Le Procope: Paris's First Café

Tucked along a narrow street, the big restaurant Le Procope was founded in 1686 by Sicilian-born Procope Cuto, and it is considered the first café in Paris. In a city overflowing with cafés, that "first" counts for a lot.

Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and Rousseau made it their gathering place, and Napoleon is said to have been a regular too. One story goes that, back when he was broke, he couldn't pay for a meal and left his hat as a deposit. A replica of that hat is still on display.

Le Procope is still a working, traditional French restaurant, and its 18th-century-style interior has been faithfully recreated, so it feels as if philosophers and writers might still be sitting at the next table. Because the street is so narrow, this is a quick look from the outside before moving on.

The next stop, the Maison Brémond delicatessen, is close but hidden down an alley. Keep walking in the same direction until nearly the end of the street. On your left you'll see an opening rather than a shopfront, marked by a sign reading "COUR du COMMERCE SAINT-ANDRE." Head straight in, turn right at the dead end, and Maison Brémond is right there.