Sugarplum Cake Shop

WHERE: 68 rue Cardinal Lemoine 75005, (5ème arrondissement)
WHEN: Tue-Sun 12pm-7pm
HOW MUCH: crème 3.80€
METRO: Cardinal Lemoine (line 10), Place Monge (line 7)
BEANS: Café Lomi
FOOD: Wide range of cakes and pastries
CONTACT: Web; Facebook; Tel: + 33 1 46 34 07 43

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I had never really considered the coffee making potential of a Parisian café whose main preoccupation was baking, since almost every other place in Paris sharing this feature had always proven to be less than satisfactory in the coffee department. Sugarplum Cake Shop turned out to be a delicious exception to this rule. 

These guys (or girls rather, since there is only one male staff member at the time of writing) opened a few years ago. Originally from North America, they created what has turned out to be a greatly successful business, specialising in custom-made cakes for weddings and other such causes for celebration. Like just about every other bar and restaurant in France, they were initially infected with the Café Richard virus. However, thanks to Pascale, one of the many lovely Sugarplum fairies and a personal friend of Café Lomi, they didn't take long to find a cure to this dreadful disease.

After being introduced to the team at Lomi, Sugarplum decided to invest in a great little La Marzocco coffee machine, in barista training for certain staff members, and in the right kind of beans. This has paid off, and while coffee is not their main focus, they do it really well (they have a flat white on the menu), and with real milk. It's a great little space too, with free wifi (except on weekends), and all manner of funky décor to keep your eyes busy during your stay. You probably won't find anywhere else in Paris where you can drink such good coffee and enjoy such a wide selection of sensational cakes (like incredible cheesecake and carrot cake) and other sweets at the same time. 

As well as having good coffee and delightful little cakes, Sugarplum has the added advantage of being in a great location. Right at the top of la rue Mouffetard, it is the perfect pitstop for a day out in the Quartier Latin, in which there are myriad things to do and see. One of my favourite walks is to go from Saint-Germain-des-Prés, down la rue des Canettes and past l'Eglise de Saint Sulpice. There's a little passageway, la rue Férou, with a Rimbaud poem written in giant letters on the wall, and at the other end you arrive at le Jardin du Luxembourg. Walk through there, past le Sénat and up la rue Soufflot straight to le Panthéon. From here la rue Mouffetard is but a stone's throw away, so now would be a good time to stop by and say hi to our friends at Sugarplum. Once you're finished there, head to le Jardin des Plantes to check out the wallabies in the menagerie and then stop by la Mosquée de Paris (the Paris Mosque) for a 2E glass of super sweet mint tea and Middle Eastern treats. 

A most welcome addition to the ever-growing address book of nice places to go and enjoy a real cup of coffee in Paname. A big thank you to Pascale who provided me with lots of helpful information and several albums of great photos.

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