Breakfast in Paris? Finally

The French excel at many morning foods—pastry, bread, and, as of recently, even coffee—but breakfast as a complete meal has never been one of them. Dominated by sweet, buttery and ultra-starchy fare, the traditional French breakfast is hardly substantial or balanced; anything more is largely overlooked or poorly executed by identity-free brasseries (think: powdered-egg omelets). For the evangelical breakfast hound, tartines and over-roasted coffee simply don’t cut it.

But things are looking up for Paris's early risers.

Claus Estermann pioneered this breakfast concept in Paris with his two-year old namesake spot, *Claus: L’Epicerie du Petit Déjeuner—*his fondness for the morning meal is built right into the name.

The two-story, vintage Bauhaus space is part gourmet grocer—stocking gluten-free cereals, Zwieback (crisp, sweetened bread), and a selection of jams—and part café, serving just-like-home breakfast bedfellows like house-made Müesli, fresh yogurts, omelets, pastries, cakes and pancakes (though these are Bavarian), along with a roster of fresh juices and teas. Once locals understood the merits of a hearty frühstück, Claus was doing brisk business and taking reservations for 8:00 a.m. tables.

Estermann says he owes this success to both good timing and awareness building. *“*I never would have launched this concept ten years ago…it’s only recently that Parisians have allowed themselves to be influenced by foreign food traditions.”

It took another couple of years before others tried their hand at breakfast. At HolyBelly off the Canal St. Martin, breakfast staples and specialty coffees take pride of place as of 8 a.m. Having worked in top coffee and café temples (Market Lane, Duchess of Spotswood) in Melbourne, French couple Nico Alary and Sarah Mouchot instantly observed unmet demand when they returned to Paris last fall. Raised in the tradition of sweet breakfasts, the savory breakfast and coffee culture in Melbourne was a downright revelation. They endeavored to create a similar experience, complete with eggs (served three ways with barley hash browns, boudin noir, bacon or baked beans), porridge, and what have quickly risen to become the city’s best buttermilk pancakes. Mouchot and co-chef Lise Kvan preside over a tiny open kitchen at the back while Nico mans the coffee bar in the front, brewing beans from Belleville Brûlerie, the new local roaster launched by three lodestars of the bean movement.

Everything about the place, from the opening hours to the wooden booths that double as storage bins for cumbersome belongings, screams convenience—a singular concept that they’re hoping will become the new standard.

That renowned Frenchie chef Gregory Marchand also joined the ranks to open early with Frenchie-To-Go is a good litmus test for the concept: People won’t heave themselves out of bed extra early for rank coffee and ho-hum omelets, but they will adjust their routine for the promise of quality roasts and smoked bacon with egg and cheese on an English muffin. That and house-made bacon scones, muffins, donuts, and granola served atop fluffy fromage blanc sourced from Terroirs d’Avenir, slow-food purveyors a couple doors down.

The menu may skew Anglo, but Marchand applies the same exacting French standards that have earned him international acclaim with his restaurant and wine bar. And while locals are heeding his call, Marchand says we shouldn’t expect breakfast to become a widespread movement just yet.

“In France, the coffee-croissant culture is deeply-rooted. That’s starting to change but it’s far from being widely popularized.”

Also worth an early wake-up call:

Bob’s Juice Bar from American expat Marc Grossman, credited for introducing juicing to Parisians. Fresh juices, green smoothies and cream cheese/avocado bagels are available as of 7:30 a.m.

Fondation Café, a tiny new espresso bar from former Ten Belles barista Chris Nielson, keeps the morning menu simple: fromage blanc with granola supplied by Emperor Norton, avocado or ricotta & honey on toast, and freshly-squeezed orange juice.