Black Market
What: Black Market Coffee Where: 27 rue Ramey 75018 (18ème arrondissement) Web: Facebook Page When: Tue-Sun 8am-7pm ...
What: Black Market Coffee
Web: Facebook Page
When: Tue-Sun 8am-7pm
Métro: Château Rouge (line 4), Marcadet Poissonniers (lines 4, 12)Price for a café crème: 4E
Food: Quite a selection
I owe this most recent discovery to Nicolas, the owner of Kooka Boora, who I was e-mailing the other day to get a bit more info on his café. He was telling me about the other coffee gurus he'd worked with before setting up shop, and mentioned the usual suspects (Télescope, Ten Belles, Lomi), along with another place I'd never heard of, namely Black Market. Sure enough, I did a bit of research and found that it was just up the road from Café Lomi, right in the heart of La Goutte d'Or/Barbès area. The photos I found on the net looked promising, and then I received a recommendation from one of my two blog commenters, so I thought I ought to head on down and see what it was all about.
As soon as I arrived I knew it was a done deal. It had a nice, homely atmosphere, with random bric-a-brac scattered about the place, a cheerful collection of plants on display in the front window, and the sort of hip counter on which you can expect to be served a seriously well made coffee. The two guys who own the place, Baptiste, a Marseillais, and Youssef, a local, told me they'd got into the coffee business more or less 'by chance'. Baptiste was a caffeine addict through necessity, as he would use the beverage to keep himself up through marathon gaming sessions, and Youssef apparently hardly even drank it up until the opening of their commercial endeavour, about six months ago.
They were trained in the art of caffeine by Antoine of Café Coutume, from whom they buy their beans. They're clearly very intelligent guys, as they have not only more than mastered the delicate process of coffee making, but their whole business seems to be flourishing. The place was packed when I was there, which unfortunately meant I didn't have a heap of time to chat to the owners, but was a good sign otherwise.
The coffee I drank (I asked for a flat white) was probably one of the best ones I've had in Paris. Everything, from the froth:milk:coffee ratio to the temperature and the strength of the bean was perfect. They were really happy to hear this, which to me was a sign of admirable humility, something we don't always see in this trendy world. They have wifi, and a range of food to choose from. I didn't eat anything, but have a look at the picture of the menu to get an idea of what's going on.
It's right next to Montmartre too. I was lucky enough to go there after the big downfall of snow the day before, so I got a bit of luging in while I was there. There's a cool restaurant down the road called Le Floors, which I ate at before coming to Black Market for a coffee. Once you're done, head back down towards rue Caulaincourt and take a right at Passage Cottin to walk straight up to the Sacré Coeur. Once there, avoid the crowds at the front by heading back down rue de la Bonne, down to rue St. Vincent, where you can see the Montmartre vineyard, then turn left and then left again into la rue Cortot to see la Société Histoire du Vieux Montmartre, where you can go to the Montmartre Museum.
This coffee is definitely a must-drink.
-Good Coffee In Paris
