If you've spent any time looking at Paris on Instagram, you've seen Carette — the pastel macarons lined up in the window, the thick hot chocolate, the Belle Époque salon de thé with the Eiffel Tower somewhere in the background. Which raises the question everyone asks before deciding whether to join that line: is Carette actually worth it, or is it just a pretty place to take a photo? I went and wondered the same thing. Here's my honest answer, what to order, and how to avoid the worst of the wait.

So — Is It Worth the Hype?

Yes. In my opinion, Carette earns it. It is expensive — there's no getting around that, and you'll pay Paris-institution prices for your coffee and cake. But the food is genuinely good, the setting is lovely, and the whole thing feels like a proper Parisian occasion rather than a tourist trap dressed up as one. Plenty of hyped places don't hold up when you actually sit down. This one does.

Order the Hot Chocolate

If you take one thing from this post, make it this: the hot chocolate is divine. Thick, rich, and closer to a dessert than a drink — the kind you sip slowly and don't quite finish because it's so intense. It's the thing I'd go back for. Pair it with a pastry or a macaron and you've got the whole Carette experience in one sitting. The food beyond the sweets is good too, but the hot chocolate is the reason to come.

The Influencer Scene Is Real

Fair warning: Carette is full of influencers, cameras out, especially at the Trocadéro location where the Eiffel Tower does its thing across the square. It's part of why the place is so photographed, and part of why the line exists. If that's not your scene, it's worth knowing before you go — though honestly, once you're sat down with your hot chocolate, it fades into the background. There's also a quieter second location on the Place des Vosges in the Marais if you'd rather skip the crowd entirely.

About That Line

The queue looks intimidating, but here's the good news: it moves fast. We waited maybe fifteen minutes, which for a place this popular is nothing. My one real tip is to get there early — the earlier you arrive, the shorter the wait and the calmer the room, before the mid-morning crowd and the photo-takers roll in. Go at opening and you may walk straight in.

Pro Tips

Get there early. The single best thing you can do — shorter line, better light, fewer crowds.
The line moves faster than it looks. Don't let the queue put you off; fifteen minutes is normal.
Come for the hot chocolate. It's the standout. Everything else is the supporting cast.
Budget for it. It's not a cheap stop — treat it as a treat, not an everyday coffee.
Prefer calm over the Eiffel view? The Place des Vosges location is the quieter one.

The Verdict

Carette is one of those rare hyped places that actually delivers. Yes, it's pricey, and yes, you'll be sharing the room with a dozen people photographing their cups — but the hot chocolate alone is worth the trip, the line is quicker than it looks, and an hour at one of its little tables is a genuinely lovely way to spend a Paris morning. Go early, order the hot chocolate, and let it live up to the feed.

Carette is one of my favourite stops in the city — you'll find it alongside four others in 5 of the best cafés in Paris. Have you been? Tell us in the comments whether you thought it lived up to the hype.

Carette: Is it Worth the Hype?