Specialty Coffee in Reims:
5 Places to Escape the Ordinary Cup
Local roasters, French barista champions, slow coffee and a charming covered arcade — Reims has quietly become one of France's most exciting specialty coffee scenes. ☕ 🫘
A French Barista Champion. Two roasters crafting their own beans. Coffee shops where you choose your cup the way you'd choose a wine. Reims — best known as the capital of Champagne, in northeastern France — has developed an unexpected and thriving specialty coffee scene.
Over the past few years, a handful of passionate professionals have raised the bar, cup by cup. No chains, no industrial espresso: just small, independent spots run by people who know the producer's name, the drying method, the SCA score of every bean they work with. The result? Five addresses in Reims where quality in the cup is never an afterthought.
Moklair Coffee Roasters
The award-winning micro-roastery
Address — 1 rue Andrieux, 51100 Reims
Hours — Mon–Fri 8:30am–5pm / Sat–Sun 10am–5:30pm (open 7 days a week)
Terrace — Yes
Food — Coffee bar only, no full food menu
If there's one address that put Reims on the French specialty coffee map, it's Moklair. Kévin David, the house barista, won the title of French Barista Champion in 2025 and will represent France at the World Barista Championship in October. Before him, Charity Cheung took the French CIGS (Coffee in Good Spirits) title in 2024. Seven trophies in three years — competition is genuinely part of the DNA here.
Behind the accolades lies a straightforward philosophy: only work with beans scoring 85 points or above at import, according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) grading system. Four ranges are on offer, from 85-point single origins up to rare special editions topping 90 points. The roast profile leans light — preserving the origin flavours rather than masking them with dark roast notes. Think stone fruit, citrus, florals, fine chocolate, depending on the current selection.
The space itself is pared back and focused. This is a coffee bar for people who know what they want in their cup — though the team is always happy to guide the curious. Don't expect to set up with a laptop for the afternoon; this is a destination, not a co-working space.
The Coffee Champ'
Specialty coffee and Champagne in a covered arcade
Address — 3 galerie d'Erlon, 51100 Reims (covered arcade off the Place d'Erlon, near Résonnances)
Hours — Tue–Sat 10am–6pm (may vary seasonally — check Google or Instagram)
Terrace — Yes (sheltered, ~10 seats under the arcade)
Food — Breakfast ✓ / Lunch ✓ / Snacks ✓
Kevin Da Cunha grew up in Reims, discovered coffee culture in Portugal, and came back to open the kind of place the city was missing. The Coffee Champ' is tucked inside the galerie d'Erlon — a charming 19th-century covered arcade connecting the Place d'Erlon to the rue de Talleyrand — and blends specialty coffee with a glass of Champagne from an independent grower hand-picked by Kevin himself. A very Reims kind of address.
The interior is warm and bright, all pale wood and relaxed good vibes — the closest thing to Scandinavian hygge you'll find in Champagne country. Two floors, around fifteen seats, and an atmosphere that feels genuinely local. The food menu punches well above the average coffee shop: banana bread, carrot cake, babka, cookies baked in-house. In the morning, savoury croissants and pastries for a proper breakfast; at lunchtime, quiches, bagels and light bites to eat in or take away.
The covered terrace is usable year-round whatever the weather — making this one of the rare specialty spots in Reims where you can sit outside even in winter.
Holy Shot
The cosy neighbourhood coffee shop on rue de Talleyrand
Address — 38 rue de Talleyrand, 51100 Reims
Hours — Tue–Fri 9:30am–6pm / Sat 10am–6:30pm
Terrace — Yes
Food — Snacks ✓ / Light lunch ✓
A short walk from the Place d'Erlon, Holy Shot has quietly earned a devoted following — a 4.8 Google rating and the kind of word-of-mouth that sustains a small independent for years. Philippine, who runs the shop, is as much a reason to visit as the coffee itself: her warmth and genuine care for customers come up again and again in reviews, sometimes in quite moving ways.
The coffee is sourced primarily from Esperanza Café, a specialty roaster, with occasional appearances from Moklair beans. The pastries are 100% homemade and rotate regularly: hazelnut cookies, pistachio financiers, apple and acacia honey cake, carrot cake. For lunch, Holy Shot serves a weekly-changing menu of club sandwiches and wraps — always including a vegetarian option. Everything is made on the premises, every day.
The atmosphere is intimate and unfussy — a small, welcoming space where it's easy to linger. Holy Shot was named a laureate of the Reims à Table 2023 awards in the "quick bites and takeaway" category, a nod to how well it balances quality and accessibility.
L'Occasion Café
Slow coffee, natural wine and neighbourhood life on rue de Vesle
Address — 188 rue de Vesle, 51100 Reims
Hours — Mon–Tue 10am–6:30pm / Wed closed / Thu 10am–10pm / Fri–Sat 10am–midnight
Terrace — Yes
Food — Breakfast ✓ / Snacks ✓ / Evening food Fri–Sat
L'Occasion Café is one of those rare places that genuinely resists a single label. During the day, it's a serious specialty coffee shop with a thoughtful selection of single origins served using different brewing methods — espresso, slow pour, cold brew — depending on what you're in the mood for. The highest-rated address in this selection on Google, at 4.9 stars. By evening on Fridays and Saturdays, it quietly transforms into La Petite Occasion, a natural wine bar serving locally sourced plates and vegetarian dishes.
The décor is warm and a little eclectic — vintage finds, recycled materials, a relaxed energy that makes it equally good for working alone or catching up with friends. Most products served are organic or from local producers committed to short supply chains. Events happen regularly: wine tastings, quiz nights, creative workshops, art openings. There's a bike rack inside and reliable wifi, making it the most remote-work-friendly address on this list.
J'aime Thé Café
The under-the-radar roastery on rue de Chativesle
Address — 37 rue de Chativesle, 51100 Reims
Hours — Tue–Fri 10am–5:30pm / Sat 10am–6pm / Mon closed (roasting day)
Terrace — No
Food — Small selection of pastries
A 5-minute walk from the Place d'Erlon, on a quiet side street, J'aime Thé Café flies well under the tourist radar — which is exactly why locals keep it close. Jérôme runs this small family roastery, selecting organic specialty beans, roasting them on-site every Monday (the shop is closed that day), and serving them through the week in a relaxed, no-frills setting.
The roast profile sits slightly fuller than the Nordic light-roast style — a deliberate choice that makes the coffees approachable for a wider audience without sacrificing complexity. Extractions are precise, the machine is a Victoria Arduino Eagle One, and filter methods (V60, AeroPress) are available for those who want them. Prices are among the most accessible in Reims: a double espresso for €2.50, at a time when some addresses are charging double. Laptops are discouraged on weekends to keep seats available.
J'aime Thé Café is the kind of address you keep to yourself. Simple, genuine, and quietly excellent.
FAQ — Specialty Coffee in Reims
What is specialty coffee?
Specialty coffee refers to beans that have scored at least 80 out of 100 according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) grading system. These coffees are typically grown on small farms, processed with care at every stage from harvest to roast, and prepared by trained baristas using precise extraction methods. The focus is on expressing the natural flavours of the bean rather than masking them.
Are there any coffee roasters in Reims?
Yes — Reims has several active roasters. Moklair Coffee Roasters (1 rue Andrieux) specialises in beans scoring 85+ SCA and has won multiple national titles, including the French Barista Championship in 2025. J'aime Thé Café (37 rue de Chativesle) is a small family roastery focused on organic specialty beans. The Coffee Champ' sources from local roasters including Cafés Ciel, based just outside Reims in Cormontreuil.
Where can I get specialty coffee on a Sunday in Reims?
Moklair Coffee Roasters (1 rue Andrieux) is the only specialty coffee address in this selection open on Sundays, from 10am to 5:30pm. The other shops — Holy Shot, The Coffee Champ', L'Occasion Café and J'aime Thé Café — are all closed on Sundays. If you'd like coffee alongside a proper brunch, Sacré Brunch also serves specialty coffee and is open on weekends.
Can I buy specialty coffee beans to take home?
Absolutely. Moklair sells its full range in-store and online at moklair.fr. J'aime Thé Café offers its organic beans whole or ground to order, plus machines and accessories. The Coffee Champ' also stocks beans from its partner roasters alongside brewing equipment like Chemex, V60 and AeroPress — at better prices than most online retailers.
Which coffee shops in Reims are good for working remotely?
L'Occasion Café (188 rue de Vesle) is the most remote-work-friendly option: spacious, reliable wifi, calm atmosphere during the day and a bike rack inside. Holy Shot and The Coffee Champ' welcome laptop users depending on how busy they are, though their smaller spaces make them less ideal at peak times. At J'aime Thé Café, laptops are discouraged on weekends.
Reims' specialty coffee scene is still young — but it's growing fast and it's serious. These five addresses share one thing: the coffee is never an afterthought. To make the most of your visit, several of them are also great spots for breakfast or brunch. And if you'd like to explore the city between cups, our Art Deco trail takes you past several of these addresses.
