Café de Flore: The Warm Haven of the Intellectuals

Just steps from Les Deux Magots is Café de Flore, which opened in 1887. While you listen, there's no need to cross the small crosswalk in front of the café. Simply stand beside the newsstand.

This was another favorite of Beauvoir and Sartre, because its heating was better than Les Deux Magots'. When World War II began and fuel supplies ran short, the artists who had gathered at Les Deux Magots reportedly moved en masse to the warmer Café de Flore. Writers frequented it, but so did famous designers such as Christian Dior, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent, along with actors, singers and film directors like Alain Delon and Yves Montand. Because the Sorbonne and several other universities were nearby, intellectuals and artists naturally gathered here too. It was, in a sense, everyone's hangout.

Simone de Beauvoir came regularly to write, quietly observing Parisian life through the window. Table No. 3, near the window where she liked to sit, became famous thanks to her, and even regulars are said to have avoided sitting there out of respect.

If you plan to visit, the café is known for its breakfast, rich and smooth hot chocolate, and omelets.

Our next stop is just across the boulevard. Without moving, look left as you face the café, and you'll spot it right away.