France's historic cafés and rising popularity of cold coffee drinks

Around the turn of the 20th century France boasted roughly 450,000‑500,000 drinking establishments, of which 300,000‑350,000 were cafés and bistros that served as vital social hubs, especially in rural areas such as Haute‑Marne. Historian Bruno Théveny details this "Belle Époque" of country cafés in his 2002 book, noting the dense concentration of cafés in villages and the gradual decline to about 35,000‑40,000 traditional cafés today.

In contemporary France, coffee remains the world’s second‑most consumed beverage after water, with eight out of ten French people drinking it daily, averaging two cups per person. During hot weather, cold coffee preparations dominate: the Italian affogato (espresso poured over a vanilla ice‑cream scoop), iced espresso served over ice, the almond‑milk‑enhanced "caffè leccese" from Lecce, and cold‑brew made by steeping ground coffee in cold water for 10‑12 hours. Chef Denny Imbroisi shared an affogato recipe on Instagram, while coffee brand Lavazza posted a cold‑brew method online.