by Nayantara Maitra Chakravarty
All images credited to the author unless otherwise stated.
Somewhere between cramming the day before a PI final, submitting an historical review at 4:00 a.m., and trying to prevent a civil war within one’s sociology poster group two minutes before the library closes, the blood flowing through a SciencesPiste’s veins gets slowly replaced with caffeine. In fact, I am writing this article with copious amounts of caffeine already in my system. But no amount of coffee is too much, right? I have therefore taken it upon myself to uncover the best places in Le Havre (in no particular order) to study and get your daily coffee fix (and perhaps a sweet treat – you always deserve a sweet treat).
- French Coffee Shop;
Address: 5 Rue Albert André Huet
I would like to use this platform to make a public apology to all my friends who probably just let out a collective sigh after reading the name of the first cafe on this list. I have not shut up about French Coffee Shop since I got here, and I will continue to drag everyone I know there. I know that a place called ‘French Coffee Shop’ sounds like a tourist trap barely disguising the fact that it is, well, a tourist trap – but it is, and will always be, my favourite place to haunt. It was a sip of their Frio Tella Cafe on my first day in Le Havre that made me see our sleepy, grey town in colour. I’ll be honest, it probably isn’t the best place to get a caffeine kick, but if you’re looking for diabetes in a cup – coffee, nutella, whipped cream, and more nutella – French Coffee Shop is the perfect cafe for you. And if you go there, please tell them to hire me.
2. Cafe Noisette:
Address: 40 Rue Maréchal Gallieni
Right next to Coty mall, Cafe Noisette is a lovely place to study (or procrastinate studying) with your friends. The iced latte I had was a bit milky (even for a latte), but the vibe more than makes up for it. Its large tables and sofas make it a comfortable place for long study sessions, with bookshelves, papers, and pencils for you to use during your breaks.
3. La Petite Librairie
Address: 27 Rue Lesueur
Not too far from the gare is La Petite Libraire, a cozy book shop and salon de thé that also serves coffee. Although they only sell books in French, the quiet ambience is perfect for a study session or a reading date with your friends (or with yourself!). The shop is filled with a combination of my two favourite smells – coffee and books. If your French is strong enough, you can choose one of the surprise books prettily wrapped in brown paper (I must work hard to advance from A1 French so that I can do this too).
4. Columbus Cafe:
Address: 70 Quai Frissard
Columbus Cafe in Docks Vauban’s proximity to campus is extremely convenient if you want a quick to-go drink… unfortunately, the coffee is overpriced and rather disappointing. The espresso allongé was too watery, the latte tastes like lightly-coffee-flavoured milk, and I’m not certain that the hot chocolate has any chocolate in it. The only drink that I would recommend is the caramel cold brew latte. However, if you’re not too picky about your coffee, the location of this coffee shop is a plus point, since it’s only a few minutes away from campus. I probably wouldn’t take a detour to go there, but I wouldn’t mind stopping by on my way back from buying groceries at Lidl.
5. Axés:
Address: 3 All. Aimé Césaire
Most SciencesPistes already know about this popular coworking space, but I will still take a moment to appreciate it. I have spent entire days at Axes from the moment it opens to the time it closes to study for mid-terms or finish assignments. The furious click-clacking of laptop keys and hushed arguing on work calls creates a light background noise that doesn’t take your focus away from your history readings, and the plug points, free WiFi and printers make it a perfect study space. And even though it seems like it can’t get any better, the coffee is great and well-priced.
6. Les Yeux d’Elsa
Address: 115 Cr de la République
If you walk past Les Yeux d’Elsa, you’ll first stop to look at the books outside (with prices as low as 1 euro), and after you catch a glimpse of the interior through the windows, I don’t think you’ll be able to resist going in. Cluttered with books, vinyls, CDs, comics, and trinkets, this café littéraire is ideal for people who enjoy being pretentious (like me). The owner of the shop makes your coffee right at the cash register while he chats to you about upcoming poetry or music events. It’s the sort of place where I’d like to sit and scribble espresso-fueled musings on paper until my fingers are stained with pen ink, taking occasional breaks to browse jazz classics. The second-hand copy of Marx and Engels’ ‘German Ideology’ that I bought from here is still waiting patiently on my shelf until I know enough French to read it (I’m trying, I promise).
7. Quai des Délices:
Address: 57 Rue Marceau
It’s rare to find a nice place on our side of the bridge, so Quai des Délices was a pleasant surprise. Not too far from campus, this family-run café opened quite recently, so it doesn’t have many visitors yet. I spent a lovely wintry morning reading amidst the café’s cozy Christmas decorations, with a warm cup of good coffee and one of the most delicious slices of fondant au chocolat I have ever tasted (it was also the only slice of fondant au chocolat I have ever tasted, so maybe I am not the best judge, but you can trust me on the coffee).
8. AN Viet:
Address: 134 Cr de la République
I don’t mean to brag, but AN Viet, also known as Bon Bon Cha or Viet Exotique, follows me on Instagram (I absolutely meant to brag). Although they are a bubble tea store, their Café Tiramisu is worth dying for, and you can adjust the sweetness according to your liking. If you like boba and coffee, you definitely need to go here as a post-final treat. The ambience is quiet and comfortable, with funny posters and boba plushies to look at in between sips of your Café Tiramisu (50% glaçon, 50%, sucre).
Of course, I have many more coffee spots in LH to discover – but until then, these are some of my favourite places to go when I need to take a break from vending machine coffee, or, in the wise words of Sandro Graf, “do a cozy.”
Le Dragon Déchaîné 