I.O Café

Named for the on and off switch on an espresso machine, I.O fits eight people into a coffee bar on Rue Dupetit-Thouars, a short walk from the Marché des Enfants Rouges, and does one thing: coffee from La Cabra in Aarhus, one of the Danish roasters that shaped the light roast style, poured as espresso and filter with nothing to distract from it. No laptops, and food stays in a supporting role, a small daily selection of pastries, cookies and cake.

It is the kind of room the Haut Marais does well, spare and precise, and the eight seat limit means it either has space for you or it doesn't. Open from half eight on weekdays, from ten at the weekend.