HolyBelly: Great Coffee and Seasonal Food in Paris

A few doors down from The Tuck Shop and Bob’s Juice Bar in the 10th arrondissement, Holybelly is serving up some of the city’s best coffee and some of its friendliest vibes (where else do the staff take your name with your order and remember it on your way out?). Settle into a booth or pull up a chair at the big wooden table in the back and get ready to enjoy food prepared with care.

Inspired by their experience in Melbourne, the founders wanted to make good coffee and good food available without pretension. Holybelly strives to serve local, seasonal fare: check out the chalkboard on the back wall for the daily special, as well as what fruits and veggies are in season (and might be making it onto your plate).

Coffee from nearby Belleville Brûlerie, beer from Montreuil-based Deck & Donohue brewery, and line-caught fish from Saint Jean de Luz appear on the menu next to wild-rice-asparagus-citrus salad with marinated brebis and good old-fashioned American-style pancake breakfasts.

Whether you’re after a decent cup of coffee, an afternoon snack (Bourbon cake or a rice pudding perhaps?) or a button-busting breakfast, Holybelly has fresh-brewed, homemade options. At 5.50€, the Agent Cooper special is a steal: a giant slice of cake and a cup of local drip coffee. Feeling nostalgic? Try a round of Monster Bash pinball while you’re waiting for your eggs and hash browns.

HolyBelly, 19 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris. Tel: +33 9 73 60 13 64. Open every day except Tuesday and Wednesday. Weekdays from 9 am – 6pm, weekends open at 10 am. Breakfast items from 5 euros; Lunch plates from 12.50 euros.

Unabashedly gourmande, Kate Robinson can regularly be found sleuthing out the best watering holes, secret gardens and food joints in Paris. Follow Kate on Twitter: @KateOnTheLoose