Not content with owning a string of coffee shops (a dozen in Paris itself, with a number of openings in the pipeline), NOIR Coffee Shop is diversifying its offering with the opening of Journey, opposite its Sentier address. This time, it's not just a coffee shop, however fancy, but a café-restaurant open from breakfast to dinner.
In a 200m2 space with impressive volumes (6 meters high ceilings!), the décor is raw and minimalist, the work ofinterior designer Jessica Mille. Large bay windows bathe the waxed concrete walls in light, while the marble tables and three-legged chairs are genuine design objects made by traditional Ghanaian craftsmen.
Journey holds more than one secret. While the terrace is welcoming, nestling on a charming, lively street, you have to step out of the door to discover a first hidden space upstairs, designed to welcome groups around the large round table, or to work quietly, during the day, on the high tables equipped with electrical outlets.
In the basement, an even better-guarded room, which can be fully privatized, invites confidences, with its 60s-style pit conversation look, private bar and capacity for 30 people.
The menu changes according to the time of day, as does the musical ambience and gradually dimming lighting. The main theme is the love of good coffee from Belleville Brûlerie, with offerings ranging from classic espressos to more imaginative creations: flat white espresso (€5.50), pumpkin spice latte (€5.50), chai latte (€5.50) and hot chocolate, prepared by barista Audrey using plant-based milk if required.
Journey also offers brunch from 9am to 4pm. While the café-restaurant doesn't offer a brunch menu as such, it does have a menu of typical brunch specialties, including fluffy pancakes (ricotta, lemon, poppy, maple syrup; 16€),avocado toast (16€), granola with vanilla fromage blanc, toasted hazelnuts and golden sesame (13€) and scrambled eggs (8€).
For lunch, you can also opt for the main course/side/cookie option (23€), featuring a plump Beaufort grilled cheese (16€), vitello tonnato bread with spicy mayonnaise, seasonal vegetables - which were lacking a little pep - and a particularly naughty cacio e pepe pizzetta (14€).
For dinner, accompanied by creative cocktails or a glass of wine from among the twenty or so organic and biodynamic references selected by bartender and director Léo Quedillac, Filipino chef Artemio Ganddi (ex-Yaya, Hôtel du Collectionneur) offers plates to share, as is now customary in Paris.
Enough to make some people want to spend the day... at Journey!
This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please mention it in the comments.
Location
Journey
44 Rue des Petits Carreaux
75002 Paris 2
Official website
www.instagram.com