Today, I had an intense debate with myself. And god knows that those can get ugly ! Belieeeeeve me …Indeed, I was torn between the desire to share my incredible experience at the « Anticafé » with you all and the selfish impulse to keep it for myself.
You know the feeling … When you finally find a place you reaaaally like. A place where you can relax, with (very) good coffee, a soothing and quiet atmosphere and pleasant people around. Finding such gems is rare. So, of course, I dread the day where the place will be as crowded as the Starbucks around the corner.
But the very purpose of this blog is to share my good experiences with my amazing community of readers so of course, I’ll tell you all about it …
The concept : an anti-café
Here, you don’t pay for beverages or snacks or the wifi. You pay for the time you spend. It’s 5€ per hour, a little less if you are a student, unemployed or a member (did I mention that membership is free?). Then, you can sit down, relax, work and do so for as long as you want, with as many snacks and drinks as you like. They have printers for you to use too if you need. Find out more about this great concept
Why I loved it …
The place is clearly a work environment. It’s quiet, set up with tons of plugs, great wifi. It is also cozy and cocoon-like. The decoration is subtil and it’s spotless clean. I got so much done in so little time. For those who are curious, this is where the New Orleans article was written.
The coffee was very good. Food options could be a bit better though (especially for those who crave salt more sugar, like me).
The baristas are extremely nice and welcoming. Well done, team Anticafé Louvre for providing such a welcoming environment! There aren’t that many places in Paris where waiters, barmen etc are genuinely nice, make efforts to please their customers or just bother smiling. I know I shouldn’t speak ill of my own people, but I am actually not from Paris so who cares. I am just being honest. Those young women were pleasant and that was a nice change. Rare enough to be mentioned and appreciated.
Would I go back ?
Hell, yeah! I signed up for the membership and plan to go back whenever I’ll find myself in Paris with a need to work outside.
Where?
I went to the Anticafé Louvre, right behind the Conseil constitutionnel, la Comédie Française and steps away from the Louvre museum.
They have several other locations, including Olympiades, Beaubourg and République. Recently, they opened another one at Station F, the major start-up hub in Paris. Mark my words, there will be other openings. The concept is great so I can’t see why it wouldn’t.
