My husband and I are going to Paris in November and we would like to take breakfast outside of our hotel. What time do cafes open in general in Paris? Do they all serve croissants or do people go to bakeries first and then order coffee at the cafe? Does anyone have favorite cafes especially for morning? Thanks!

Which hotel?<BR>Some cafes open very early.Others around lunch time. It depends.<BR>It is not really too cool to bring food to a cafe, would you do that in the US? Most cafes serve croissants and breakfast food with coffee.<BR>My favs:<BR>Deux Magots<BR>Cafe Beauborg<BR>Cafe Flore<BR>any small cafe on the Left Bank.

Lydia,<BR><BR>We always choose a Bistro/Cafe near our hotel to eat. If you are in the Marais La Bouquet St. Paul is good. They are open very early if not all night. I would guess most cafes serve croissants but we enjoy the petit de jeuner. Usually, bread, butter, jam, egg, FRESH oj and coffee! Wonderful! This runs around 8 Euros

Hi Lydia<BR>You don't say where you are staying but<BR>if you just wander around your neighborhood you're bound to find a place that opens early.<BR>Some patisseries (pastry shops) have areas for stay-in table service (with coffee). Fewer boulangeries (bread bakeries) do. Some "salons de the" (the "the" should have an an accent mark, the establishments are "tea salons" but they also serve coffee and pastries) are open early for breakfast.<BR>One of my favorite places is Laduree on rue Royale. They open about 8am I think.<BR>They serve wonderful pastries and croissants (there is often a long line for take-out) and they serve light meals as well. <BR> Your hotel's front desk staff may have a good suggestion or two. <BR><BR>I have a file on Paris; if you'd like to see it, email me.

Also try Fauchon on Place de la Madeleine. They have a separate cafe. They have a great fruit compote with some type of liqueur in it. Just yummy!<BR><BR>Or, sometimes we grab some of the great fruit juices and fresh fruit, etc. from Hediard, croissants/pain au chocolat from a patisserie, and coffee and head for one of the parks.

Cafes usually open around 7-8 am (but it can as well be 5 am or noon). Most of them have croissants (though they can quickly run out) and buttered bread. A lot of them serve eggs and omelettes (plus others food items, but we're talking about breakfast).<BR><BR>Personnally, I do not hesitate to bring a pastry in the cafe if I feel like it (except croissants since they sell them).

Most cafes open as early as 6am. Then, as Elaine posted it, it depends what area your hotel is in. If it's in the usual tourist neighborhoods of the Left Bank or around Champs Elysees, Grands Boulevards, you'll find plenty of cafes offering "English" or "American" breakfasts. Don't expect too much breakfast mileage from these, though ! Then you have your normal Parisian neighborhood cafe, and each and every one of them offers croissants and buttered bread. But I usually avoid croissants in cafes, they tend to be substandard, and/or from the previous day. IMHO, the tastiest option - and one that will really impress the waiter as being definitely non touristy ! - is to ask for a "tartine beurree". You'll get a foot long of two baguette halves with butter on it and jam on the side, and it's always fresh, and delicious, as far as I am concerned..

As for croissants in cafes being substandart : usually, cafe owners just buy it at the next bakery, so they're perfectly standart. *But* cafes sell plain ordinary croissants, while in bakeries most people buy "croissants au beurre" (made with butter) instead of "croissants ordinaires", and the difference is very significant.

As I always try to stay in the Rue De Buci area I have a great fondness for Paul's. When it is too cold to eat breakfast outside Paul's has a wonderful bakery menu , good coffe and hearty American Breakfasts. You also can see local people come in for there necessities