Originally Posted by
julietrevino
I for one am happy for the many Starbucks here in paris. Contrary to popular belief and romantic notions, coffee in Paris is generally terrible and overroasted and too many establishments rarely change the filter. Even parisians dislike their own coffee, if you ask them about it. italians won't even touch it.
'Overroasted' is a question of taste - I personally find American-style roasts far too light, and prefer the bitterness of a darker roast to the sourness of a lighter one.
(As an aside, it does seem that Starbucks UK, at least, has started using a darker roast - and far better milk - for its espresso-based drinks in the last year or so, which is a great improvement from my POV!)
However, changing the filter? Filter coffee is not the norm in Paris. If you ask for 'un café', you get an espresso. If you ask for 'un creme', you get it with steamed milk. You can always go for a 'double' or an 'allongé', but fundamentally, a coffee in a Parisian café will be espresso- and not filter-based.
A French coffee blend often contains an amount of chicory in it, too, giving the espresso a lovely nutty edge. I miss that now! I'd agree that it's not best suited to filter coffee, though, although works not too badly in a cafetiere if you get the proportions right.