Warm home-made chocolate cake with ice cream on a slate plate with creamy coffee on a wooden table at Treize au Jardin coffee shop in Paris.
Lily Heise

American Laurel Sanderson paved the way for creative contemporary cafés on the Left Bank when she opened the first incarnation of Treize Bakery in 2013. She continues to delight both Parisian and foreign palates with inventive Southern-inspired dishes, now served at a new location across Luxembourg Gardens. Treize au Jardin is both restaurant and tea salon, an inviting and whimsical space perfect for lunch, brunch, apéro or un petit café and decadent dessert en terrace.

Inside Treize au Jardin coffee shop in Paris, where the rustic decor with plants and fruit reflect the home-made food served here.
Lily Heise

Hailing from Charleston, Laurel came to France her junior year to study abroad and had one goal: learn French. She landed in the small eastern city of Besançon, where she carried on her French studies at the local university. Small-town France is different from Paris and the ready-made foods she missed from home were staunchly missing from the supermarché shelves. Therefore, the only solution to satisfy her cravings was to make them from scratch, using her grandmother’s recipe book as a guide. This new quest was accentuated by the local people’s passion for food, even amongst her fellow student friends, a spell which she too would quickly fall under.

Warm home-made chocolate cake with ice cream on a slate plate with creamy coffee on a wooden table (left) and bowls of fresh oranges with a white tote bag (right) at Treize au Jardin coffee shop in Paris
Lily Heise

Degree in hand, Laurel was meant to return home after a quick stopover in Paris. Over twenty years, a husband, and two kids later, she’s still here and her zealousness for great, home-cooked food has only grown. Her baking went outside of the house when she started making birthday cakes for the staff at her husband’s bar. This led to making wedding cakes, and then gradually everything fell into place for her very own bakery café.

One of our favorite coffee shops in Paris, Treize au Jardin has delicious gluten-free homemade cakes hiding under glass bell jars.
Lily Heise

Although it was hidden in a charming courtyard on rue Saint-Pères, word quickly got around about this special cozy place with its incredible savory pies, perfect Southern biscuits, and to-die-for desserts. At only 40 square meters and 19 seats, the café eventually outgrew its baking dish and needed a bigger venue, an exciting venture achieved with her new business partner Kaysa. It took a year and a half to find the right space and seal the deal on the second venue, but anyone visiting the new and improved Treize au Jardin will agree that they succeeded at their mission.

Inside one of the best coffee shops in Paris, Treize au Jardin, comes with wooden tables and cozy banquettes.
Lily Heise

With its mismatched-comfy furniture on the sunny terrace, eclectic rustic-chic interior, and uber-friendly welcome from their staff — who count over ten nationalities — guests instantly feel at home. The much larger space still retains the homey feel of the first Treize thanks to its layout and intimate seating. Laurel and Kaysa aim to keep the food authentic, with a shout out to Southern American cuisine and an eye to current Paris and international trends, including gluten-free options and virtually all organic, locally sourced ingredients. Baked goods at Treize, prepared by two talented new bakers, are of course a high point, whether they are their savory pies made of the loveliest flaky pastry or their legendary carrot cake. Another popular menu item is the baked pecan-crusted chicken (better than fried chicken) and the slow-cooked pulled pork.

Treize au Jardin coffee shop in Paris, with its rustic interiors teeming with plants and fresh fruit baskets, is our go-to for cake in the 6th district.
Lily Heise

Expanded location means expanded hours too: Treize is now open until 9pm seven days a week, making it an original place for an after-work drink. With this in mind, Kaysa has designed an amazing craft cocktail menu, with all homemade ingredients, like their honey-infused bourbon. Brunch is served on both Saturdays and Sundays, and is best enjoyed with a tea pot of gin and tonic. They even have a resident florist who makes beautiful bouquets you can pick up on the fly. No matter the day or time you stop by Treize, you’re bound to have a magical and delicious moment.

Treize au Jardin – 5 Rue de Médicis, 75006 Paris

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Written and photographed by Lily Heise for HiP Paris. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, Tuscany, Umbria or Liguria? Check out Haven In.

WRITTEN BY

Lily Heise

Lily Heise has been living in Paris for more than 10 years. When she’s not getting into romantic mischief, she writes on dating, travel, and culture. Her writing has been featured in Frommer’s Guides, the Huffington Post, Conde Nast Traveler, City Secrets, DK Eyewitness Guides, and other local and international publications. She is the author of Je T’Aime, Me Neither, and Je T’Aime… Maybe? lively novelized memoirs on her romantic misadventures, and continues to share dating tips, stories and travel features on her blog www.jetaimemeneither.com.

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