon, one of the oldest continuously running movie theatres of Paris (est. 1907), Le salon du Panthéon is a tea room on the second floor that radiates with the exclusivity and glitz of an old school movie house. Think of it as the closest you’ll probably get to the Oscars, but with much better food. Decorated by iconic actress Catherine Deneuve, the salon is a hub for cinema nerds, actors, artists, and directors alike (translation: crowded with wannabes, book well ahead). If the vibe isn’t enough to sustain you, there’s a great selection of house made lunch specials, fantastic desserts, and of course, tea.
ADDRESS: 13 Rue Victor Cousin (5th arr.)
MÉTRO: Maubert — Mutualité (line 10)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Sorbonne / Latin Quarter
PRICE: €
HOW TO BOOK: lunch reservations call +33 1 56 24 88 80
NUMBER: +33 1 40 46 01 21
DEETS: tea centric, movie theater, closed Saturday & Sunday, light meals, event space available, Wifi

Désirée
A florist and a barista walk into an empty storefront. The punchline? They both work there. Désirée is a café/florist hybrid (stop me if you’re heard this before) that serves tea, coffee, and homemade cookies on one hand, and provides stunning floral arrangements for weddings and parties on the other. Their cafés (two locations) offer homemade baked goods, sandwiches, and a rotating list of daily savory specials in addition to their short but curated drink list. And of course, the simple, white cafés that specialize in edible plants are decorated with the most darling floral arrangements, resulting in a charming, warm aesthetic that feels so of the moment.
ADDRESS: 5 rue de la Folie Méricourt (11th arr.)
MÉTRO: Saint Ambroise (line 9) or Richard Lenoir (line 5)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Folié Méricourt
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 9 81 02 52 13
DEETS: flower shop, breakfast, brunch, tea centric, open Tuesday-Saturday

Le Loir dans La Théière
And the Alice in Wonderland theme continues! Le Loir dans La Théière translates to “the dormouse in the teapot,” a nod to the unfortunate little rodent in the Alice in Wonderland story. With its kitschy, nonsensical decor and well-worn furniture, Le Loir dans La Théière looks more like an inviting, intriguing living room than a high-polished Parisian café, but its immense popularity (especially the weekend brunches, get. there. early.) speaks for itself. Though their savory options, handmade and seasonal, pleasantly range from salads to pasta dishes, the main attraction is the baked goods. They’re awesome. Try the lemon meringue or just about anything. It’s all house made, freshly made, and well worth the potential wait.
ADDRESS: 3 Rue des Rosiers (4th arr.)
MÉTRO: Saint Paul (line 1)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 42 72 90 61
DEETS: tea house, breakfast, weekend brunch, open daily
INSTAGRAM: @leloirdanslatheiereofficiel

Au Petit Versailles du Marais
If you’re name-checking Versailles, the poster-child of excessiveness, in your store title, you have to live up to the classy expectations. And boy do they in a Potemkin sort of way. The tea-room side of popular bakery Au Petit Versailles du Marais has a small but insanely decorated venue full of opulent painted ceilings, chandeliers, faux Greek columns, fancily upholstered chairs, and of course, oodles and oodles of delicious baked goods from a renowned pastry chef who happened to have won the distinguished Meilleur Ouvrier de France title for patisserie (it’s a little bit kitsch not gonna lie). Despite the flair, it’s still a reasonably priced experience, especially if you like (ummmm… imitation) glamour but don’t want to deal with the schlep and the lack of elbow room of the real-life Versailles. It’s also well-located in the thick of historic le Marais, so you might find yourself there for other reasons and in need of a place to recharge. In fact, it’s located on the same street as our humble little office and where the Curiosity Collective (our sister posse) meets with their guests to ride into the Paris sunset. So yeah, it’s our ‘hood. We are partial to their Gougères which are savory pastry puffs and their delicious baguette.
ADDRESS: 1 Rue Tiron (4th arr.)
MÉTRO: Saint Paul (line 1)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Le Marais
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 8 93 02 53 61
DEETS: tearoom, bakery, breakfast, lunch, brunch, dine in open, closed Sundays
INSTAGRAM: @aupetitversaillesdumarais

Nina’s Vendôme
Before Marie Antionette lost her head, she drank Nina’s tea. Originally founded in 1672 as a perfume store by the “aroma magician” of Versailles, Nina’s prides itself on its unique tea blends with ingredients in as commonplace as their royal history. Each of their teas feature ingredients handpicked from the pure, pesticide-free, endangered species sanctuary known as the Versailles garden. Their Marie Antionette blend in particular is made from rose petals and apples (and we are going to resist the urge to suggest that it be enjoyed with some cake) plucked right from the palace. Nina’s flaunts their royal history to the extent of having a carved bust of Marie Antionette in their stark white boutique by the Place de Vendôme, a choice as bold as their decor and their flavors. This place is dressing up like a Sofia Coppola version of Marie Antoinette but in a cup.
ADDRESS: 29 Rue Danielle Casanova (1st arr.)
MÉTRO: Pyramides (lines 7, 14) or Opéra (lines 3, 7, 8)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Louvre / Tuileries
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 55 04 80 55
DEETS: tea house, luxe, closed Sundays

KL Pâtisserie
KL Pâtisserie is a fun bakery/tearoom with an open-concept, chic gray and yellow aesthetic and adorable animal cakes (the bears in particular are soooo cute!). When they’re not whipping up darling eye-candy (they do have some tasty stuff that aren’t animals but are still very nice to look at), KL also serves tea with several insanely inexpensive formule (that’s French for price-fixe…uh which is also French for set menu) options that can range from one drink and one pastry to a champagne fest. Most importantly however, is the variety of their beverage options: they have milkshakes. Do you know how hard it is to find good milkshakes in France? Very. Treasure this place. Wait, wasn’t this list about tea?
ADDRESS: 78 Avenue de Villiers (17th arr.)
MÉTRO: Wagram (line 3)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Batignolles
PRICE: €€€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 45 71 64 84
DEETS: pastry shop, dine in available, order online available, closed Monday & Tuesday
INSTAGRAM: @kevin_lacote

Maison Nicoulet
Even die-hard tea connaisseurs have to agree that nothing is better than chocolate, and this place has both. Maison Nicoulet, a boutique-salon hybrid, primarily handles the latter, and it offers tea and rich cups of hot chocolate (chocolat à l’ancienne if you’re feeling fancy) in conjunction with a few pieces of the more solid gourmet version. Here, the salon du thé is merely an excuse to sample the main product (morsels like praline chocolates, caramels, and spiked truffles) in a comfy, accessible setting. As excuses go however, the tea is pretty good, and at six euros for a hot drink and some chocolate, all sugar enthusiasts win. Plus the owner who runs the show, busting about left and right, is a charming and enthusiastic tea and chocolate expert who is entirely happy to welcome you.
ADDRESS: 32 Rue Duret (16th arr.)
MÉTRO: Neuilly — Porte Maillot (line 1 and RER C)
NEIGHBORHOOD: farther end of Champs-Élyseés
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 45 01 76 97
DEETS: chocolate shop, tasting on site, takeaway
INSTAGRAM: @maisonnicoulet

Rose Bakery at Musée de la Vie Romantique
The Musée de la Vie Romantique is a quaint boutique museum housed in a stocky 1830’s townhouse that features collections of art, jewelry, letters, and the like from Romantic era artists and writers. But let’s be real, you’re here for the tea and the culture is only a plus (or maybe you are better than me and you are a real connoisseur of art and not just a lazy slob calculating the next place to sit down and do the calories).
This spot does not disappoint. Behind the museum there’s a breathtaking hidden courtyard full of lush greenery and tiny green tables straight out of an impressionist painting. The tearoom itself is run by Rose Bakery, an international chain that serves a sweet and savory afternoon tea experience featuring baked goods, salads, and savory tarts. It’s the delicious, secluded, back-in-time garden party of your dreams.
ADDRESS: 16 Rue Chaptal (9th arr.)
MÉTRO: Pigalle (lines 2, 12)
NEIGHBORHOOD: Almost Montmartre but really Pigalle
PRICE: €€
HOW TO BOOK: no reservations
NUMBER: +33 1 55 31 95 67
DEETS: tea room, dine in open, closed Mondays, outdoor garden, greenhouse
INSTAGRAM: @rosebakeryparis
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- Paris Defined Magazinehttps://www.parisdefined.com/author/paris-defined-magazine/
- Paris Defined Magazinehttps://www.parisdefined.com/author/paris-defined-magazine/