A little tour in Paris.

The great city of light and love is also emerging - although some may find this an incredible statement - as a capital of tea and coffee. Actually, I would vote Paris as the international tea capital, in terms of the number of stores in it that offer a wide

range of exceptional teas and due to the potent presence in Paris of a large and devout population of tea connoisseurs. Surely it need no longer be a secret that a good share of the best teas offered in other European cities originate from Paris. Tea lovers can be well advised to look for what they crave in Paris; if it's not there, they probably won't find it in the Western world.

While not so ethereal, the city's coffee atmosphere has markedly improved over the past decade. True, the hotels for the most part still serve abominable beverages that m.align the good name of coffee, but the city has been blossoming with coffeehouses and boutiques, with roasteries and espresso bars where fine coffees can be savored and purchased.

The businesses profiled below all offer interesting teas and coffees, or related products, of established quality. They are not necessarily the very best in Paris, but they are indeed representative of the city's enduring passion for good things to eat and drink, a savoir faire that is turning to tea and coffee.

Verlet

The small serving room is crowded - a tourist or two only, the rest are Parisians. It's the middle of the afternoon and all the seats are taken - they are always taken here. This is Cafe Verlet, a tradition in coffee and tea for more than 115 years on the rue St. Honore. Some of the faces seem familiar, actors out of makeup perhaps, as the Comedie Francaise is only a few steps away.

This is one of the city's most prized locations. It is an address well-known by coffee and tea lovers, not only in Paris but across France. The atmosphere is definitely cozy, the feel is old-timey but friendly - antique without snobbishness.

Cafe Verlet is owned by Eric Duchossoy, a youngish man who knows a lot about coffee and tea. He bought the place two years ago from Pierre Verlet, grandson of the founder, and a highly respected roaster Verlet, who is retired, comes in everyday to keep up with customers who, through the years, have become as close to him as family.

Duchossoy is a roasting master. He roasts each morning at a working location a few streets away from Cafe Verlet, this in keeping with one of the tenets of Cafe Verlet - that the store sell only fresh roasted coffee.