Australian cafés and bars in Paris: flat whites, pancakes and footy at dawn
Australians helped start the specialty coffee scene in Paris. Aussie pubs and pie shops are another story. Here's the short, verified list for 2026.
The short version
- For coffee: Coutume, co-founded in 2011 by Australian Tom Clark, now has 16 sites across Paris and its region [1][2].
- For brunch: Holybelly in the 10th, opened by a French couple who worked in Melbourne cafés, and famous for its pancakes [3][4].
- For a beer and the footy: Café Oz, "the Australian bar", has four Paris bars and lists AFL and cricket among the sports it shows [5].
- For the grand final: Belushi's Gare du Nord was the AFL's official Paris watch party in 2026 [6].
- The honest bit: several well-known Aussie cafés have closed, so the list is shorter than old guides suggest.
A smaller scene than you'd expect
Older guides to "Australian cafés in Paris" are now full of closures. Hardware Société, the Melbourne café that opened in Montmartre in 2016, closed in 2025 [7]. Honor, the Australian-run coffee shop off Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, has a "permanently closed" notice on its website. Others we couldn't confirm are still trading, so we've left them out.
What's left is good, though. Australians, and French people who lived in Australia, shaped the city's specialty coffee boom over the past 15 years [1]. You'll find their influence in plenty of cafés that don't look Australian at all.
Coffee and brunch
Coutume
Where: 16 locations across Paris and its region, starting with the original café in the 7th arrondissement [1][2].
Why Australians go: Coutume was co-founded in 2011 by Tom Clark, who's originally from Australia, with French roaster Antoine Nétien [1][2]. Clark wanted to show that coffee could have as much complexity as wine [1]. It's now one of the city's biggest specialty coffee companies, and it has announced plans for a flagship café inside Galeries Lafayette [2].
What to order: a flat white, made the way you'd expect at home.
Holybelly
Where: 5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, in the 10th arrondissement near Canal Saint-Martin [4].
Why Australians go: founders Nico Alary and Sarah Mouchot are French, but they worked in Melbourne cafés from 2010 to 2012 [3][1]. They came home wanting to serve great coffee and great food on the same table, Melbourne style, and opened Holybelly in 2013 [3].
What to order: the pancakes, sweet or savoury. The Infatuation calls them the fluffiest in town [4]. There's also eggs with sides and a seasonal daily special [3]. Holybelly closes for a few weeks over Easter, summer and Christmas, so check its site before you cross town [3].
Ten Belles
Where: Rue de la Grange aux Belles in the 10th, Rue du Cherche-Midi in the 6th, and a bakery on Rue Breguet in the 11th, according to its website.
Why Australians go: SBS reported that Ten Belles was opened by French founders inspired by their travels to Australia [8]. It's a Canal Saint-Martin favourite, a few minutes' walk from Holybelly.
What to order: a coffee and something from the bakery side.
Bars and where to watch the big games
Café Oz
Where: four Paris bars: Châtelet, Denfert-Rochereau, Grands Boulevards and the Rooftop in the 13th [5].
Why Australians go: Café Oz calls itself "The Australian Bar" and promises a "no worries" atmosphere [5]. It shows sport on big screens and lists AFL and cricket alongside rugby and football [5]. Time Out says the Denfert bar has stocked beers imported from Australia and New Zealand [9]. Expect a young crowd, DJ sets and quiz nights too.
What to order: an Aussie beer if it's on, and a spot near a screen. Check which bar is showing your game before you go, because the four bars don't all show the same sport.
Belushi's Paris
Where: Gare du Nord, in the 10th [6].
Why Australians go: Belushi's Gare du Nord was the AFL's official Paris watch party for the 2026 grand final, with a 6.30am start [6]. Belushi's also screened State of Origin across its UK and European bars in 2025, including Paris [10].
What to order: coffee first, beer when the third quarter starts.
Grand final timing
The AFL grand final starts in Melbourne on a Saturday afternoon, which is early Saturday morning in Paris. Set two alarms. The NRL grand final lands later in the day. The local footy club, the Paris Cocks, has hosted screenings in past years, so it's worth asking them too.
All the venues at a glance
| Venue | Type | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Coutume | Specialty coffee | 7th arrondissement and across Paris |
| Holybelly | Café, brunch | 10th arrondissement |
| Ten Belles | Café, bakery | 10th, 6th and 11th |
| Café Oz | Australian bar, sports bar | Châtelet, Denfert-Rochereau, Grands Boulevards, 13th |
| Belushi's Paris | Sports bar | Gare du Nord, 10th |
Where to find Aussie products
There's no Australian grocery shop in Paris we could verify. Vegemite, Tim Tams and Milo turn up in British and international grocery shops at import prices, but stock comes and goes. Most Australians restock on trips home or ask visiting family to pack an extra jar.
Join the group
Paris venues change fast, and word of mouth is the best guide. Join Cooee France, our Facebook group for Australians in France. Ask who's watching the grand final, where someone spotted Shapes, or who'll split a car to the Anzac Day dawn service.
Sources
- The Australians behind specialty coffee in Paris – Barista Magazine
- The ECS+COHO interview series: Tom Clark, founder, Coutume – World Coffee Portal (June 2025)
- Holybelly – official site
- Holybelly review – The Infatuation (June 2025)
- Café Oz – official site
- Living overseas? Find a 2026 AFL Grand Final watch party near you – AFL
- Our story – Hardware Société
- Australian cafés are taking over Paris – SBS
- Café Oz Denfert-Rochereau – Time Out Paris
- State of Origin at Belushi's – Belushi's