I’d say the number one characteristic I’m looking for when I’m seeking out a new staple coffeeshop to frequent is great filter coffee. The second is staying open past 5pm, which is when most filter coffee-serving establishments in Paris seem to think is an appropriate time to close. The third is a feeling of homeyness; if I’m going to be hanging around for several hours, I don’t want to feel like a stranger.
Le Pavillon des Canaux surpasses my expectations in all three categories.
The filter coffee is not only excellent, it’s served in an American-style diner coffeepot, which just makes me happy. (It seems the longer I stay away from America, the more American I become.)
It’s also only two euro a cup. Win.
Because the Pavillon becomes a bar at night, it’s also open late: like, until midnight. Major plus.
As for homeyness, I don’t think you can do much better: you see, the Pavillon is decked out like a house.
The downstairs has both a semi-outdoor garden-party-esque space and an interior that evokes Grandma’s living room. Upstairs, meanwhile, there’s a bedroom, a library, and even a bathroom:
(Never fear, there’s also an actual toilet that you cannot monopolize to drink your excellent filter coffee, chat with friends, and write the next great American [er… French] novel).
Literally the only downside of the Pavillon is that you can’t work there from noon to 2:30 or at the weekend. It’s a policy that a lot of coffeeshops in Paris are adopting that I totally understand, but it does have the unfortunate downside of cutting my work day in half.
But I’ll look on the bright side: forcing me to shut my laptop for two and a half hours gives me time to actually talk to my friends and look out onto the admittedly beautiful Canal de l’Ourcq (or enjoy a really delicious piece of carrot cake).
Aside from being an awesome place to work and hang, the Pavillon also hosts regular events, from cooking classes to concerts to workout classes and more.
I might never leave.
Le Pavillon des Canaux -Â 39 Quai de la Loire, 75019