Overhearing someone wax lyrical about their latest cupping session, debating various methods of extraction or the merits of a cold drip, you may be forgiven for thinking they were talking about day spa treatments.  But, thanks to an influx of highly skilled and passionate baristas, coffee-centric catchwords like this have become standard in Parisian café banter. It is safe to say that the days of bad brews in this city have bean and gone.

These days in Paris, all the cool kids are ordering chemex.

Boot is the latest by-product of the Parisian coffee revolution; and this little Marais-based hole-in-the-wall café just couldn’t be more delightful.   At only 4m² Boot café is (somewhat ironically) a literal shoebox, but the owners – a furniture designer by the name of Phil Euell and his fashion-industry partner Elsa Dahan – have managed to create a sleek and welcoming little hangout.

The pair set up shop in what was once a shoe repair studio (I guess you could say the old cobbler got the boot) and have retained the charming blue shop-front with its original Cordonnerie sign.  Meanwhile Euell, who designed the layout of the interior and built much of the furniture including the counter, tables and shelves himself, has transformed the interior into a beautiful light-filled little space complete with white tiles, colourful chairs and marble bench tops.

The coffee by Belleville Brûlerie is (needless to say) amazing, as are the ridiculously moreish sweets by Emperor Norton (the prevalence of these amongst great coffee shops in Paris is becoming a problem as I have now developed a worrying daily 3pm craving for the EN chocolate chip oat cookie).

If you’re lucky enough to nab one of the three small tables take a seat and have a chat with the very charming barista Rachel while you sip your cortado. Otherwise grab your coffee-to-go because, as the sign on the window explains with true Nancy Sinatra finesse, these coffees are made for walking.

Emerald Bond (author of www.agoodforking.com)

Address: 19 rue du Pont aux Choux, 75003
Metro: Saint-Sébastien-Froissart
Opening hours: Open every day except Monday.
Telephone: 06 26 41 10 66
Site: https://www.facebook.com/bootcafe