L'Arobase

" Of course, when I think of this concept, I think not only of being wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea reading Rilke but also of being embroiled in a deep conversation with a friend, letting the hours pass by without a care. Surely you can do either (well, sans blanket) at any old cafe, though there's still that cozy--or rather, scrappy, "mismatched"--factor missing from many of the places here. I guess one could make a distinction between a "cafe" and a "coffee shop"; for me the former implies distance and "order" (at least in Paris), and the latter is more indicative of informality, conviviality. The @robase doesn't have a beanbag coziness, but it's much less imposing than the more well-known establishments in town. It helps, probably, that it's in the 13th that's part of the "Rive Gauche" revitalization project, lending the cafe--pardon, coffee shop--an air of toughness along it's otherwise polished edges. It also helps that service is relaxed without being forgetful, the bagels quite good (with Philadelphia cream cheese), and the coffee served in decent sizes, which can be had to go (!).