On the second floor of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, under the legendary Coupole, a very Parisian kind of partnership is happening: coffee of exception meets pâtisserie of exception at François Daubinet chez Coutume. It is not just a café, it is a collaboration.
A concept built for pairing
Coutume brings its world of pure origin coffees, carefully sourced from Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, roasted in Île de France and extracted to order by serious baristas. Chef pâtissier François Daubinet answers with a line of creations designed to speak directly to those cups, like a conversation between beans and dessert.
The whole idea is simple and luxurious at the same time: come for an escape, an indulgence, or shopping break, stay for a coffee and pâtisserie that genuinely belong together.
Two pâtisseries, two personalities
We tried two of Daubinet’s signatures.
Horizon plays the bright, sunny role. Mango, coconut and passion fruit come together in a fresh, almost tropical balance that works beautifully with a clean filter coffee. Fruit in the cup, fruit on the plate, nothing heavy, everything precise.
The Tarte Gianduja brings the mood lower and richer. Dark chocolate and noisette fuse into a smooth gianduja that feels indulgent yet controlled, especially next to a sharper espresso. The hazelnut gives that roasted comfort you secretly hope for in a winter dessert.
Together they give a good sense of the house style: elegant, contemporary, and thought through for coffee.
Boissons pâtissières: liquid dessert
Alongside the cakes, the menu highlights boissons pâtissières. These are created as true liquid desserts, not simple flavoured coffees. Each one feels like a gourmand composition in a cup, layered and velvety.
Among them, a hazelnut leaning creation captures that idea perfectly, with a praliné memory that lingers on the palate while the coffee keeps the whole thing lively. You drink it slowly, exactly as you would savour a plated dessert.
Under the Coupole, facing the tree
The setting does the rest. The café sits under the magnificent glass Coupole with one of the most beautiful views in Paris for a coffee break, especially during the holidays, when the gigantic Galeries Lafayette Christmas tree rises in the centre of the store.
The space itself feels modern and warm at once, with raw and noble materials, soft curves that quietly echo coffee kettles and pastry shapes, and a layout that lets you look up at the dome or down to the tree. Everything feels coherent, from the cups to the seats to the light.
The ideal gourmet pause
In the middle of a shopping day at Galeries Lafayette, François Daubinet chez Coutume is exactly the kind of pause you hope to find. Coffee of exception, pâtisserie of exception, boissons pâtissières that act as liquid desserts, and a view that could not be more fitted.
For a gourmet shopping break under the Coupole, it is very much the address to know.
