Peonies - Café et Fleurs
Tea-time on a Tuesday calls for something sweet, stylish and succulent — and this place is pretty as a picture too. The brainchild of former model and DJ Clémentine Lévy — this spot is our pick of the bunch for a clean, healthy break mid-week.
A new breed of hybrid coffee shop-come-flower-bed with a feminine touch, which has blossomed on the rue Faubourg Saint-Denis — Peonies provides a quiet place where you can have your cake and eat it too, surrounded by flowers and feeling every bit the Parisian princess.
Because it’s also a DIY flower bar and florist, you can double-up on your visit and get flower bunches take away — all made on-site — or order an arrangement for that special someone or an event if you need, while you’re there having a cuppa.
For those who want to try their hand at crafting their own floral creation, Lévy also runs regular workshops — and it’s all environmentally-friendly to boot — they respect the seasons, use local, French producers, and only work with flowers without additives, and no pesticides.
A feast for the senses, the shop is beautiful to say the least — with light streaming in through the windows, floral bouquets adorning every nook and cranny and a décor of emerald tiled floors, white walls, wooden stools and dusty pink terrazzo tables, with elements from greenhouses weaved in, such as a glass roof, a few botanist books and gardening tools strewn around the space, and cascading pot plants.
The menu is short and sweet — pastries, pancakes, coconut bread, shortbreads sprinkled with dried flowers, and slices of cake (such as pistachio/rose) baked daily in their back kitchen; with a few savoury snacks available at brunch and lunchtime like golden, dripping, delectable grilled cheese sandwiches, tartine avocat (smashed avocado on toast), veggie ‘buns’, salads and rolls of the day — plus hot plates of light, creamy scrambled eggs mixed with comté cheese, feta or mushrooms (to your liking), for those who are a little hungrier.
Drinks come in the form of hot coffee (with regular milk or soy!), iced lattes, sweetened with lavender syrup; and of course, an array of teas — most of them are flavored with flowers (such as rose tea or a white peony tea) — and on hot summer days you can also enjoy cold beverages, including a sparkling glass of refreshing elderflower lemonade — all homemade with heart and soul.
Perfect for: An afternoon pick-up when you need a little something to revitalize body, mind & soul in gorgeous, tranquil surroundings.
What to order: Wake up and smell the roses — if it’s available, get a slice of their delicious pistachio/rose cake and a rose or white peony pot of tea — then sit, sip, and relax. Repeat.
Address: 81 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris (Google Maps)
Trading hours: Tuesday-Friday:
8.30am-7.30pm // Saturday 9.30am-7.30pm // Sunday: 10.30am-7.30pm // Monday: CLOSED.
Website: http://www.peonies-paris.com/accueil
Insta:@peoniesparis
