Café Marlette

Created by sisters Margot and Scarlette, Marlette (see what they did there?) began as an organic food brand selling bread and cake mixes (stocked at choice Paris addresses such as Claus and Causses), and has now branched out to include the freshly opened Café Marlette, serving breakfast, lunch, brunch and snacks. The charming space on the trendy rue des Martyrs - with a pared back, bright and breezy decor of bare-brick walls and comfy window seats strewn with cushions - provides a convivial backdrop for laidback daytime dining. On the menu are simple, organic and healthy options at reasonable prices (from €7.50), including sandwiches (such as the delicate yet filling goats cheese, honey and raisin baguette), seasonal salads, soups and sweet treats fresh out of the oven such as cookies and scones. These can all be washed down with superior coffee supplied by Paris coffee masters, Coutume, organic tea from Lov or organic wine for those who wish to indulge. Brunch - featuring a selection of breads and jams, granola, compote and more - is served on the weekends (€25) and the Marlette bread and pastry mixes, from whence this story all began, are also on sale. 

Café Marlette

51 rue des Martyrs, 

75009 Paris

www.cafemarlette.fr

Open: Tues-Fri, 8.30am-7.30pm; Sat, 10am-7.30pm; Sun, 10am-6pm

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw / Unlock Paris

Black Market Café - Rue Ramey

UPDATE NOV 2013: Blackmarket has now closed its Rue Ramey address and reopened in the Marais under the name of Fragments. 

Following in the footsteps of Coutume, Télescope and Kooka Boora, there is a new neighbourhood cafe in Paris with a focus on superior coffee: Black Market Café (hitherto known as Paradigme) on rue Ramey in the 18th arrondissement. Freshly opened last week by the charming Baptiste and Youssef, the refined and welcoming space -decorated in sleek tones of grey and accessorised with vintage bits and bobs - neighbours record label Ed Banger and is just a short walk away from the Sacre Coeur and Abbesses. Black Market offers a variety of coffees - such as filter, iced, latte and the traditional espresso - the roasts for which come from Coutume on the left bank. The coffees are either hand dripped or made on a Marzocco coffee machine, but the duo are awaiting the delivery of their seriously swanky Kees Van der Westen Mirage coffee machine - the Rolls Royce of coffee makers (and theirs will be the first of its kind in France). Also on the menu are teas from Rishi, fresh juices and Rachel's cheesecake, muffins and crumbles. Lunches and brunches are not yet planned but Black Market are open to ideas and don't rule it out for the future. The atmosphere is friendly and free wifi is available - and a small pavement terrace will also be part of the deal very soon - making this a great place to settle in with your laptop while savoring an expertly brewed cup of coffee.

Black Market (formerly known as Paradigme)

27 rue Ramey, 75018 Paris

Open Tues-Sun, 9am-7pm

All photos copyright Kim Laidlaw Adrey / Unlock Paris 

La Chambre aux Oiseaux

This Canal-side cafe in the bobo 10th arrondissement may be new, but the homely interior and heart and soul behind its opening make it feel like an old favorite already.

Wanderlust

Tonight Wanderlust, the very highly anticipated new club and restaurant concept from the Savoir Faire team - the guys responsible for Paris' unrivaled nightspots Silencio and Social Club - opens to the public for a summer full of Seine-side fun and frolics.

Housed at Les Docks - Cité de la Mode et du Design, an impressive, serpentine building designed by architects Jakob +Macfarlane on the banks of the river Seine, Wanderlust boasts the largest terrace in Paris: 1600m2 of wood-decked space, kitted out with a bar and murky-grey (Seine-coloured?) tables and chairs, creating a space for river-side drinking, lounging and dancing. Films and light shows will also be projected on to the vast back wall in this area. 

Inside, there is a room dedicated to clubbing with fluorescent lighting and angular furniture that recall the futurist decor of the Social Club, which will welcome an eclectic range of DJs to welcome a broad range of guests. Wanderlust also includes an indoor/outdoor restaurant, helmed by the affable - and very talented - chef Benjamin Darnaud, who previously starred on France's Top Chef and whose cuisine will reflect the eclecticism of the space with a global and innovative menu. 

Wanderlust will be open throughout summer, come rain or shine, from midday until 6am, Wednesday to Sunday. Each Wednesday, veritable summertime clubbing institution, Eté d'Amour, will bring their electro beats to the club, and every week a fashion themed event (cinema, performance, interactive workshops) will be organised in association with the Musée Galliera, IFM (Institut Français de la Mode) and the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum, London). The weekends will be kicked off gently with a "Beauty Morning" of yoga or pilates followed by brunch, creative workshops, children's activities and DJ sets. There will also be a pop-up shop, and events such as a vintage clothes sale and a food market - it's basically going to be chock full of fun, dynamic and contemporary things to do for every type of person, at any point in the day. We just found our new favourite summertime hangout in Paris. 

Wanderlust

at Les Docks - Cité de la Mode et du Design

32 quai d'Austerlitz, 75013, Paris

www.wanderlustparis.com

Open Weds-Sun, midday-6am

Consult the full programme here: Wanderlust Programme

All photos copyright Kim Laidlaw 

Le Bellerive

Run by the same team behind Paris hotspots Chez Jeannette, Chez Justine and Le Floréal, canal-side Le Bellerive is a friendly new café in the up-and-coming 19th arrondissement. 

A couple of minutes away from the twin MK2 cinemas, this laidback neighbourhood joint has a retro vibe, with neon-lighting and 60s furniture, and has a great little terrace looking on to the Canal. On the menu are simple and well prepared comfort foods, including their Bellerive burger, macaroni with ham and truffle oil, and Caesar salad. Platters of charcuterie and cheese are also available to go with a couple of drinks in the evening, and desserts such as the French childhood classic Ile Flotttante (a light egg-white meringue floating in custard) and chocolate mousse are particularly well executed. Brunch is served on Sundays. On top of all that, staff and patrons alike are a friendly lot, making Le Bellerive a great place to hang out in the day or the evening for a drink or for a relaxed meal if you are in the area. 

Le Bellerive

71 Quai de Seine, 75019 Paris

Métro: Riquet / Crimée

All photos copyright Kim Laidlaw Adrey 2012

La Rotonde

The gentrification of Paris' 19th arrondissement continues with the opening of La Rotonde, a brasserie housed in an impressive neo-classical building on the Place Stalingrad, overlooking the Canal de l'Ourcq. But despite its lofty architecture, the vibe is laid back and prices are reasonable - the aim of La Rotonde is to recreate an unpretentious place to hang out, drink and eat which is accessible to all. There is a tapas bar which spills out onto the square in fine weather, a cocktail bar, a cafe and a brasserie (also serving brunch on Sundays). The upstairs space, which features balconies surrounded by columns and looking on to the canal, is available for private hire. Cultural events are also scheduled as part of the deal of bringing fun and festivities to this grand setting. 

La Rotonde, 

6-8, place de la Bataille de Stalingrad, 75019 Paris 

www.larotonde.com

all photos copyright Kim Laidlaw 

Le Mini Palais

Between the Champs Elysees and the gilded Alexandre III bridge, in a wing of the impressive Grand Palais and just opposite the Petit Palais, is the Mini Palais restaurant - although the only thing mini about it is its name. Opened in 2010, the grand restaurant was styled by architects Gilles & Boissier who created a clean setting in this large, high-ceilinged space, inspired by the idea of the artists studio, with marble details, grand mirrors and decorated with sculptures as a reference to its artistic setting. On one side of the restaurant are windows looking onto the vast and immense interior of the Grand Palais, on the other side is the wide terrace bordered by neo-classical columns and palm trees, onto the Petit Palais. The menu has been conceived by three Michelin-starred chef Eric Frechon of Le Bristol and is suitably refined and impressive for the setting. The dishes all put the quality and flavour of individual ingredients in the spotlight, and feature fish from renewable sources as part of the adorably named Mr Good Fish scheme. There are several of Frechon's signature dishes on the menu, including the Asian-influenced golden cod in coriander and lemongrass broth (below) and a deliciously decadent giant rum baba with vanilla ice cream. The fare and the setting can also be enjoyed for afternoon tea, or for a bite to eat at any time of the day with a snack menu being served outside of mealtimes. The sublime setting, the excellent food, the reasonable prices, the location so near to many iconic Parisian monuments and attractions, and the fact that food is served all day every day all add up to this being a great restaurant to know about -  and a great destination for visitors to Paris who are hungry after a shlep up the Champs Elysees but still have their high standards in tact. 

Mini Palais

at the Grand Palais

Avenue Winston Churchill 

75008 Paris

Tel: 01 42 56 42 42

Open everyday, 10am - 2am

All photos copyright Kim Laidlaw

The 7th Bar @ Terrass Hotel

The 7th, the roof terrace bar of the 4-star Terrass Hotel in Montmartre, is a bar with a view. But not just any old view: the 7th floor vantage point that lends its name to the bar offers a spectacular vista over Paris, with the Tour de Montparnasse, Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower lined up perfectly from left to right along the horizon. The open-air setting is open from early April to the end of September, weather permitting, with white parasols to protect you from the sun and the breeze of being up high to cool you down on a hot summer day - and with a reasonably priced drinks menu offering cocktails, soft drinks and wine as refreshment. Despite being just minutes away from the grey urbanity of the Place de Clichy, up here in the clouds at the 7th there is an overall atmosphere of being on holiday away from the city. This is perhaps due to the riviera vibe brought about by decor of comfortable yet luxurious garden furniture usually seen in swanky beach resorts, accented with ostentatious touches such as bottles of Dom Perignon displayed on pedestals, and the shiny and bright fake grass that carpets the ground. But the eurotrash undertones fade into the background when you're faced with such a spectacular view of Paris with a glass of chilled wine in hand. The main obstacle to enjoying the terrace this summer has been the awful weather - but if there are any more nice sunny days before the end of the season, we recommend checking this place out for the view alone.

The 7th

Open 11am-midnight, weather permitting

Terrass Hotel

12-14 rue Joseph de Maistre, 75018 Paris

entrance via the lobby of the hotel - take the lift to the 7th Floor.

All photos copyright Kim Laidlaw