Quick Video of a Paris Café -- Breakfast Hour, Weekday

This place was cute, and very authentic. There was still one croissant left for sale on the "zinc," the counter. An employee from a shop nearby popped in for a coffee, which she carried away cup and all (she'll give that and her other cups back at the end of the week). I didn't want to bother the two clients nor the "barman" by videoing them, so I kept this clip super-short, just to give a feeling of the pretty interior for you.

I can "never" afford coffee "out," but I made my first exception for 2011 this morning, in the 17th arrondissement, not too far from Etoile. (Place de L'Etoile, where L'Arc de Triomphe is -- no one here calls it that, however.)

Had I bought the croissant, that would have been 1 euro 50. I forgot to note the price for my coffee, sorry! (They do cost a lot.) (And French coffee is undrinkable. I make pretty good chicory coffee at home, though.) A "noisette" is coffee with a LITTLE bit of hot milk in it. "Serré" is short and strong -- very little water is used. (Actually, espresso coffee has less caffeine than does drip coffee.) "Un double" is a bigger, more American sized coffee (yes, it costs more) and a "café crème" is steamed cream and coffee and is really good. Don't bother with tea in France, anywhere, trust me on that one. Hot chocolates are usually made from mixes but are still good, and a "vin chaud" when it's cold out is a hot red wine with spices and sugar, maybe a little fruit. If you want a soda, ask for "un petit limonade," which is a 7-Up type drink. "Au zinc," standing at the bar, costs less than sitting at a table. I left a 30 cent tip, I do remember that. You don't have to -- technically the tip is included -- but it's nice to leave at least a small coin.

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[hypnofan35]

It's a well cared for space.

[slobomotion]

It was very pleasant. I had perhaps five minutes here, just time for a quick gulp. Standing up and asking for the "barman" (even women are called that) to make you a "tartine" for breakfast is great. They split part of a baguette and butter it for you with fly-blown, soft butter, just casually flicking away the dead fly. Gotta love it!

[uspimpclub]

very nice !

[slobomotion]

I was hung over years ago and had an early appointment in a posh area by Concorde, so treated myself to breakfast at the bar of a swank place in the arcades on Rue de Rivoli. Croissant, butter, jam, coffee with lots of sugar, and fresh squeezed orange juice -- and I asked them to spike it. Over 20 dollars at that time, but I was then ready to take on the world, if not my hung-over morning! On Easter, I had a kir royale while waiting for crummy takeout! Champagne and cassis! xo