The cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés are not mere establishments where you sip an espresso. They are living historical monuments, open-air literary salons, theaters where the Parisian comedy has been performed for over a century.
Café de Flore: the temple of existentialism
At 172 boulevard Saint-Germain, the Flore has reigned since 1887. Its red moleskin benches, Art Deco mirrors, and waiters in black and white perpetuate a century-old tradition. This is where Sartre and Beauvoir settled every morning.
Les Deux Magots: Paris's most coveted terrace
Facing the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church, Les Deux Magots owes its name to the two Chinese mandarin statues that have adorned its hall since 1914. Verlaine and Rimbaud already came here in the 1870s.