Noir

somewhere between the grands magasins and the haussmann office crowds, noir holds its ground at 120 boulevard haussmann without making a fuss about it. the 8th arrondissement isn't known for slowing down, which makes a place like this more useful than it might sound. if you're cutting through from saint-lazare or killing time before a meeting, you'll find something here that the surrounding brasseries and chains simply don't bother with, which is coffee taken seriously on its own terms. locally, the word is good, and that consistency matters on a boulevard where foot traffic is relentless and options are plentiful. come for the morning espresso before the 8th gets loud.