The best Local Coffee Shops in Reims
Reims has a small but solid specialty coffee scene, with independently owned shops all within walking distance of the city center. I live in Reims and I’ve been to each of them. This guide covers what makes each one different: the coffee, the food, the atmosphere, whether you can work there, and practical details like WiFi, prices and opening days. I’ve also included a roaster boutique and a tea specialist for those who want something different.
Quick comparison
| Name | Best for | WiFi | Food | Open days | Espresso |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Coffee Champ’ | Coffee + champagne, homemade food | Yes (limited seating) | Homemade baked goods, soups, wraps | Mon-Sat + Sun | ~2.50 EUR |
| J’aime Thé Café | On-site roasting, tea selection | Yes | Croissants, cake | Tue-Sat | ~2.50 EUR |
| Holy Shot | Homemade cakes and cookies | Yes | Cakes, muffins, sandwiches (all homemade) | Mon-Sat | ~2.50 EUR |
| L’Occasion Café | Working, events, wine bar | Yes (coworking) | Homemade, 100% local | Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat | ~3 EUR |
| Moklair | Rare beans, competition-level coffee | Ask on site | Minimal | Fri-Mon | ~3 EUR |
The Coffee Champ’
The Coffee Champ’ holds a special place in my list. This specialty coffee shop, located 10 meters from Place d’Erlon, combines two things you won’t find together anywhere else: specialty coffee and champagne by the glass. Owner Kevin welcomes you in French, English and Portuguese.
The interior seats about 15 people on two floors, plus a sheltered terrace of 10 seats. The decor is bright and tasteful. You can work here occasionally, but the space is limited for regular remote work.
Coffee and drinks
The coffee comes from Café Ciel, a local roaster based in Reims. The full menu is available: espresso, latte, cappuccino, mocaccino, flat white. Plant-based milks (almond, oat, coco) are available for every drink. Everything can be served iced. Beyond coffee: tea (chai, matcha), hot chocolate, lemonade, beer, and champagne.
Food
Everything is homemade and baked on-site by Kevin: cookies, brownies, banana bread, carrot cake, chocolate babkas. For lunch: savoury croissants, wraps, and seasonal soups. Gluten-free and vegetarian options available.
Beans and accessories
You can buy Café Ciel beans and brewing equipment (Chemex, V60, Aeropress) at better prices than Amazon France.
Address and hours
3 Galerie d’Erlon, 51100 Reims (inside Passage Talleyrand, perpendicular to Place d’Erlon). Look for AESIO Mutuelle at 12 Place d’Erlon and take the passageway on the left. Open Monday to Sunday (Mon 13h-18h, Tue-Fri 10h-18h, Sat 10h-18h30, Sun 10h-17h). Check their Google profile for current hours.
J’aime Thé Café
J’aime Thé Café is the only coffee shop in Reims that roasts its own beans on-site. Jérôme, the owner and roaster, works alongside baristas Valentine and Camille. The focus is equally split between coffee and tea.
About 20 seats inside, plus a small terrace (4-10 seats depending on the day). This is a good spot for working during the week, except Saturdays when it gets busy.
Coffee and drinks
The coffee is roasted on-site by Jérôme. Brewing methods include espresso, Nitro cold brew, and V60. Plant-based milks available. The tea selection is curated directly by the team: green, black, oolong, white, smoked, rooibos. Also: hot chocolate, lemonade.
Food
Limited food options: croissants, carrot cake, banana bread. The selection changes weekly. Not the place for a full meal.
Beans and accessories
All the coffee roasted on-site is available for purchase. They also sell a curated selection of teas and coffee machines (Sage mainly).
Address and hours
37 Rue de Chativesle, 51100 Reims (perpendicular to Place d’Erlon). Open Tuesday to Friday 10h-17h30, Saturday 10h-18h. Closed Sunday and Monday. Check their Google profile for current hours.
Holy Shot
Holy Shot is the place to go if you care about homemade food as much as coffee. Philippine, the owner, bakes everything fresh every day: cakes, muffins, cookies, club sandwiches. She speaks French and English.
About 14 seats inside, 6 outside. The terrace is small and noisy, not ideal for non-smokers. Good for working during the week, not on Saturdays.
Coffee and drinks
Coffee sourced from Esperanza Café, a specialty roaster. Full espresso menu. Plant-based milk available. Also: hot chocolate, chai latte, golden latte, massala, fruit juices.
Food
The strength of Holy Shot. All baked goods are made daily by Philippine: different cakes, muffins, cookies, and club sandwiches. No gluten-free options.
Address and hours
38 Rue de Talleyrand, 51100 Reims (parallel to Place d’Erlon). Open Monday 13h-18h, Tuesday to Friday 9h30-18h, Saturday 10h-18h30. Closed Sunday. Check their Google profile for current hours.
L’Occasion Café
L’Occasion Café is the best option in Reims if you need a place to work. It describes itself as a “third place”: part specialty coffee shop, part wine bar, part coworking space. The venue hosts creative workshops, latte art classes, painting sessions, quizzes (three Thursdays a month), and wine tasting evenings.
The space is larger than the other coffee shops in this list and can host up to 30 people for private events. Located on Rue de Vesle, near the Comédie, accessible by tram.
Coffee and drinks
Specialty coffee, homemade food (100% local ingredients), and a wine selection for evenings. The menu changes regularly.
Address and hours
188 Rue de Vesle, 51100 Reims (near Place Stalingrad). Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday to Saturday. Closed Wednesday and Sunday. Thursday evenings and Friday/Saturday until midnight. Check loccasioncafe.com for the current schedule and events.
Moklair
Moklair is the place for serious coffee people. The owner has won multiple French barista competition titles. They roast their own beans with a focus on rare, single-origin coffees. If you know what a natural process Ethiopian tastes like and want to find one in Reims, this is where you go.
Moklair is also one of the few specialty coffee shops in Reims open on Sundays, along with The Coffee Champ’. The space is small and focused on the coffee experience, not on working or eating.
Address and hours
1 Rue Andrieux, 51100 Reims (5-10 min walk from Place d’Erlon or Boulingrin). Open Friday to Monday, 10h-17h30. Check their Google profile for current hours.
Also worth a visit in central Reims
Cafés Miguel: specialty beans to drink or take home
Cafés Miguel is a Reims-based roaster since 1956, now in its 4th generation. Their downtown boutique offers a different specialty coffee to taste every day, available on the spot or to go. They stock over 30 single-origin coffees, 20 blends, and 16 flavored coffees, plus teas and brewing accessories. They also run “Roaster for a Day” workshops at their roastery in Champfleury.
19 Rue de Talleyrand, 51100 Reims (Galerie Saint-Jacques). Check cafesmiguel.fr for hours and workshops.
L’Éveil des Thés: for tea lovers
If you don’t drink coffee, L’Éveil des Thés is the specialist. Over 200 varieties of tea (green, black, white, oolong, smoked, rooibos), plus chai latte, matcha latte, and bubble tea. Plant-based milks (oat, almond) available for all lattes. There’s a small seating area where you can drink your tea on the spot, hot or iced.
34 Rue des Telliers, 51100 Reims. Check leveildesthes.com for hours.
Best coffee shops in Reims with WiFi for working
If you’re looking for a place to work with your laptop in Reims, here’s what I’d recommend based on my own experience:
- L’Occasion Café: the best option. Designed as a coworking-friendly space, larger seating, WiFi, events. Open Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday.
- J’aime Thé Café: good WiFi, quiet enough during weekdays. Avoid Saturdays.
- Holy Shot: works during the week, small space so it depends on how busy it is.
- The Coffee Champ’: WiFi available, but limited seating makes it better for short sessions.
None of these places charge for WiFi. Buying a coffee and staying for 2-3 hours is normal and accepted. On weekends, most shops are too busy for comfortable working.
Coffee shops open on Sunday and Monday in Reims
Unlike many French cities, Reims has specialty coffee options every day of the week:
- Sunday: The Coffee Champ’ (10h-17h) and Moklair (10h-17h30).
- Monday: The Coffee Champ’ (13h-18h), Holy Shot (13h-18h), L’Occasion Café (10h-18h30), and Moklair (10h-17h30).
J’aime Thé Café is the only one closed both Sunday and Monday (open Tue-Sat).
What makes Reims coffee culture different
Reims is not Paris or Lyon when it comes to specialty coffee. The scene is compact: a handful of independently owned shops, all within a 15-minute walk of each other. What’s unusual is that several roast their own beans or source exclusively from local roasters (Café Ciel, Esperanza Café, Moklair). Every place in this guide is owned by someone who lives in Reims and picked their beans, their menu, and their decor themselves.
The combination of specialty coffee and champagne (at The Coffee Champ’) exists nowhere else I’ve seen in France. And Moklair’s competition-winning barista makes it worth a visit even if you’re just passing through the Champagne region.
