Emily in Paris Cafés: The Real Paris Coffee Spots

The best-known Emily in Paris café spots are real places: Café de Flore on Boulevard Saint-Germain, Café Marly at the Louvre, the Boulangerie Moderne bakery and the Terra Nera restaurant (Gabriel’s restaurant in the show) on Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, and the Bistrot Valois near Emily’s office at the Palais-Royal. Most sit in central Paris, and several are clustered around Place de l’Estrapade, the square used for Emily’s apartment in the Latin Quarter.

Searching for an Emily in Paris cafe to visit (or café, as Parisians write it)? Below is a guide to the real cafés and coffee spots from the Netflix series, plus the Paris café etiquette basics that will help you order like a local instead of like Emily in episode one. Opening hours and menus change, so always check before you go.

A Quick Note on the Show

Emily in Paris is a Netflix comedy created by Darren Star that premiered in October 2020. Lily Collins plays Emily Cooper, a Chicago marketing executive who moves to Paris for work. Later seasons send her to Rome and Venice too, but Paris and its cafés, bakeries and bistros are the backdrop that made the show a travel magnet.

Emily in Paris Café Spots in the Latin Quarter

Place de l’Estrapade (Emily’s apartment)

This small square in the 5th arrondissement, near the Panthéon, stands in for Emily’s neighborhood. It is a quiet residential spot, so be respectful of the people who actually live there. It makes a great starting point, because two of the show’s most famous food stops are steps away.

Terra Nera (Gabriel’s restaurant)

On Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, the Italian restaurant Terra Nera was used as the exterior of Gabriel’s restaurant in the show. Fans come to photograph the façade and sit on the terrace. It is a working restaurant, not a museum, so treat it like any other neighborhood spot.

Boulangerie Moderne

A few doors down on the same street, this bakery is where Emily orders her pastry and gets a lesson in French grammar along with it. Ordering a croissant or pain au chocolat here and eating it on the square is one of the easiest and cheapest Emily in Paris experiences. Curious about where the croissant really comes from? Read our piece on the croissant’s Vienna legend.

Café de Flore and the Left Bank

Café de Flore, at 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement, is one of the most famous cafés in the world, and it appears in the show as the place where Emily meets Thomas. Its terrace and classic interior have welcomed writers and artists for generations.

Expect higher prices than an ordinary neighborhood café and a crowd of visitors at busy times. The experience is the point: you are paying for the setting and the history. Our article on Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots explains why these two cafés became legends, and Café Procope, nearby, claims the title of Paris’s oldest café.

Right Bank Café Spots: The Louvre and Palais-Royal

Café Marly

Set under the arcades of the Louvre on Rue de Rivoli, Café Marly is where Emily and her boss Sylvie have lunch with a view of the glass pyramid. It is one of the most elegant terraces in the city, and a coffee here comes with a view many travelers never forget.

Bistrot Valois and Place de Valois

Emily’s fictional office, Savoir, is set near the Palais-Royal. The Bistrot Valois on Place de Valois serves as the bistro where she takes breaks and working lunches. Afterward, walk into the Palais-Royal gardens and see the striped Buren columns nearby.

Other food spots from the show

• Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards (9th arrondissement): the historic, bustling dining hall where Gabriel takes Emily to dinner.
• La Maison Rose (Montmartre): the pink restaurant where Emily and Mindy eat outside.

Emily in Paris Café Guide at a Glance

Paris Café Etiquette: How to Order Like a Local

Emily makes plenty of cultural mistakes, which is half the fun. You can avoid most of them with a few simple habits.

1. Say bonjour first. Greet the server or the person behind the counter before ordering. Skipping it can come across as rude.
2. Know what “un café” means. Order “un café” and you will get a small espresso. For a coffee with milk, ask for “un café crème.” A “noisette” is an espresso with a small dash of milk.
3. Breakfast drinks are for breakfast. Big milky coffees are mostly a morning thing. After lunch, locals usually drink a short espresso. Our café au lait guide explains the classic French breakfast cup.
4. Where you sit affects the price. In many traditional cafés, coffee is cheaper standing at the counter than at a table or on the terrace.
5. Take your time. Nobody will rush you, and the bill usually will not come until you ask for it: “l’addition, s’il vous plaît.”
6. Tipping is light. Service is included in French prices. Rounding up or leaving a little change for good service is appreciated but not expected.

For more on behaving well in any café, see our coffee shop etiquette guide.

Bring the Emily in Paris Café Feeling Home

Cannot get to Paris this year? Recreate a Parisian terrace moment in your kitchen with this simple café crème, our own take on the classic.

• 1 double espresso, about 60 ml (2 fl oz), or 120 ml (4 fl oz) of strong brewed coffee
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) whole milk, steamed or frothed
• A croissant, warmed in the oven for 3 minutes

1. Brew the espresso or strong coffee into a wide cup.
2. Froth the milk until silky, then pour it in, holding back some foam to spoon on top.
3. Serve with the croissant and, ideally, a window seat.

A dark, chocolatey coffee works best. Try French Roast for a bold Parisian-style cup, or Brazil Santos if you like it smoother and nutty.

Emily in Paris Café FAQ

What café does Emily go to in Emily in Paris?

Emily visits several real places, including Café de Flore, Café Marly and the Bistrot Valois near her office. Her neighborhood bakery is the Boulangerie Moderne in the Latin Quarter.

Is Gabriel’s restaurant real?

The exterior used for Gabriel’s restaurant is Terra Nera, a real Italian restaurant on Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques in Paris’s 5th arrondissement. The restaurant in the show is fictional.

Where is Emily’s apartment in Paris?

Her apartment scenes were filmed at Place de l’Estrapade, a small square near the Panthéon in the 5th arrondissement. The buildings are private homes, so admire them from the square.

How do you order coffee in a Paris café?

Greet the server with “bonjour,” then ask for “un café” for an espresso or “un café crème” for coffee with milk. Expect to pay a little more if you sit on the terrace.

Your Own Paris Café, Any Morning

The real magic of the Emily in Paris café spots is the ritual: a good coffee, a pastry and nowhere urgent to be. You can bring a little of that home. Feel Espresso roasts every order 1–5 days before delivery, so pick a bag from our single origin coffees, warm a croissant and give yourself a Parisian morning without the jet lag.