Mastering the Art of Ordering Coffee in France?
Jul 27th, 2012, 11:37 AM
#23
<i>A chacun son goût</i>, but you will never receive mug-sized coffee anywhere in Paris except for those strange Starbucks coffee flavored drinks.
An "allongé" is just an espresso with twice as much water, so it is still quite small. However, any café will provide you with as much hot water as you want so you can dilute your item down to nothing if you want.
An "allongé" is just an espresso with twice as much water, so it is still quite small. However, any café will provide you with as much hot water as you want so you can dilute your item down to nothing if you want.
Jul 27th, 2012, 11:47 AM
#24
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mea culpa StCirq -accept my olive branch - you provide a wealth of great info on Paris and France and are a Fodor treasure. Ca y'est? I think we both got carried away - oh river (pardon my French)!
Jul 27th, 2012, 11:53 AM
#25
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I just don't get it. All I want is a mug size (even large tea cup size) of black coffee. Heck, I don't care if the mug is filled up with espresso -- I'm partial to strong, black coffee!>
I always just ask for "un grand cafe SVP" and I always get a large American-sized mug of coffee - you may want to add "un grand cafe" - I always get "un grand cafe creme" and it is always in a American-sized mug.
and I just asked my French son about that and he said he thought to just ask for a "grand cafe" and you'd get a large black coffee - and he says "un grand cafe creme" would be a large coffee with creme - sometimes the cream comes separately. But he said he has rarely done so and is not sure but that is what he would say - he always just asks for "un cafe" and gets the thimbled-sized strong coffee that comes with sugar in a bowl or sugar pieces you can then add or not.
I always just ask for "un grand cafe SVP" and I always get a large American-sized mug of coffee - you may want to add "un grand cafe" - I always get "un grand cafe creme" and it is always in a American-sized mug.
and I just asked my French son about that and he said he thought to just ask for a "grand cafe" and you'd get a large black coffee - and he says "un grand cafe creme" would be a large coffee with creme - sometimes the cream comes separately. But he said he has rarely done so and is not sure but that is what he would say - he always just asks for "un cafe" and gets the thimbled-sized strong coffee that comes with sugar in a bowl or sugar pieces you can then add or not.
Jul 27th, 2012, 12:01 PM
#27
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Truce accepted, Pal. That was most gracious of you.
It's true that an allongé is just watered down espresso, so perhaps if you just ask for a grand café noir that would work better (or not; I've never tried). And a grand café crème does often come with the cream separate, but not always. When I order a grand café crème, it almost always comes in a large cup, though.
It's true that an allongé is just watered down espresso, so perhaps if you just ask for a grand café noir that would work better (or not; I've never tried). And a grand café crème does often come with the cream separate, but not always. When I order a grand café crème, it almost always comes in a large cup, though.
Jul 27th, 2012, 12:15 PM
#29
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well yes what is meant by mug?
never seem large mugs of coffee in cafes - perhaps at Starbucks - sacrilege!
How about bringing your own mug and seeing if they will fill it - at a princely sum of cost I would suspect - French in their homes use dishes - what look like American soup dishes to drink their coffee - at least as big as a mug but do not think these are used in cafes. They hold them with two hands and tip the java into their mouths.
never seem large mugs of coffee in cafes - perhaps at Starbucks - sacrilege!
How about bringing your own mug and seeing if they will fill it - at a princely sum of cost I would suspect - French in their homes use dishes - what look like American soup dishes to drink their coffee - at least as big as a mug but do not think these are used in cafes. They hold them with two hands and tip the java into their mouths.
Jul 27th, 2012, 12:20 PM
#31
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I can't say what goes in Paris, but elsewhere in France you can order a grand café at breakfast time, and get a large cup of coffee - probably filtered coffee rather than espresso, and usually weaker than I would like.
Jul 27th, 2012, 12:35 PM
#32
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I don't usually drink out of mugs, so maybe don't have a correct perception of the size, but I've had and seen thousands of cups of coffee in France, and while I usually order a noisette, which comes in an espresso-size cup most of the time, the grand café crèmes I've had and seen were in a round cup like a small bowl, probably 4 or more inches in diameter and 2-3 inches deep.
Jul 27th, 2012, 02:04 PM
#33
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I think of them as French breakfast cups. Wide so that you can dip your tartine or viennoiserie in your drink. There are many things I like about French food traditions, but dunking bread or cake in my coffee -- well, that takes the biscuit.
Jul 27th, 2012, 02:49 PM
#34
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This has gone crazy weird, but turned into a fun thread -- love it! WIll try "un allongé" in the morning and see what happens. Tried the "grand" cafe scenario and got a thimble. Totally hate Star Bucks and saw a ton of them in Paris. The French make great coffee so I hope it's not completely watered down.
In Juan les Pins when I got the one gulp double espresso in a thimble, the woman said she could make it less strong and bigger, but I explained that I liked strong coffee -- just like a LOT of it -- One sips, does the crossword, and smells the smoke from the next table, living vicariously off of people who do things one used to do . . . !
In Juan les Pins when I got the one gulp double espresso in a thimble, the woman said she could make it less strong and bigger, but I explained that I liked strong coffee -- just like a LOT of it -- One sips, does the crossword, and smells the smoke from the next table, living vicariously off of people who do things one used to do . . . !
Jul 27th, 2012, 04:13 PM
#35
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Hmm.. I have noticed here that coffee can be a minefield, but I guess it depends on whether the place serves café crème or au lait in a cup/tasse or bowl/bol. If they don't use the bo(w)ls you seem to be stuck with the cup size.
If they have bols, and you are willing to drive the waiter nuts, you could ask for a double expresso allongé dans en bol, svp. Not sure if that will work, though. Probably not.
I personally like the café au lait in a bol, even though or maybe because I usually lose a good deal of my croissant in it.
If they have bols, and you are willing to drive the waiter nuts, you could ask for a double expresso allongé dans en bol, svp. Not sure if that will work, though. Probably not.
I personally like the café au lait in a bol, even though or maybe because I usually lose a good deal of my croissant in it.
Jul 28th, 2012, 12:03 AM
#37
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There's two cafes that I frequent in my usual hood where I can get a large cup of coffee.
Relais Odeon - cafe creme comes in a large cup
Cafe de Flore - cafe creme comes in a nice large pot and creme on the side.
If you want a large strong black coffee I'd head to Starbucks.
Relais Odeon - cafe creme comes in a large cup
Cafe de Flore - cafe creme comes in a nice large pot and creme on the side.
If you want a large strong black coffee I'd head to Starbucks.
Jul 28th, 2012, 08:55 AM
#39
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We could elongate (elonge) this thread by asking about the tips (pour boire) required for a drink..>
well a beer is always IME "un pression (une?) or a demi-pression for a small glass.
I hear French folks belly up to the bar and grunt "un rouge" or "un blanc" for a glass of vin de pays.
well a beer is always IME "un pression (une?) or a demi-pression for a small glass.
I hear French folks belly up to the bar and grunt "un rouge" or "un blanc" for a glass of vin de pays.
Jul 28th, 2012, 09:04 AM
#40
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A pression or demi-pression is a beer on tap. If you want bottled beer, you order it by the name brand, en bouteille. If you're at a bar that has several brands of bière en pression, you'll have a choice. Just like in the States.
