The Strada Café, whom you might have heard of in the Marais (94 rue du Temple, 75003), opened up in a new location by Cardinal Lemoine métro station in November 2014.
I love the fact that it is open from 8am on weekdays – finally someone has understood that people need coffee before going to work! – and this coffee shop is marginally larger than some of the other craft coffee spots in Paris, making it a good place to suggest as a meeting place for friends.
Their beans are mainly sourced from L’Arbre a Café but there are some other niche roasters (e.g. White Label Coffee, based in the Netherlands) available to take away.
What I don’t like so much – and I’m aware that I may be going rather against the trend – are the prices.
I know that craft coffee is an artisanal, agricultural product that demands a certain price. 2 euros for a really good espresso seems fair (but, nevertheless, I prefer paying 1 euro 50 for an espresso to-go at Dose, just around the corner on rue Mouffetard.)
My bugbear is the price of a café crème or cappuccino. How are the Italians able to offer an espresso at 1 euro and a cappuccino at 1 euro 20 even in tourist capitals like Florence, while the minimum for a cappuccino in Paris is 4 euros?
Who can afford a flat white at 5 euros (which is how much you’ll pay at the Strada Café on Sept 4 2015) on a regular basis? Hell, for that price, you could have a large of wine – although probably not at 9.30am – but I know which one I would prefer.
Craft coffee is no longer a novelty in Paris. Coutume were the pioneers in 2010, Café Lomi have been roasting away in the 18th since September 2012 and Belleville since 2013. The market is therefore a decent three years old. How are they still getting away with daylight robbery in exchange for a splash of warm milk?
I believe that the Strada Café on rue Monge merits its inclusion on the blog for the reasons first listed above… but honestly, the day that someone starts offering a cappuccino at say 2 euro 50 or 3 euros, then I’ll get excited!!
Essential Information
Address: 24 rue Monge, 75005 Telephone: 09 72 45 12 87 Website: Strada Cafe, Facebook Opening Hours: Monday-Friday from 8am til 6.30pm. Saturday-Sunday 10am til 6.30pm.
The Burnt Cream Blog 