Worst espresso!

[GeorgeW]

Not going to make any friends here.... but the idea of the French being a nation of coffee lovers, is not based on the standard of coffee they serve, nor on what is generally available, if anything, freeze dried and pods seem to be gaining in popularity and high street roasters are very much a dying breed, tending to serve more tea than anything else.

The above is true although about thirty-five years ago I seem to remember the coffee being better in France. Those electric filter machine things replacing the Moka pots have a lot to answer for I reckon.
I find the lack of concern for good coffee strange in a country with such a passion for good quality food.

[icke]

having just recently moved to france i must say i'm a little disappointed by the local coffee culture too. the good thing is that every little bar or brasserie uses an espresso machine to make coffee. but unfortunately in one of our main brasseries here in cagnes i had the very worst coffee / espresso experience ever!!! i think most of the time those machines are operated by people who have not been trained at all and hence have no idea what a good coffee can be about. and since everybody keeps drinking the stuff without complaining it is unfortunately the stuff they keep serving... is't just a simple matter of supply and demand...
but then, it lead me to tmc, hottop ownership and a stash of several kilos of green beans...

i have seen a shop that has a roaster (probat) sitting around but that is purely a decorative element rather than a production system. at home most people i know around france just use drip coffee machines to create some extremely concentrated and bitter stuff that is served in small cups.... horrible!!!

and the great food one very often can find around here is mainly just entrecote frite, foie gras, some fried duck breast and moule frite even when they're out of season. it all can be delicious but lacks a bit of variety sometimes... so i think french food might sometimes be a little bit overrated but i know that there are quite some local differences.

[GeorgeW]

and the great food one very often can find around here is mainly just entrecote frite, foie gras, some fried duck breast and moule frite even when they're out of season. it all can be delicious but lacks a bit of variety sometimes... so i think french food might sometimes be a little bit overrated but i know that there are quite some local differences.

I take it that you don't live in the Lyon area then? All of the above food sounds very much like the stuff eaten by the tourists but believe me good French food still abounds and is as good as ever. I miss it terribly I confess.

[icke]

when i said local differences i actually meant regional differences. i love the stuff they do in the alsace for example (perhaps showing my german roots ) amd know that there is lot's of other great stuff around.

but we live at the cote d'azur, which is one of the main tourist regions, and what i described above is what you typically find on the menus of the local restau's. plus tons of oysters and cold seafood, again i'm more tempted by the italian style stuff... but thankfully, ventimiglia is only about 35 minutes away.

but when haggis is one's primary source of nourishment, i can see that you're dying for a change...

[GeorgeW]

Never mind the haggis but I do miss the boudin noir, and especially the Lyon version which uses cream. Ah well....back to stirring the porridge.

[icke]

you're right, i'd like that too, but not on the local menus really...