The Paris brasseries that are ‘a true reflection’ of each neighborhood 🇫🇷

Etienne Ryckeboer is from Normandie on France’s north coast and moved to Paris a decade ago for a career in hospitality. Etienne’s Filter for Paris is an insider’s guide to the city’s food & beverage scene which is his “number 1 hobby.” Etienne began WHITE coffee in Le Marais in 2022, with a second location opening soon.

*Etienne Ryckeboer and his wife opened WHITE coffee in Le Marais in 2022. Photo courtesy of Louis Boucharinc*

Filter: What do you like to do for fun around Paris?

Beyond simply walking around Paris, which is a very beautiful historic city, we often go to bars and restaurants which are, I find, a true reflection of the city, and of its district in particular.

My wife and I usually go out a lot, although things have calmed down a bit since we had a little girl! Our number 1 hobby remains bars and restaurants, which still fascinates us. The Parisian scene has been really rich and vibrant for several years, and we also have our institutions, to name just a few: Bar Principal, Abri Soba, Le Mansart, New Hoa Khoan, Papi, L'Alibi, Déviant, Thaï-Vien, Le 52.

Etienne Ryckeboer and his wife opened WHITE coffee in Le Marais in 2022. Photo courtesy of Louis Boucharinc

Filter: Are there specific bars or restaurants that stick out in your mind as representing districts?

75003: Le Mary Céleste and Bar Nouveau. 75009: Le Mansart. 75010: Déviant and Le 52. 75011: Bar Principal. 75013: New Hoa Khoan. 75018: L'Alibi.

Filter: Okay, you’ve mentioned a bunch of bars and restaurants. Do you have any go-to orders at these places?

Le Mary Céleste for its oyster shooter, difficult to find in Paris. The Mansart for a nice cold pint during a game of table football. Déviant for its nice, ever-changing selection of natural wines. Bar Principal for its Bendito cocktail and its fried chicken. New Hoa Khoan for its shrimp ravioli soup. Abri Soba for the excellent lunchtime bento, and Papi for his fresh pasta in a subdued candlelight atmosphere in the evening, all on an excellent playlist.

We can add to the list the cocktail bars Combat and Kissproof in the Belleville district, Clamato for seafood, Taverna for a Greek detour in the 11th arrondissement.

Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?

Being from Normandy—4 hours from Paris—we often go there to recharge our batteries, see the sea, the wind, see family, and enjoy the space. It cuts away from our Parisian daily life, and our best ideas often appear there, when the brain is really at rest!

Filter: What’s good to do in Normandy?

Normandy is a large rural region and above all very maritime. You can find a lot of wild, non-urbanized beaches there, over dozens of kilometers. It's magnificent and very refreshing. More touristy, but very typical, you can discover the town of Honfleur or Le Mont-St-Michel.

Filter: What touristy things in Paris are worth the hype?

If you come to Paris, then you must go to the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, located in a private mansion in the Marais district. It's an incredible place that has a lot of surprises in store, and beautiful works of contemporary art. It is a timeless place whose name does not suggest its treasures.

And to be a bit cliché, really go for a walk in Montmartre, a village perched at the top of Paris, totally exotic, with a superb view of the city.

Filter: Where are your favorite quiet corners in Paris?

We usually go to the squares in our neighborhood of the 9th arrondissement a lot (Square Montholon, Square Anvers), but for more space the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes are rather relaxing, as well as the Parc des Buttes Chaumont.

Filter: What's another coffee shop around there that you really admire, and what about them stands out to you?

We like to go to Two Doors which is a small neighborhood coffee shop with a lot of charm, located behind the Montmartre hill. The coffee selections change monthly, and their playlist and pastries are truly excellent. They also have a terrace in the summer.

Filter: What makes Paris feel most like home to you?

Paris isn't really my original home, but it has grown to feel good there over the years. When you like going out, visiting museums, discovering new shops, new trends, then we have everything here.

Filter: How did you end up in the Paris coffee scene?

I grew up in Normandy, by the sea, it's a region that I love very much. It is very quiet and rural. I came to Paris around 10 years ago to find more exciting job opportunities in the restaurant industry. Over time, after opening several restaurants, and throughout our travels, coffee—of which we are good consumers—has become an obvious choice and even an obsession for my wife and me!

Filter: How has your experience been creating and running WHITE?

What is very stimulating about an opening is that you start with a blank page. Everything is to be imagined. We really like architecture, so the whole work and construction process fascinates us. What's rewarding about WHITE now is that we have a majority of our customers who come every day of the year. There is often a queue in front of the store, and that is a great reward for us. We are also approached by very beautiful fashion brands for private events, and that also delights us.

Filter: If you could move to any place in the world just for the coffee scene, where would you move?

I would like to spend a month in Melbourne—which I haven’t visited yet—to explore the coffee scene, which really seems more mature, more integrated than back home. I also consider South Korea, with whom I share a singular vision of the minimalist architecture of certain places.

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WHITE Coffee is located in Paris 75003 with a second location opening soon in 75010.

Food & Beverage