Step into Les Deux Magots, a historic brasserie where classic French fare meets an inviting atmosphere, perfect for indulging in pastries and people-watching.
"Verdict: Better than Café de Flore, which shares the same block. If you need to check off a literary café on your list, go here when it reopens in March. Doesn’t fit the itinerary? You’re not missing anything. This 140-year-old literary café facing the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a solid introduction to the neighborhood’s storied intellectual past. In its heyday, the family-owned spot hosted a who’s-who of writers, artists, and activists. That tradition has continued since the 1930s when it launched an annual literary prize, celebrating less academic works than France’s most iconic prize, the Goncourt. It’s that bookish energy (and old-fashioned hot chocolate made from whole chocolate squares) that locals, politicians, actors, and writers find when they come here today. Sure, you’ll have to wait in staggeringly long lines to see and be seen on the café’s wraparound terrace. But once you’re in, you’ll order from a brasserie menu full of reliably good (albeit pricey) options, and watch passersby ogle to see if they recognize anyone famous." - lindsey tramuta
"This 140-year-old literary café facing the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a solid introduction to the neighborhood’s storied intellectual past. In its heyday, the family-owned spot hosted a who’s-who of writers, artists, and activists. That tradition has continued since the 1930s when it launched an annual literary prize, celebrating less academic works than France’s most iconic prize, the Goncourt. It’s that bookish energy (and old-fashioned hot chocolate made from whole chocolate squares) that locals, politicians, actors, and writers find when they come here today. Sure, you’ll have to wait in staggeringly long lines to see and be seen on the café’s wraparound terrace. But once you’re in, you’ll order from a brasserie menu full of reliably good (albeit pricey) options, from salads and croques to steak and grilled fish, and watch passersby ogle to see if they recognize anyone famous." - Lindsey Tramuta
"Les Deux Magots, another landmark café of Saint-Germain-des-Prés." - The MICHELIN Guide
"On the outdoor terrace at Les Deux Magots, where Julia famously had her first breakfast in Paris, I perched on a wicker chair and sipped a café crème while watching parents usher children with overloaded backpacks to school on the first day of la rentrée. Julia’s go-to was a café complet with coffee, a viennoiserie, baguette, and butter, but I honored Julia by upgrading to The Hemingway to sample a perfectly rolled French omelet."
"Located in the Saint-Germain area of the city, this historic café first opened its doors in 1885 and welcomed the likes of philosophers Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, as well as James Joyce, Albert Camus, and other talented creatives — so much so, that the café even created its own literary prize, which has been awarded to new French writers for nearly 100 years." - Vicki Denig
