Un Cafe Litteraire.

Still one of the most famous cafes in Paris, Les Deux Magots was once home to the literary and intellectual elite. Names like Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Ernest Hemingway were among its frequent visitors. Now popular with both tourists and Parisians alike, it offers a great station for people-watching as it is located right on boulevard St-Germain across from the Eglise St-Germain des Pres. Although not inexpensive, the cost of a café crème or a Perrier will earn you the right to enjoy the view for as long as you like. Unlike American restaurants, the waiter will not pressure you to order food or to abandon your table. “Magots” is the French word for Chinese porcelain figurines and was the name of the shop that preceded the café (and the shop sold such figurines), so they stuck with the name. The name is based on a popular play in China “Les Deux Magots de la Chine” or “Two Figurines from China.” Today, two wooden statutes of the Magots adorn one of the pillars inside. While its Left Bank neighborhood is no longer the hotbed of artistic and intellectual life that it was in the 1950s, Les Deux Magots has continued to maintain its status as a draw for aspiring writers by awarding an annual literary prize to a French writer of note. Today, St-Germain des Pres is more affluent with antique shops, designer fashion boutiques, and trendy shops. Still, it is rumored that Les Deux Magots has the best hot chocolate in Paris. That and the fact that it is a Paris institution make it worth a trip.

Les Deux Magots, 6 place St-Germain des Pres. [6e.]
www.lesdeuxmagots.fr
Metro: St-Germain des Pres.