Le Renard Café, the bookshop-cafe dedicated to Japanese culture in Paris

Mickaël, creator of the Renard Doré, a bookstore specialized in mangas in the 5th arrondissement, has joined forces with the Tomo Pastry Shop to offer a real dive into Japanese culture and cuisine. Even before entering, we discover the inspirations of studios Ghibli, with a small Totoro exposed in the window.

Colorful tiles, flowery wallpaper, vintage lampshades, the enchanted atmosphere takes us into the world of Japanese animation films. On the menu, soups, onigiris and typical and refined pastries can be enjoyed around a good manga!

Lovers of Japanese flavors will be delighted with the wide range of hot or cold bubble teas , with teas of great vintages. These drinks with small pearls are flooding the capital and have quickly become a must. Here, it's a real high-end trip in the heart of the archipelago which is proposed to you, between matcha, black sesame, yuzu juice, tapioca pearls or anko, for all tastes. For us, it was Matcha o-ré hot, with matcha and oat milk and Yuzunade cold, still with matcha and yuzu juice! The taste of matcha is very particular for those who are not used to it, so prefer drinks with more milk and sugar to start with.

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On the pastry side, enjoy a superb dorayaki, a kind of pancake filled with creamy anko, a red bean paste, which can be found in many authentic sweets at Renard Café. We opted for a classic, but you can find some with matcha, ricotta and yuzu. There are also daifuku, a small soft ball with matcha, chocolate or sesame and wagashi, in different forms, between the cute little flower and the tasty chestnut. Finally, two types of yatsuhashi, small gourmet pancakes in the shape of a crescent are on the menu. Good to know, several pastries are vegan, something for everyone!

Even the packaging is made with rice fibers, and we can tell you that it is very resistant, practical to take away! For lunch, the café also proposes a miso soup with leeks, mushrooms and fresh wakame, one of the onigiris with salmon, tuna, shiso or edamame and a dorayaki of your choice, for 10 euros. Enough to take a break at any time of the day!