‘Truly feels like a village’: F&B in Paris with Thomas from Motors 🇫🇷

Fourteen years ago a New York Times article asked why the coffee in Paris sucks so bad. It’s a question that has expired over the years with waves of new coffee shops bringing to the French palate new approaches to coffee quality and sourcing.

Motors is among the newest coffee shops in Paris, and already known for its commitment to quality; more than one Filter guide so far has mentioned Motors by name. Motors was founded by Thomas Philips and his girlfriend, Lola d’Harcourt, when they left their careers in the high-end fashion industry and, as he puts it, “decided to create a cool place, hangout spot, and it turned out to be a coffee shop.”

Read Thomas’s Filter guide for a look at the rest of his favorite cool hangout spots in Paris.

*Thomas Philips and his girlfriend left careers in the high-end fashion industry to create Motors Coffee in Paris’s 1st. Photos courtesy of Motors Coffee*

Filter: What are your favorite things to do in Paris?

In Paris I love walking around the whole city. I live in the center so with my dog and my girlfriend we just walk almost everywhere. It’s a city where you can do that. The distances are not super far so you can just enjoy the sun and get lost in the small streets.

My favorite places in Paris:

Filter: What do you like to do to get out of the city?

I don't really escape the city except for vacations. But my mom lives in the suburbs at like 30 minutes by car and there is a really good and old school restaurant called La Marre au Canards. Worth the ride.

Filter: What touristy things are worth the hype?

There are so many things to do if it's your first time in Paris. For me the number one thing as a tourist is the Louvre. It’s truly amazing and so huge you could spend almost 3 days there.

And number 2 as a stereotype food is to go a Relais de l’Entrecôte, really touristy but also super good and brings you back to the old school Parisian brasserie.

Filter: Where are your favorite hidden gems in Paris?

I live near the Tuileries, a beautiful spot but also crowded. But the best in Paris for a walk is the docks. Super beautiful with the sun, and it goes all through Paris.

And a hidden spot that makes you feel far from Paris but still in the city is Amagat, a restaurant in the 20th—really really good.

Filter: What’s another coffee shop in Paris you really admire?

I traveled a lot this year and honestly I think the Paris coffee scene is the most promising. The scene is young and we have a new coffee shop opening every 2 months.

If I would have to recommend places I would say the OG is Téléscope. The most special and the one that I go to discover and have a real geek conversation is Substance. Of course Motors even on my days off to hang out. And in the new ones I would recommend Clove. One of my friends is opening a roastery and soon a coffee shop so look out for Datura.

Paris is a small city so if you are in the food and coffee industry it truly feels like a village. There's a good vibe between us and everybody goes to other places.

Filter: What’s been rewarding about starting Motors?

As a kid my parents traveled a lot. I got in Paris when I was 16. After my studies I ended up in the high-end retail, fashion industry where I met my girlfriend. And that’s the start of Motors, when we both left our job and decided to create a cool place, hangout spot, and it turned out to be a coffee shop.

First I was the only barista and my girlfriend was doing the pastries. But now we are a team of nine. So I mostly do orders, managing, administration. But what I really like to do is all the dialing in of the coffees, and the super busy shifts on weekends.

The most grateful is when people tell us that we are still among the best in Paris even if right now we are super busy. We were able to keep up the quality with the volume.

Filter: If you were going to move anywhere in the world just for the coffee scene, where would it be?

The real other city that I love is New York. Love the vibe, the architecture. The coffee scene is not super good. But you can still go to Sey and have one of the best coffees you will ever have. Would love to have a Motors over there :)

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Motors Coffee is located in the 1st arrondissement, steps from the River Seine.

Food & Beverage