The heart of cafe culture in Paris - Saint Germain

Jazz music whispers softly out of well-placednotable role in American politics, as Benjamin
speakers as the neighboring table to the rightFranklin and John Adams signed the Treaty of
debates the best route to take to the Louvre,Paris here to recognise the independence of US
and the woman to the left leafs through Lecolonies.
Monde, glazing over articles with such haste thatDont be afraid to stray off the main Boulevard
you suspect her of waiting on a secret lover orand lose yourself in the maze of tiny streets
private eye. Whoever he is, he arrives, dressed inbetween Boulevard St German and the Seine
snug jeans, a black sweater, sunglasses and awhere you will find everything from retro clothes
scarf and oozes fashion as he slides gracefully intoshops to antique shops. You might first shuffle
the seat next to the woman, and she places thealong Rue Princesse and hop in to the Village
newspaper on round cafe table and reachesVoice English language bookstore. It was the
suddenly nonchalantly for her espresso.intellectual bookstores in Saint-Germain which
Ah, people watching at a cafe...attracted T.S. Elliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest
Sure you will visit the Louvre, the Seine, the EiffelHemingway and Ezra Pound, along with Parisians
Tower, but if you have not spent the day in aAndre Gide and Paul Valery.
cafe in Saint Germain people watching, you havePerhaps you pass the Rue de Grenelle and its
not experienced the true feeling of Paris. There isexcellent market Marche de Grenelle.  At 6, rue
no area better for this ultimate Parisiande Fuerstenberg, dip in to the Musee Eugene
experience than Saint-Germain.  Sartre held hisDelacroix, where the romantic painter lived
heated discussions on existentialism at Cafe debetween 1857-1863 to be near his work at the
Flore (on Saint-Germain Boulevard and Le TabouSt-Sulpice Church on the Place Saint-Sulpice –
(rue Dauphine),where Simone de Beavoir anda church only slightly smaller than Notre Dame and
Albert Camus were also known to hang, whilethe second largest in the city.
Hemingway soaked up the atmosphere atSaint-Germain mixes the intellectual with art,
Brasserie Lipp right nearby. Though unlikely youfashion and riches, the latter can be seen at the
would run in to Picasso or Sartre today, you willmoney museum – the Musee de la Monnaie,
run elbows with rich and famous, fashionableat 11 Quai de Conti. The former French mint now
bigwigs, artists both staving and commissioned,houses an extensive collection of historical coins
wiry intellectual types and of course, fellowand medallions.
tourists,  in the cafes of Saint-Germain, locatedNot quite original enough for you? How about the
on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) across the SeineMusee de la Legion d’Honneur in 2, rue de
from the Tuileries.Bellechasse – the only museum dedicated to
While your conversation may more match thosethe highest honors awarded by countries
of the group next to you debating directions toworldwide as well as an expansive collection of
the next attraction, you can lose yourself inthe art of gold and medals form orders of
thought imagining what it would have been like toknighthood.
frequent Le Deux Magot at the same time as theHold on to your hat as you pass 9, Cour du
writers of the ‘Lost Generation’ of theCommerce St-Andre. Actually hold on to your
20s and 30s and the existentialists who togetherhead, as this is where Dr Guillotin put the final
transformed 20th century thought. Thetouches on the decapitating machine.
world’s first coffeehouse, Le Procope wasDon’t miss Arty Dandy in 1, rue de
built in 1686, but don’t expect any coffee atFurstenberg which offers arty objects considered
this venue in the Rue de l’Ancienne-Comedie,‘social metaphors’ for modern life,
unless it accompanies your meal at the fine diningcontemporary unqiue and limited edition pieces
restaurant in its place.unlike any other shopping you’ll do in Paris.
You can easily book an apartment inLa Boutique Assouline in 35, rue Bonaparte is a
Saint-Germain in order to take advantage of this,luxury bookshop, where it is possible to dedicate
the heart of cafe culture in Paris. In addition tohours discovering lifestyle and fashion books,
being near some of the most famous andexclusive accessories and masculine indoor candles
interesting cafes in Paris, the Saint-Germain areawith scents such as pipe, cigar, wood and leather.
has some of the best museums, restaurants,Just out the bookshop’s door you’ll
galleries and shops in the City of Lights.stumble upon France’s leading school of fine
This carefree and relaxed area of Paris lies in theart, Ecole Nationele Superieure des Beaux-Arts is
6th arrondissement, and is one of the best areasquartered in the Palais des Etudes at 14, rue
to book an apartment in to experience Paris as aBonaparte.
local during your time in the city. This is the bestHungry?  The Alcazar and Côté Bergamote
neighborhood to wander without a plan, soare both trendy venues in Saint-Germain, or why
explore the area freely.  If you head eastnot visit La Cremerie Caves Miard? The food
you’ll hit the Musee D’Orsay, the easternmarket on Rue de Buci overflows with
border before hitting Invalides and the Eiffelmouthwatering delights, and Fish La Boisonnerie
Tower quarter, to the north you can wander untilhas friendly, English-speaking staff serving up
the river Seine, to the south you arrive at thefresh fish and good wine. If you find yourself near
Luxembourg quarter, while the Latin Quarterthe tourist office, why not take a load off at La
borders Saint-Germain to the West.Lozere for some very special three course
Your centre of gravity is the Boulevardoldfashioned French cooking.  Of course if
Saint-Germain, a major thoroughfare you willyou’ve fallen for the cafe imagery in the text
crisscross several times,  and the mostabove, then La Palette is a very authentic Parisian
important part of Baron Hausmann’scafe around the corner from the Beaux-Arts. For
renovation of Paris in the 1850s and 1860s. Thea more upscale dining experience, La Rotisserie
wide boulevard with spacious sidewalks made thed’en Face on Rue Christine serves elegant
cafe culture possible, replacing numerous smalleats with uber trendy diners. Allard on Rue
streets which still jut out in places in small, aimlessSaint-André des Arts offers great food and Le
sections. Boulevard Saint-Germain has high endComptoir de Relais on 9 carrefour de l'Odéon is
shopping available such as Armani , Rykiel anda casual yet very popular Brasserie.
Zadig et Voltaire and nearby you can find theHow to get there:
Institut d’Etudes Politques on BoulevardSaint-Germain is served by the Metro – exit
Raspail, which is one of the finest political scienceat Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Mabillion or Odeon for
schools in Europe.   Saint-Germain played acentral locations in Saint-Germain.