Our staff photographer, Patty Sadauskas, has that eye that sees the magic other’s might miss, like Rue François Miron reflected in the window of Café B.B.O., in the Marais.
If you love this image you can get it on a set of coasters or as a cute canvas print for your kitchen or bar, on Redbubble.
Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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[Trouvez ci-dessous la version française] There are cafés in Paris give you perspective. And after a castrophic job interview with a woman half my age who was speaking an incomprehensible techical language, I really needed some perspective. Depressed, I was wandering the streets when suddenly I saw him: General Lafayette. Or more precisely, Café Au General Lafayette, located on the corner of a street by the same name.
I immediately recognized this café where I used to spend time during my lost youth. It’s funny how a familiar place can bring comfort when you need it. As soon as I entered this magical café, I remembered why I used to like to drink my coffee here in the morning. In this place, you are immediately transported to 1900, the year the café opened. The Art Nouveau interior remains untouched, created during a time that, to me, was more beautiful—La Belle Epoque, or beautiful era. The same magnificent aged wood bar, the same lamps giving off their golden light, and the same leather banquettes, which resemble those in the first Métro cars. Adjoining the salon du café is still the same 1900-style dining room where you can have a languid lunch.
As I reflected on the disastrous job interview I failed, I tried to chase my dark thoughts. To banish my blues I eavesdropped on the conversation between a waitress and her customer, a young hipster who was also taking his morning coffee here:
“I wish I could go to the Venice Carnaval,” the waitress said to the young man. “It has to be like being in another era!”
Like this café I thought. This café is a kind of time travel, too.
As I sipped my café crème, I thought again about my interview with that young woman who made me feel old. I am like this place, I thought. This café is not an old café, stuck in the past; it’s charming and vibrant. And me, I’m not old and clueless about the new technologies, I’m a mature and charming woman—une femme d’un certain âge as we say in French.
While the the waitress and the young man were chatting, I could see his eyes dart in my direction a few times. Before he left, he addressed me with a big smile and an “Au revoir, Madame!” I smiled back and returned his goodbye. Charming, indeed.
Paris cafés are like people. Some are very modern, with a minimalist design, a WiFi connection, and solitary young customers who stare at their computer screens. And then there are cafés like Au Général Lafayette—out of date, maybe, but where people look at each other. And sometimes, there is a mix: trendy and retro, like the young clients in this historic place.
I promised myself I would come back to this old-fashioned café where a charming, young Parisian man took his morning coffee. Like me when I was younger, like me who is still yet young. —Edith de Belleville
Where? 52 Rue Lafayette, 9th arr.
When? From 7pm to 2am
How to get there? Métro Le Pelletier, line 7
What to eat & drink? Classic bistro cuisine. Price fixed lunch: 22 euros (starter + main, or main + dessert); Croque monsieur: 12 euros
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EDITH DE BELLEVILLE is a licensed tour guide in Paris, and the author of Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes (Éditions Erick Bonnier) available in French at Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr and Amazon.ca
Il y a des cafés à Paris qui vous aident à relativiser. Après un catastrophique entretien d’embauche devant une femme de la moitié de mon âge qui me parlait un langage technologique incompréhensible, j’avais bien besoin de relativiser. Déprimée et errant dans la rue c’est alors que je l’aperçus: Le général Lafayette. Ou plutôt le café au général Lafayette au coin de la rue du même nom.
Je l’ai immédiatement reconnu ce café que je fréquentais autrefois, du temps de ma jeunesse perdue. C’est drôle comme un lieu familier peut soudain vous réconforter. Dès que je suis rentrée dans ce lieu magique je me suis rappelée pourquoi j’aimais tant y boire un café le matin. Je me suis à nouveau retrouvée plongée en 1900, date de sa création. Toujours le même décor art-nouveau d’une époque plus belle, celle que l’on appelait la Belle Epoque. Le même magnifique comptoir en bois patiné par le temps, les lampes identiques qui diffusaient une lumière sépia et les banquettes rouges qui ressemblaient encore à celle du premier métro parisien. Jouxtant la salle du café il y avait la même salle à manger de style 1900 pour déjeuner.
Repensant au calamiteux entretien professionnel auquel je venais d’échouer, j’essayai en vain de chasser mes idées noires. Afin de trouver une diversion à mon cafard, je me suis mise à écouter la conversation animée de la serveuse avec son client.
-J’aimerais bien assister au Carnaval de Venise dit la serveuse au jeune homme accoudé au comptoir, cela doit faire l’effet d’être dans une autre époque!.
Comme ce café me dis-je en moi-même , ce café aussi c’est un vrai voyage dans le temps c’est incroyable!
Devant mon café crème, admirant ce décor vintage , je me suis alors remémorée l’entretien que j’avais eu avec cette jeune femme qui m’avait fait me sentir vieille. Finalement je suis comme cet endroit. Ce café n’est pas du tout un vieux café, c’est juste un charmant café rétro. Et moi je ne suis pas du tout vieille et dépassée par les nouvelles technologies, je suis juste une charmante femme d’âge mûr. Une femme d’un certain âge comme on dit galamment en français
Pendant qu’ils discutaient je voyais bien que le jeune hipster me lançait des regards à la dérobée. L’heure du déjeuner approchant, l’homme a payé son café et avant de partir s’est tourné vers moi et m’a dit avec un grand sourire «au revoir Madame!». Je l’ai salué à mon tour avec un sourire et j’ai pensé: Finalement les cafés de Paris sont comme les humains. Il y en a de très modernes, avec un décor minimaliste à la dernière mode, une connexion Wifi et des jeunes consommateurs rivés sur leurs écrans qui ne se parlent pas. Et puis il y a les cafés comme le café Au général Lafayette, hors du temps, pas très modernes mais où les gens se regardent. Et des fois tout se mélange, les « à la dernière mode» avec les looks rétro. Je me suis alors promis de revenir dans le café suranné où un charmant et jeune parisien vient y prendre son café chaque matin. Comme moi lorsque j’étais plus jeune, comme moi qui suis encore jeune…finalement. —Edith de Belleville
Où? 52, rue Lafayette, 75009 Paris
Quand? de 7 h à 2h
Comment y aller ? Métro Le Pelletier, ligne 7
Que manger, que boire? Boissons traditionnelles, Bistrot le midi et le soir, cuisine classique formule le midi à 22 euros (une entrée + un plat ou un plat ) un dessert) ; Croque monsieur: 12 euros
Guide-conférencière à Paris, EDITH DE BELLEVILLE est également l’auteure de Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes ( Éditions Erick Bonnier ) un livre disponible à la Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr et Amazon.ca
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I’m not sure exactly when Le Nemours became my favorite café but I think it’s when I moved here in 2005. Before that it was Café de Flore, when Saint Germain des Pres was my go-to neighborhood when I first started visiting Paris in the late 1970s.
I think part of the reason why I like Les Nemours so much is because it’s the gateway to my favorite place in Paris, the Palais Royal. Beyond the terrace of Le Nemours is a hidden world not known to most tourists, with magical gardens and almost infinity rows of symmetrically planted trees plus limestone passageways with mosaic tile floors inhabited by the chicest fashion and vintage shops in Paris.
Le Nemours sits on a plaza behind the Louvre, Place Colette, named after the infamous author Colette, who lived in the Palais Royal in the 1950s.
I had to do some preliminary research for this article, so, on a warm summer morning at about 11a.m., I planted myself on a French café chair of white rattan with a pattern of pale blue squares on the terrace of Le Nemours. My immediate view to my left was the Palais Royal Métro kiosk designed by artist Jean Michel Othoniel in 2000, a whimsical kaleidoscope made of gorgeous colored Murano glass spheres and brushed aluminum. On my right were the handsome limestone columns of La Comédie Francaise, a theater institution steeped in history from the time of France’s greatest playwright, Molière. What better view can one have at a Parisian café?
Waiters still wear the classic uniform of a black vest and pants, white shirt, and a starched white apron rolled at the waist, hanging down about mid-calf. I ordered a café noisette and a few moments later the waiter placed my coffee on the table with a glass of water. The coffee was typical Paris café coffee, at best on the lower scale of mediocre but that’s not the point. In case you didn’t know, it’s not about the actual coffee at French cafés; it’s about the ambience and the experience.
While slowly sipping my noisette, I perused the crowd. It was unusually crowded for that time of the day considering the off hour—too early for lunch and too late for a morning croissant. It was an odd potpourri of businessmen in close-fitting summer suits; tourists wearing shorts, tank tops, and sandals having a late breakfast probably because of their jet lag; a punk-like couple looking hung over, donning all black with partially shaved heads and maroon-colored Doc Marten boots; a middle aged Parisian women in casual chic. Any student studying sociology could have written a graduate thesis by just observing.
It then suddenly dawned on me that there’s an unwritten democracy at a French café: Anyone can sit at a table as long as you can afford a mere 2.50€ for a noisette; no one will bother you.
Upon leaving, I stood up and took one last look at the bold gold letters spelling L-E-N-E-M-O-U-R-S, the tall columns with elegant lanterns hanging in between, and the white and pearl gray striped awnings, all which again confirmed why Le Nemours is my favorite Paris café.
One last thing: a little movie trivia. Does anyone remember the opening scene from The Tourist, a silly, trifle of a film from 2010? It’s a shot of Angelina Jolie sitting at Le Nemours, while Johnny Depp is spying on her.
RICHARD NAHEM is the creator of the popular blog Eye Prefer Paris, with three weekly posts about art, history, fashion, food, shopping, architecture, and restaurant reviews. He also writes about Paris and European travel and his articles and photos have appeared in The Guardian, Romantic Paris, Passport Magazine, Travel Agent Central, Luxury Travel Advisor, France Today Magazine, and Bonjour Paris. He recently edited the National Geographic Walking Tours of Paris Guidebook. Richard also leads private insider tours of Paris via Eye Prefer Paris Tours, showing clients the Paris they never usually see on their own.
Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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September in Paris is called “la rentrée“—or “the return.” It’s a return from a month-long vacation most Parisians take over August, as well as a return to school. September is like January in other places—when we launch it, enroll in it, and begin it. Having a long vacation seems to do what vacations are designed to do—first relax us, then reinvigorate us for the year ahead.
Photo: Janice MacLeod from her book, A Paris Year
Early in the mornings of September, I walk to the Saint-Régis Café on Île Saint-Louis—the island in the middle of the Seine and of Paris. I sit among the bronzed locals who are revisiting projects previously abandoned for the beach. We sit together in silence, staring at our screens or notepads. One gentleman is refining a menu, another is writing an essay, another is working out math problems, which doesn’t seem like a romantic notion until you see his numbers. They are so ornate that I want to frame the page. As for me, I sit with my journal and work out the next quarter—articles to be written, correspondence to organize, chapters to complete, and of course, dreams to pursue. It’s a full but quiet room. The most conversation you’ll get is a friendly nod of recognition. It’s like a library but with clinking glasses and a buzzing espresso machine. As the brunch crowd filters in, we filter out.
I saunter down the main street of this small island town and do some window-shopping. The French call this “lèche-vitrines,” or window licking, which is exactly what you want to do at the chocolatier, boulangerie, and at Berthillon—the ice-cream shop. I end my stroll at the tip of the island. Here, the river splits, giving you the illusion that you are steering your own ship, which is, I suppose how September itself feels. Summer is gone and you’re happy about it, delighted to get back to work.
As I turn to go, I notice the tops of the trees have begun to turn yellow. A new season has begun and I could not be more pleased. Let it begin!
Café Saint-Régis, 6 rue Jean du Bellay, 4th arr., 01.43.54.59.41
Photos this page by Janice MacLeod, from her book, A Paris Year.
JANICE MacLEOD is the illustrator and author of the New York Times best-selling book Paris Letters, and her latest book, A Paris Year, part memoir / part visual journey through the streets of Paris. Discover her world at janicemacleod.com Visit her Etsy shop Like her Facebook page
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Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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Seen on the bar at Le Pure Café, an old Campbell’s Tomato Soup can. They use it for bits and bobs. No one is sure how this old can of American soup came to be at a Paris café. Maybe Andy Warhol brought it?
Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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In the second installment of our series, “My Favorite Café Is…” bestselling author and artist Janice MacLeod shares her perfect place with us.
For the first two years in Paris, I was like Goldilocks, traipsing all over the city in search of the best café. A place I could call my own. One café would have a cozy atmosphere but terrible coffee. Another would have great coffee but terrible food. Then I came upon the café that was just right: Café TournBride in the 5th arrondissement.
It had it all—great coffee, cozy atmosphere and delicious traditional French cuisine. Plus, it’s location on the pedestrian-friendly rue Mouffetard makes it the perfect perch for people catching. Being here makes me feel like I’m in a timeless Paris—the version you see on all those postcards. People still sit and write letters, read the paper, and catch up on the latest gossip. I often linger here with my journal—sipping, dreaming and listening to French words flutter by on the breeze.
I plan on putting in plenty of time here, and at the end of my days I’ll likely haunt it ever after. We all must find our place in this world. Here in Paris, I believe I have found mine.
Café TournBride, 104 Rue Mouffetard, Paris 5th arr., 01.43.31.42.98
Photo: Janice MacLeod, from her book, A Paris Year
Photos this page by Janice MacLeod, from her book, A Paris Year.
JANICE MacLEOD is the illustrator and author of the New York Times best-selling book Paris Letters, and her latest book, A Paris Year, part memoir / part visual journey through the streets of Paris. Discover her world at janicemacleod.com Visit her Etsy shop Like her Facebook page
Editor’s Note: Café TournBride has a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor for earning consistently high reviews.
This sweet café moment was captured by Janice MacLeod, and is from her book, A Paris Year. Reprinted by permission.
Want to submit a photo for our weekly column, Café Photo of the Week? Click here for submission rules. If we like it, we’ll publish it with a photo credit! Submission does not guarantee publication. Accepted photos will run in the order they are received. When you submit a photo, you give Save the Paris Café non-exclusive rights to publish it, free of charge, on our website and in social media, in perpetuity.
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If you live in Paris or have visited Paris, you’ve got them: café photos. And if you got ’em, we want ’em. Send us a Paris café photo, and if we like it, we may run it here, in our new weekly column, Café Photo of the Week, which will post every Wednesday.
We’ll accept photos of anything related to a café: full facade in context; detail shot; view from your table—any photo that tells a story, celebrates café life, or showcases the café itself is alright with us. We’ll give you credit in the post!
Send your photo by email to savethepariscafe@gmail.com, with the subject “Photo of the Week Submission.” Include your name and the name of the café, along with written permission that we have free, non-exclusive use of your photo on the Save the Paris Café website and on our social media, in perpetuity. (Oh, come on, you give away much more to social media sites every day.)
WHAT TO SUBMIT
YES! An original photo taken by you
YES! Anything that showcases and celebrates cafés, and café life
YES! Color or black and white
YES! Shape format: horizontal, square, vertical
YES! File format: JPG (1050 pixels wide, 72 dpi); 1M max file size (larger files will be deleted)
YES! A cropped and retouched photo, prepped for Web.
YES! Name of café
YES! Your name
YES! Your social media handle for your photos, if you have one (i.e. Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, Behance, etc. No Facebook or Twitter, please)
YES! Title of photo, and an optional brief description or caption (35 words max)
YES! Written permission to use your photo on our site and social media
WHAT NOT TO SUBMIT
NO. A photo that is not yours
NO. Previously published photos (or that’s already made the rounds on social media). We prefer fresh eyes.
NO. Straight-up food porn (unless placed within some context of the café)
NO. Portraits where the café is not the star, or there is no clear context
NO. Blatant advertising or self-promotion
NO. Watermarking or branding on the photo (your work will be properly credited on the page)
NO. Screen shots from your other sites (source files only, please)
Send submissions to savethepariscafe@gmail.com, with the subject “Photo of the Week Submission.” Make sure submissions comply with the above rules. Due to maximal work and minimal staff, we cannot notify you if your photo runs. To receive up-to-the-minute posts, subscribe to our newsletter, or like us on Facebook. (Cheeky, yes, but really it’s the best way.)
RIGHTS & USAGE Submission of your photos to Save the Paris Café gives us the non-exclusive rights to publish your photo in perpetuity on our site and our social media. You affirm that all photos submitted are taken by you and that you have the sole right to submit for publication. Save the Paris Café is not responsible for rights abuses of any photos that were not submitted as per our rights and usage rules. Photos will be run with credit. You have the right to promote your post in social media, provided you link back to the page on Save the Paris Café. We cannot notify you if your photo runs.
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[Trouvez ci-dessous la version française] There are cafés in Paris where the mere sound of the name evokes an emotion before you’ve even taken a sip of your coffee. On a cold, rainy Sunday morning in May, I was desperately searching for an open café when I stumbled upon Le Castiglione just near the chic place Vendôme. Since I didn’t want to go broke for the price of a coffee, I decided to drink mine at the bar, which is usually less expensive. Comfortably seated at one of the plush red velvet stools, I mused about the name of the café. Castiglione, of course, takes its name from the nearby street, rue de Castiglione, which was named in honor of the battle won by a then young and dashing Napoléon during his military campaign in Italy.
But there is another Castiglione. Not the name of the besieged city this time, but of a beautiful, young Italian woman. Bonaparte may have won Castiglione the city in the name of France, but Castiglione, the woman, won Napoléon in the name of her own homeland, Italy. This was during the second empire of Napoléon III, nephew of the first Napoléon. Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione was much adored by all the men of Paris, and vanquished the heart of Napoléon III. Many say her influence over the emperor helped establish the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. Such was the power of her beauty.
Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione, by Pierson
Like Narcissus, Castiglione was likewise obsessed with her own beauty, and had many hundreds of portraits taken of herself in various costumes and scenarios by court photographers Mayer and Pierson, photos which still survive today. But her beauty lost its own battle with time, and she lost her joie de vivre as a result. She would only go out at night, afraid people might recognize her, and veiled all her mirrors in black, so she would not have to witness her fading beauty and advancing age. She ended her years in a lonely basement apartment with her many dogs at 26 Place Vendôme, succumbing to madness in the end. Outward beauty is nothing it seems without inner beauty—that is to say a minimum of culture, an appreciation of the deeper things of life.
That brings to mind a third Castiglione: Balthazar Castiglione. He codified the “beauty inside/out” principle, and it was he who wrote the guide of the perfect gentleman, a bestseller in Europe in the 16th Century. He even had his portrait painted by Rafael, the artist whose many Madonnas defined beauty for the era.
This elegant café, awash in red, is the ideal place to think about the importance of beauty in your life. And speaking of the perfect gentlemen, Thierry my waiter is the real thing. Everything here is a notch above; there is even a “Happy Coffee Hour” where, if you take your coffee at the bar before noon, you’ll pay only 1.60 euros instead of 1.80 euros.
As I sipped my coffee, I was suddenly seized by a desire to say hello to Mr. Balthazar Castiglione. So, I quickly paid and dashed under the raindrops towards the Louvre museum, where his Raphael portrait hangs. Café Castiglione must be like a magic filter through which beauty shines and draws you in, because one minute I’m sipping an ordinary coffee, and the next, I’m strolling in one of the biggest museums in the world, surrounded by the most beautiful art in the world. That’s one special café! —Edith de Belleville
Where? 235 Rue Saint-Honoré, 1st arr.
When? Open 7 days; 7am-11 :30pm
How to go? Métro Tuileries, Concorde line 1 or 12
When? from 7 to 2 oclock in the morning
What do drink/what to eat? Happy Coffee Hour: Coffee before noon at the bar is only 1.60 euros. View the menu.
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EDITH DE BELLEVILLE is a licensed tour guide in Paris, and the author of Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes (Éditions Erick Bonnier) available in French at Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr and Amazon.ca
VERSION FRANÇAISE
Il y a des cafés à Paris dont le nom seul vous donne déjà à réfléchir avant même d’avoir bu votre café. Un dimanche en mai alors qu’il pleuvait et qu’il faisait froid comme en hiver, je cherchais désespérément un café encore ouvert. Le café Castiglione se trouve juste au coin de la chic place Vendôme. Ne voulant pas me ruiner pour un café, je décidai donc de m’installer au comptoir. Assise confortablement sur mon tabouret recouvert de velours rouge, je me mis alors à rêver au nom de ce café. Castiglione, bien sûr, c’est le nom de la rue juste à coté. La rue Castiglione fut baptisée en l’honneur de la bataille gagnée par Napoléon Bonaparte lors de sa campagne militaire d’Italie quand il était jeune et beau.
Mais il y a une autre Castiglione. Elle est également italienne et ce n’est pas le nom d’une ville assiégée mais d’une femme jeune et belle dont le corps sculptural faisait fantasmer tous les mâles de Paris. Bonaparte a conquis la ville de Castiglione mais la Castiglione elle, a conquis Napoléon au nom de sa patrie, l’Italie.
C’était au temps du second Empire et l’empereur c’était Napoléon III, le neveu de Napoléon premier. Comme Narcisse, Virginia di Castiglione était folle de son corps et s’est fait prendre en photo des centaines de fois. Et puis elle a perdu sa bataille et s’est avouée vaincu quand sa beauté s’est flétrie. Elle est devenue vieille, pauvre et abandonné de tous. Enfin, abandonnée des humains car elle fini sa vie dans un soupirail avec ses nombreux chiens au 26 place Vendôme. Elle ne sortait que la nuit de peur qu’on la reconnaisse. Elle a recouvert tous ses miroirs d’un voile noir pour ne plus se voir. Elle est devenue véritablement folle. La beauté extérieure c’est bien mais cela n’est rien si on n’a pas aussi la beauté intérieure c’est à dire un minimum de culture.
Balthazar Castiglione par Raffael. Balthazar Castiglione by Raffael.
Ce café rouge et élégant est vraiment le lieu idéal pour rêver de l’importance de la beauté dans votre vie. Thierry qui tient le bar lui aussi est un vrai gentleman. Il y a même un « happy coffee hour » et vous paierez seulement 1,60 euros votre café au bar au lieu de 1,80 euros si vous le buvez avant midi. Mais comment sont les toilettes me direz-vous ? Elle sont à l’image de ce café chic et elles ne vous décevront pas.
Et tout d’un coup un troisième Castiglione me vient à l’esprit: Balthazar Castiglione. Il fut le premier à codifier le principe “être beau à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur”. Castiglione a écrit le manuel du parfait gentleman et son livre est devenu un best seller au XVIème siècle dans toute l’Europe. Le peintre Rafael a même fait son portrait.
Et si j’allais dire bonjour à Monsieur Castiglione ? Sitôt mon café bu, d’un pas alerte et sous la pluie, je me dirige vers le musée du Louvre pour admirer le tableau de Rafael. La vie a Paris est vraiment extraordinaire. Le café ici est un philtre magique. Grâce à un simple café, vous vous retrouvez à déambuler dans le plus grand musée du monde. C’est ça l’effet fantastique des cafés de Paris ! —Edith de Belleville
Où ? 235, rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris
Quand ? 7 jours sur 7 ; 12h00 à 23h30 (petit-déjeuner : 7h à 11h30)
Comment y aller ? Métro Tuileries, Concorde line 1 or 12
Que manger, que boire ? Happy Coffee Hour : 1,60 euros votre café au bar avant midi. Voir la carte.
Guide-conférencière à Paris, EDITH DE BELLEVILLE est également l’auteure de Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes ( Éditions Erick Bonnier ) un livre disponible à la Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr et Amazon.ca
Rester au courant avec Edith et ses cafés preferés ! Abonnez-vous à notre newsletter, ici.
When people ask me what they should be sure to do while they’re in Paris, I always say the same thing: “Just be sure you leave some time to simply wander—walk, sit in a park or café, and take some time to just watch the world go by.”
I say this even if the person asking me is only going to be in Paris for a day or two. It seems to me to be even more important if you only have a little bit of time in Paris to have this very Parisian, and most wonderful experience—that is, to take the time to do “nothing” and just enjoy the beauty and the inherent interest of the world surrounding you.
The French have a word for this kind of thing: flâner is the verb, and it is variously translated. Most often it is translated as “to stroll,” with secondary definitions including to lounge, dawdle, wander, or loiter. Harriet Welty Rochefort, in her book, Joie de Vivre: Secrets of Wining, Dining, and Romancing Like the French, has a chapter called “Hanging Out Without Feeling Guilty.” It seems to me that this is the best way to describe what it means to flâner that I have ever heard.
Each summer, I assign the American students in my literature class in Paris to find a café that looks sympa to them, and then to spend at least half an hour there. (“Longer is better,” I say.) I tell them they don’t have to order more than a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine if they don’t want to, or can’t afford to. Then they are to spend at least some of their time there writing about what they see, hear, observe, or think about. I give them this assignment fairly early in their month-long stay in Paris because I want them to know that this is something they can do in Paris even if they are there on a very tight budget. And I want them to understand through personal experience that it is indeed one of the most wonderful things Paris has to offer them—and everyone.
Watching the world go by. Photo: Patty Sadauskas
That is, to have a place to go where you can be alone with your thoughts, but surrounded by the interesting display of humanity around you. A place where you can take the time to relax—read, write, think, and watch the passing parade. Perhaps most importantly of all, to not be hurried away by anyone, but to feel truly welcome.
A café doesn’t have to be old in order to be a very pleasant place to pass the time, but sometimes that is part of the charm. My own favorite café in Paris is the Café Bullier, on the corner of Boulevard Montparnasse and Avenue de l’Observatoire. This café has been there for a long time: Hemingway referred to it in A Moveable Feast (as the “Bal Bullier”). When I sit in the Café Bullier, I like to find a seat from which I can look across the boulevard to the Closeries des Lilas, now famous as one of the cafés in which Hemingway liked to work. But what I like most about the Café Bullier is the warm accueil I always experience when I am there, whether I’ve come for a leisurely cup of coffee or glass of wine, or a meal. (The service is always both professional and friendly, and the food is always good too.)
Because of my love for Parisian cafés, as well as cafés elsewhere in France, I avoid going to Starbucks when I am in France. I have nothing against Starbucks in general, but I do feel like there are plenty of Starbucks in the world, and that when in France, it’s better to support local, independently owned cafés.
After all, they have played such an important social function for such a long time—and to me, this being able to be both alone and surrounded by people, to do your work in peace and calm, and to not feel rushed about leaving is truly one of the greatest things about Paris.
Of course one of the reasons Parisian café owners are able to allow us this wonderful luxury is that there are so many of them—so many cafés, so many tables, so much space in which to do this. There is not the need to “turn tables” as there is in other places that are both more crowded and—let’s face it—more mercenary.
But Parisian café owners have to be able to earn a living too. So shouldn’t we all be helping them do that?
Because Paris just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Author Amy Thomas kicks off our series, “My Favorite Café Is…” with this tour of the Montorgueil District.
There was at least one time in my life that felt like I was living a Hollywood script: when the in-house recruiter of my New York-based ad agency strolled into my office to ask what I thought of Paris. Fast forward six months, and I was living the dream—I had gotten transferred to Paris.
I chose my apartment in the second arrondissement for its proximity to Rue Montorgueil, a delightful pedestrian street that is chock-a-block with marchés, fromageries, fleuristes, patisseries, chocolatiers and other temples of food and drink. Naturally, the classic French cafés were plentiful—about a dozen alone on “my” little stretch of the street.
Before long, I had my own routine and favorite spots. I was going to les vernissages (gallery openings) on Thursday evenings. To le marché bio (organic shop) on Boulevard Raspail on Sunday mornings. Getting warm baguettes from the boulangerie on my way home from work during the week. And wholeheartedly embracing the café culture any old day:
Mardi, 7h45:Café du Centre A French lesson with my tutor before work. I found I learned more when I had a pain au chocolat and café crème to inspire me.
Courtesy of Cafe du Centre
Mercredi, 20h:Le Café A hot date with une salade de chèvre chaud. Is there anything better than solo dining? Anything better than café salads, served with baskets of crusty baguette? In a word, non.
Courtesy of lafourchette.com
Jeudi, 19h:Lézard Café Not ready to climb the six flights up to my apartment just yet. Oh, look, a table au terrasse. Don’t mind if I do.
Courtesy of Lezard Café
Vendredi, 22h:Le Compas A late dinner and carafe du vin after my American friend and I got in a cheesy blockbuster at the Cinéma Les Halles. Croques and burgers—the perfect Franco-American finale.
Photo: Edith de Belleville
Dimanche, 16h:Au Rocher de Cancale After a weekend of flaneuring, Velib’ing, and other favorite Parisian activities, a moment with a book and a chocolat chaud. I really was living the dream.
Courtesy of Au Rocher de Cancale
Each of these spots had their own personalities, of course. And I frequented cafés beyond my own happy universe, of course, of course. Because the cafés are everywhere in Paris. They’re such an important part of life. The stained walls. The dark woods. Those irresistible bistro chairs.
Passing time at a Parisian café is an everyday luxury. They don’t rush you, don’t shame you, they never disappoint you. Instead, they invite you in and make you feel part of the very history and culture that seduced you. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Café du Centre 57 rue Montorgueil, 01 42 33 20 40 Most cafes in Paris have been there for generations, or at least feel that way. This one is a little newer; it’s airy and bright from two walls of windows and has a jam-packed terrace.
Le Café 62 Rue Tiquetonne, 01 40 39 08 00 “Funky” isn’t exactly a word associated with the French, much less a French café but with its dangling globes, shelves of antiques and other unexpected charms, that’s exactly what Le Café is.
Lézard Café 32 Rue Étienne Marcel, 01 42 33 22 73 Lézard serves a relatively varied menu for a café (pasta, duck, prime rib (!)), but more often than not, the young Bobos thronging the giant terrace are there to drink.
Le Compas 62 Rue Montorgueil, 01 42 33 94 73 A fabulous corner location, a boisterous clientele, an excellent late evening option.
Au Rocher de Cancale 78 Rue Montorgueil, 01 42 33 50 29 A classic. While the interior is actually non-descript, the building and café have been around since 1848, giving it a well-worn, cozy vibe. Of all things, don’t miss the beautiful façade.
Have a café you love? Tell us about it and we may profile it, or include it in our site’s upcoming café guide. From upscale haunts to the local dive—we love them all! More info here. Nominate here.
Parisian storyteller, historian, and licensed tour guide Edith de Belleville shares the history behind her favorite places around Paris to sip a coffee or glass of wine and watch Paris go by. We’re launching the series with the venerable Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. [La version française ci-dessous.]
There are cafés in Paris where you can’t just do whatever you want. There are rules. Les Deux Magots is one of these. But do not be put off by this. As soon as you pass through the majestic revolving door of this mythical café, you’ll understand what I mean. You are now in the hallowed halls of the Parisian Intelligensia.
On the wall are black and white photographs of the famous artists and writers who came before, and sat in the same comfortable banquettes where you are now sitting: Ernest Hemingway with Janet Flanner; the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire; the Argentinian writer Jorge-Luis Borges; the Parisian feminist Simone de Beauvoir; Pablo Picasso with his talented and beautiful muse, Dora Maar. And let’s not forget the wry poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, or Antoine de Saint-Exupery—author of the most-read book in the world (after the Bible): The Little Prince. Yes, the literati used to sip their coffee here.
So now you understand why, in this café, c’est interdit (it’s forbidden) to stare at your smartphone, posting photos to Instagram. Non. Instead, read a book or newspaper, have an philosophical discussion with your well-read friend (chosen especially for this moment), or jot something in your journal (even if it’s just your shopping list). And if you must be on your computer, be sure it’s to write your masterpiece. Because the goal here is to look like an intellectual Parisian from the Left Bank.
Okay, so maybe these are just my rules, but why not take advantage of the atmosphere of this historic place to broaden your mind? Me, I come to Les Deux Magots when I need to stimulate my brain. And when the elegant, amiable waiter brings me my favorite old fashioned hot chocolate, I feel immediately more brilliant.
There is just one difficult dilemma that I must solve each time I come here: A table outside or inside? Inside, you can admire the two glorious Asian statutes who gave this iconic café its name. These ancient beauties have been holding court over the many VIPs who have come through the door since 1884. But outside, there is the magnificent view. From the terrace, you can admire the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des Prés, the only example of Romanesque architecture in Paris, which boasts the oldest bell tower in the city. It’s a happy problem to have to solve.
Admittedly, the price of my stylish hot chocolate was not particularly cheap. But from time to time, one must be willing to invest a bit more in his or her intelligence. —Edith de Belleville
Where? 6 Place Saint-Germain, Paris 6th arr.
When? 7 :30am – 1am, 7 days
How to get there? Métro Saint-Germain-des-Prés, line 4
What to drink? Coffee: 4.80 euros; hot chocolate: 8.50 euros (like liquid pudding; it’s worth every centime)
What to eat? The Hemingway Breakfast: 26 euros for a copious meal—includes fried eggs with bacon or ham (or omelet of your choice), fresh-baked bread served with creamery butter and homemade jam, a choice of hot beverage plus fresh-squeezed fruit juice, yogurt or fruit salad; for any time of day: the classic Croque Monsieur with mixed salad (13.50 euros)
Don’t miss Edith’s cafe recommendations. Sign up for our newsletter on the sidebar menu on the homepage.
EDITH DE BELLEVILLE is a licensed tour guide in Paris, and the author of Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes (Éditions Erick Bonnier) available in French at Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr and Amazon.ca
Il a des cafés à Paris où vous ne pouvez pas faire ce que vous voulez. Il y a des règles. Le café Les Deux Magots est l’un de ces endroits. Dès que vous pousserez la majestueuse porte battante en bois de ce café mythique vous comprendrez ce que je veux dire. Vous êtes dans un des berceaux de l’Intelligentsia parisienne.
Sur le mur il y a des photographies en noir et blanc des artistes et écrivains célèbres qui se sont assis sur les confortables banquettes avant vous : Ernest Hemingway avec Janet Flanner ; le poète français Guillaume Apollinaire ; l’écrivain argentin Jorge-Luis Borges ; la parisienne et féministe Simone de Beauvoir et Pablo Picasso avec sa belle et talentueuse muse, Dora Maar. Et je ne vous parle même pas d’Oscar Wilde ni d’Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, auteur du livre le plus lu au monde ( après la Bible ) le petit prince. Tous ceux qui ont fait la littérature ont siroté leur café ici.
Maintenant vous comprenez pourquoi dans ce café vous ne regardez pas l’écran de votre téléphone, vous n’utilisez-pas votre ordinateur et vous ne téléphonez pas. En réalité ce sont mes propres règles. Mais pourquoi ne pas profiter de cette atmosphère littéraire légendaire pour nourrir votre esprit? A la place lisez un roman ou un journal, ayez une discussion artistique avec l’ami cultivé que vous aurez choisi pour vous accompagner ou écrivez ( écrire votre liste de courses à Paris fera l’affaire ). Le but est d’avoir l’air d’un intellectuel parisien de la Rive Gauche.
Je viens ici à chaque fois que j’ai besoin d’une stimulation cérébrale. Quand l’élégant et sympathique serveur m’apporte mon chocolat chaud à l’ancienne, je sens immédiatement que je deviens brillante.
Mais à chaque fois je dois faire un choix cornélien : A l’intérieur ou à l’extérieur ? A l’intérieur, vous pouvez admirer les grandes et antiques statues des deux asiatiques qui regardent défiler les VIP depuis 1884 et qui ont donné le nom à ce lieu iconique. Dehors, il y a la vue magnifique. De la terrasse vous pouvez admirer la superbe église romane de Saint-Germain-des-Prés qui possède le clocher le plus ancien de Paris.
Bon d’accord, le prix de mon chocolat chaud stylé n’était pas particulièrement bon marché. Mais de temps en temps il faut savoir être prêt à investir et payer un petit peu plus pour se sentir intelligent. —Edith de Belleville
Où ? 6, place Saint Germain, 75006 Paris
Quand ? 7h30 à 1h, tous les jours
Comment y aller ? Métro Saint-Germain-des-Prés, ligne 4
Que boire ? Café : 4,80 euros ; chocolat chaud à l’ancienne : 8,50 euros
Que manger ? Le Petit Déjeuner Hemingway : 26 euros (pour un petit-déjeuner copieux) Œufs sur le plat au bacon ou au jambon, (ou omelette nature, au jambon, au fromage ou mixte), accompagnés d’une tartine avec beurre de Poitou-Charentes, boisson chaude au choix renouvelable une fois, jus de fruits presses, yoghourt nature ou salade de fruits ; Le Croque Monsieur avec une salade mixte : 13.50 euros.
Guide-conférencière à Paris, EDITH DE BELLEVILLE est également l’auteure de Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes ( Éditions Erick Bonnier ) un livre disponible à la Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr et Amazon.ca.
Rester au courant avec Edith et ses cafés preferés ! Abonnez-vous à notre newsletter, ici.
Parisian storyteller and licensed tour guide, Edith de Belleville
[Trouvez ci-dessous la version française] Parisian storyteller Edith de Belleville spends a lot of time in cafés, bistros, and brasseries around Paris. A licensed tour guide, Edith is our go-to for the history of Paris, and notably its cafés. She has her favorites, but also discovers new cafés all the time as she bides her time between tours. We’ve asked Edith to share her picks with us—and you can be sure there’s a story in each.
In this upcoming series, Edith will showcase some classic places full of history, and some new and notable places worth a try. Make no mistake; these are not restaurant reviews. You’re going to be taken on a unique journey through time as only Edith de Belleville can do.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for Edith’s favorite places around Paris to sip a coffee or glass of wine and watch Paris go by.
Don’t miss Edith’s cafe recommendations. Sign up for our newsletter on the sidebar menu or on the homepage.
Edith de Belleville is an attorney and licensed tour guide in Paris. She is also the author of Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes (Éditions Erick Bonnier) available in French at Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr and Amazon.ca
VERSION FRANÇAISE
Photo: Edith de Bellevillle
Il était une fois à Paris…Edith a toujours aimé raconter des histoires sur la ville qui l’a vue naître.
Quand elle n’est pas en train de faire découvrir sa ville adorée, Edith est attablée à la terrasse d’un café. Nous lui avons donc demandé de nous raconter ses cafés préférés, les anciens comme les nouveaux. Et même si c’est un fait bien connu que la Française ne grossit pas, Edith a bien voulu nous dévoiler aussi les bistros et les brasseries de Paris qu’elle affectionne particulièrement quand elle a (un peu ) faim. Siroter un café ou un verre de vin tout en regardant Paris et les Parisiens, c’est sa Vie Parisienne qu’elle vous fera partager. Restez branché dans les semaines qui suivent et Edith vous fera découvrir les histoires qui se cachent derrière les cafés connus ou inconnus.
Avocate et guide-conférencière à Paris, Edith de Belleville est également l’auteure de Belles et Rebelles, à l’ombre des Grandes Parisiennes ( Éditions Erick Bonnier ) un livre disponible à la Fnac.fr, Amazon.fr et Amazon.ca
Rester au courant avec Edith et ses cafés préferés ! Abonnez-vous à notre newsletter, ici.
Well, we are officially launched. C’est parti, as they say: here we go! For those hundred or so of you who have already subscribed during our beta stage, what can we say but, “merci!” And, if you’re just finding us now: bienvenue. Welcome, friends.
Who are we? We are an ever-growing group of French and expat collaborators, all lovers of café life in Paris, who will be extolling the wonders of the Paris café, and sharing the latest café news. For more on that, and why we do what we do, go here.
Photo: Edith de Belleville
What will you find in our pages? In the coming weeks, we’ll be publishing articles from, and interviews with, notable locals, writers and authors, restaurateurs, and other residents sharing their stories and backstories about their favorites cafés, café trends and news, and café culture in Paris. We’ll highlight new cafés, local favorites, cafés in danger, and more. Meet our team, and our growing list of extraordinary contributors.
We hope you’ll come along with us as we grow and evolve, and celebrate the Paris café. In a globalized world, where trends come and go at a breakneck pace, and local color can become whitewashed by commercialism and gentrification, Save the Paris Café is here to remind us that we can’t take for granted the unique and wonderful gems that make Paris shine, like her cafés and the diverse communities they serve.
SAVE THE PARIS CAFÉ 