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PA R I S THE BURGEONING THIRD-WAVE-cafŽ scene in Paris both delighted and made me impatient when last I visited, in October of 2012. About 10 coffeehouses in the cityÑwhich is among the most densely populated in the world, with more than 63,000 people per square mileÑwere nailing it back then, insisting on flawless hospi- tality and a top-quality product, which they either imported from elsewhere in Europe (the U.K.Õs Square Mile and Has Bean were popular), or acquired from one of the handful of new microroasters in town. It would seem not too terribly much could change in the 16 months since I last called on the City of LightÑhow wrong I was to make that assumption. I was initially distracted by the unsea- sonably warm weather when I arrived in Paris this past March to attend the French Coffee Championships, which would include the Barista, Latte Art, Cup Tasters, Coffee In Good Spirits, and, for the first time, Brewers Cup. Quickly changing from winter travel- ing clothes to jeans and a t-shirt at the hotel, I rushed to join the friends of mineÑwho were here in Paris to judge at the competi- tionsÑfor a late lunch in the nearby Opera district. It was impossible, however, to miss the dramatic change to the cityÕs specialty-coffee landscape. We noted more than a few coffee shops advertising local roasters they had on bar in window plaques, something I had never seen in Paris before. At least 15 excellent new cafŽs had popped up since I had last visitedÑthatÕs extraor- dinary. With such a rich and storied coffeehouse history, Paris has been for many years staid in terms of reinventing cafŽ culture. Why dabble in third wave when locals and tourists alike relish the traditional Parisian cafŽ experience? Relaxing comfortably in one of the colorful rattan chairs the places are known for, sipping café au lait and people-watching. When it became clear that there was no need to eliminate this charming experience to make room for a modern coffeehouseÑthat both styles could coexist happilyÑthe third-wave locales began to emerge. An influx of Australians and a handful of Americans with exten- sive backgrounds working at some of the their home countriesÕ top coffee companies are largely responsible for thisÑbut the French are embracing single-origin espresso, slow bars, latte art, and transparency quite readily. And yes, I did say, Òthe French,Ó not just the Parisians. My friend David Flynn, an American expat who learned coffee in some of the best cafŽs in the United States before coming to Paris on a specialty-coffee mission, sat with me at the French Coffee Championships to explain how, since I was last Opposite page, at top: The brilliant springtime weather in Paris was perfect for a café crawl: On our first day, we walked for hours through the city visiting coffeehouses both old and traditional (as pictured) as well as the third-wave cafés popping up around the magnificent city. Below: Barista competition judge Jose Arreola of Mexico tried Le Whaf, made by the Lab Store, which was set up at Coutume's newly opened lab shop to let visitors inhale coffee mist through a glass straw. This page: Lauro Fiorei of Nuova Simonelli, Valerie Egele of Reneka International, and beloved competition judge Sonja Grant reunite at the French Coffee Championships. 33 www.baristamagazine.com B o o k 1 - 4 6 . i n d d 3 3 Book 1-46.indd 33 5 / 1 5 / 1 4 1 0 : 3 0 P M 5/15/14 10:30 PM