one of the things ryan and i enjoyed most about france was the coffee. you can get it anywhere at pretty much any time of day. much more often than not, it was well roasted, brewed, and served. for me, having a cafe au lait also means we were sitting down and relaxing, and giving my poor feet a rest.
becoming a bit of a coffee snob over the past year or two, i would say the coffee in paris is on average better than coffee here in california. in paris, i never had more than one cup in any one spot so i had a large sample set.