Le Pain Quotidien Bakery and Cafe

Lots of excellent options for breakfast, brunch, or a morning snack. I mostly stick to omelettes, breads, pastries, sandwiches.

The coffee is quite good, and is served in a small pot, piping hot and fresh. They also have attractive little angular coffee mugs without handles, which forces you to hold them as I believe a coffee mug should be held (that is, cupped in your hands so you can soak up the warmth).

As you might imagine from their name ("daily bread", or somesuch in French), the serve good bread. More importantly, they serve good jams and toppings... the apricot spread is definitely worth a try.

In the early morning, say around 7-8am, it's a quiet and peaceful place to read a newspaper and have some coffee and breakfast. By 9, it's bustling and a bit crowded.

There's the "communal table", which is a bit of a novelty, but ultimately mostly a marketing gimmick. Practically speaking, it seems like a way for them to get more people seated, assuming they won't mind sitting next to strangers. I come here frequently, and I have never engaged a stranger in conversation, nor have I seen anyone else do it.

Overall, it's a pleasant place populated by some combination of yuppies before work, families looking for a relaxed place to share brunch, or layabouts like myself who don't have any pressing reason to be anywhere else :P