Fragments

WHERE: 76 rue des Tournelles, 75003 (3ème arrondissement)

WHEN: 9am-5pm, 7 days

HOW MUCH: espresso 2.5€; crème 5€; Aeropress 6€

METRO: Chemin Vert (line 8)

BEANS: Kaffa; Coffee Collective; guest roasters

FOOD: pastries, sandwiches, soups, amongst other breakfast/lunch bites

CONTACT: Facebook

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When the owner of Black Market, Youssef, closed up shop in rue Ramey last year, some might have feared it was the end of his venture into the Paris specialty coffee scene. However, following the arrival of his fantastic new address–Fragments Paris–in rue des Tournelles in February this year, it would seem we had nothing to worry about.

With its unassuming, matte black shopfront, Fragments looks more like a humble artist's studio from the outside than the cool and cosy coffee hangout that is revealed once you step inside. The immaculate simplicity of the interior is both relaxing and intriguing, as the café in many ways contains "fragments" of specialty coffee shop culture from around the world. The smooth black front of the long wooden counter is reminiscent of a Scandinavian café, while the unembellished brick wall evokes something you might find in New York. However, as you're reminded by the exposed ceiling beams that you're actually in Paris, you get a glimpse of Youssef's vision for his space.

Without having travelled extensively, Youssef created Fragments entirely from his own inspiration and ambition. After changing location from Black Market due to a lack of kitchen space, he was keen to open a place that reflected his approach to food and coffee: neat and simple on the surface, but with a level of care and commitment ensuring that every aspect of the final product is as good as it can be.

On the minimalistic food menu you will find only a few dishes, made from fresh, seasonal ingredients, and constantly changing, according to what's available. 

The coffee follows the same spirit, as Youssef chooses beans depending on the harvest–at the moment he's using Kaffa and Coffee Collective. Each 18g dose of coffee beans is carefully measured out and ground for each order, highlighting the care taken to guarantee maximum quality at each step of the process. The baristas' calm but cool demeanour fits right into the Fragments ethos: you feel pleasantly relaxed while all the attention is placed on the coffee, as it is carefully extracted from the same impressive Kees Van Der Westen Mirage that was on display at Black Market. 

In Youssef's own words: if all these cafés look the same, it's because all the owners look at the same Tumblrs. Sure, we're always going to attempt to put every new experience into a predefined category we're already familiar with. You might liken Fragments to a café you would find in Copenhagen, London, New York or Sydney, but you'd be missing the point. Youssef's desire to articulate his own personal tastes and values means that there is only one place you will find a café like Fragments, and that's at 76 rue des Tournelles, Paris.