There are passions that follow us throughout our lives and that, one day, reveal themselves to be what truly drives us. For Bénédicte, that passion is art and more specifically drawing, which has accompanied her since childhood. A former IT engineer, this young woman left that field to dedicate herself to her first love and open, in May 2025, a cultural and artistic café right in the heart of the Batignolles neighborhood (17th arrondissement), in a space whose architecture was love at first sight. To adorn these walls: works by around ten artists, selected according to the season and a specific theme, all available for sale. Sometimes an artist herself, sometimes a teacher during workshops, she now wears many hats to bring this eclectic and vibrant space to life.
©Lucie Guerra/Le Bonbon
A paintbrush in one hand, a coffee in the other
A cultural hub, but above all a living space, Feuille Blanche, Café Noir welcomes those looking for a little break, artistic or otherwise. The café side offers snacks and hot drinks to go along with a reading session, work time, or simply a pause. Everything is homemade, using local and seasonal products. This question of eco-responsibility drives Bénédicte even into her decoration — all the furniture is sourced secondhand — and into her workshops: a workshop dedicated to ecological transition will be offered on Tuesdays from the new term, followed by a visual arts workshop on Wednesdays and concerts on Thursday evenings.
©Lucie Guerra/Le Bonbon
« Everything folds up, everything puts away », in just a few movements, the studio transforms into an intimate performance venue that can welcome about twenty people and allow the audience to interact with the artists afterward.
Let your creativity run wild
« Bénédicte, she's so much more than just a teacher. There's freedom here, you feel good in this place », says Laetitia, brush in hand, leaning over her drawing of the day, while acoustic music softly plays in the background. Since discovering this studio when it opened, this retiree has become a true enthusiast. « I came to take a drawing class with my daughter and I felt so relaxed, I forgot all my worries and mental load », she adds before getting back to work. Today's project: recreating — with a personal twist — a desert photograph in watercolor.
©Lucie Guerra/Le Bonbon
A place where you feel good and where you leave with greater confidence in yourself, that's exactly what Bénédicte set out to achieve. Every week, she offers painting workshops for adults and children, as well as linocut printing classes. Piano lessons, writing workshops, floral arrangements or themed events around Christmas, for example, are also organized from time to time. Her mantra? Never stifle her students' creativity. Here, we experiment with techniques, bring ideas to life on paper, let the creative child sleeping within us speak out and focus more on the experience itself than on the final result.
For a coffee, a workshop, an impromptu meeting or a moment out of time... Blank Page and Black Coffee is a little bit
like a second home : you come, you stay, and you hate to leave !Address: 102 Rue Truffaut, 75017 Paris
