As much a part of Paris as the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, Paris cafes have become an international symbol as Left-Bank intellectual gathering places. Today, however, they serve a variety of purposes - from meeting points for friends to a place to catch a quick bite while sight-seeing. From the classic to the contemporary, these cafes represent some of the best Paris has to offer.
Cafe Flore: The Classic
The infamous Cafe Flore can trace its routes back to 1887 - but its history in the century since the has been no less impressive! Intellectuals and artists have worked here for decades. Author Charles Maurras wrote Au signe de Flore here at the end of the nineteenth century; Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were later known as among the famous frequenters of the Flore. Today, the Prix de Flore honors a young author each year, and the intellectuals are mixed in with tourists and business people of all nationalities. Still less touristy than the Deux Magots next door, the Flore provides an interesting bit of history with its (slightly overpriced, as many establishments in the area are) café crèmes.
-26 Rue Saint-Benoît
-Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Cafe des Anges: The Cool
In the heart of a young, vibrant area, the Cafe des Anges isn't far from Bastile and the sights of the Marais. Here, visitors can find a well-priced coffee or simple, well-done modern bistrot fare. Named both for the church across the way and - reportedly - for the association of angels with the sound of opening a bottle - the cool and friendly staff and the lively crowd make this cafe a classic. The complete opposite of the Flore in price, location, and ambiance - and well worth a visit.
-66 Rue de la Roquette
-Metro: Bastille
Merci: The Contemporary
This cosy cafe, not far from Cafe des Anges and the perfect place to grab a quick coffee after a day of shopping and sight-seeing in the Marais, is not only a cafe (on the ground floor) but also a shop, with all proceeds going to charity. Merci offers more than just a heart-warming philanthropic spirit, however. The serene cafe is designed to resemble an old-fashioned literary cafe - and succeeds, with an interesting mix of old and new. A pleasant respite after a day's walking through one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris!
-111 Boulevard Beaumarchais
-Metro: Saint-Sebastian Froissart
Booking.com
Author Sunil S.
Cafe Flore: The Classic
The infamous Cafe Flore can trace its routes back to 1887 - but its history in the century since the has been no less impressive! Intellectuals and artists have worked here for decades. Author Charles Maurras wrote Au signe de Flore here at the end of the nineteenth century; Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were later known as among the famous frequenters of the Flore. Today, the Prix de Flore honors a young author each year, and the intellectuals are mixed in with tourists and business people of all nationalities. Still less touristy than the Deux Magots next door, the Flore provides an interesting bit of history with its (slightly overpriced, as many establishments in the area are) café crèmes.
-26 Rue Saint-Benoît
-Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Cafe des Anges: The Cool
In the heart of a young, vibrant area, the Cafe des Anges isn't far from Bastile and the sights of the Marais. Here, visitors can find a well-priced coffee or simple, well-done modern bistrot fare. Named both for the church across the way and - reportedly - for the association of angels with the sound of opening a bottle - the cool and friendly staff and the lively crowd make this cafe a classic. The complete opposite of the Flore in price, location, and ambiance - and well worth a visit.
-66 Rue de la Roquette
-Metro: Bastille
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Merci: The Contemporary
This cosy cafe, not far from Cafe des Anges and the perfect place to grab a quick coffee after a day of shopping and sight-seeing in the Marais, is not only a cafe (on the ground floor) but also a shop, with all proceeds going to charity. Merci offers more than just a heart-warming philanthropic spirit, however. The serene cafe is designed to resemble an old-fashioned literary cafe - and succeeds, with an interesting mix of old and new. A pleasant respite after a day's walking through one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris!
-111 Boulevard Beaumarchais
-Metro: Saint-Sebastian Froissart
Booking.com
Author Sunil S.
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