Parisian Cafes

This year’s annual visit to Cannes Film Festival was exciting for a lot of reasons. From being planned at the last moment to getting the visa on the day of departure to mom and mine’s first solo trip together, this trip was full of surprises at every step. Also since mom hadn’t been to Paris before I thought it would be great to cover some of the old and nice cafes of Paris.

It was difficult getting vegetarian food at these cafes for mom (this is before I turned vegetarian) but there were quite a few options available. In this blog, I have listed the cafes that I went to while exploring Paris, again.

Café des Deux Moulin– This was the first cafe we went to since we were on a walking tour in the area of Montmarte and if you have seen the movie Amélie, you would surely want to experience the place where the film was shot. It is a popular cafe bustling with tourists and Amélie fans getting their pictures clicked around a corner designated to the movie’s art. The food is reasonably priced. We had a glass of wine and some Crispy de Serrano, hot cantaloupe on toast with fried veggies. The cantaloupe on toast can be a blast of sodium for people who are not used to it.

Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole– Looking to have a feel of the 18th century Paris? Then Au Vieux Paris d’Arcole is the place for you. A cafe cum restaurant, this cafe is situated very close to the Notre Dame cathedral and was built around the same time as the cathedral. It was once home to the Church priest and there are rooms that still exist on the second and third floor of the cafe. They do rent it out to travellers but do not advertise because they don’t wish to commercialise the stay. This cafe, although situated in a tiny little corner will immediately grab your attention thanks to the colourful decor and an array of vines beautifully decorating the windows.

Even the interiors are thousand years old, the staff believes in maintaining the legacy. It was a little past lunch time when I visited the cafe but I had a nice lunch with chicken breast, salad and a glass of wine. This cafe is a must visit for all photography lovers.

Café de la Rotonde– Another old brasserie frequented by artists like Pablo Picasso Diego Rivera, Alexandre Jacovleff, La Rotonde is a famous cafe in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris. I was lost while finding my way to the cafe and when I asked the owner of a small pancake shop nearby, he was really happy that I am going to this cafe. Sitting outside on the street under umbrella, sipping wine, witnessing the crowd go on about their lives was fascinating, so to speak. I went for a tuna salad and a glass of wine. The staff was the best part about the cafe; impeccably polite and quick.

Shakespeare and Company Cafe– I have to admit but out of all the cafes, this is one of my favourite. Situated at a walking distance from Notre Dame, one of the favourite bookstores in Paris, now also has a cafe right next to it. Had I not been with mom, I could have simply grabbed a book from the bookstore and sat in this cafe for hours, doing absolutely nothing. Such is the vibe of the cafe and the people who frequent it. They mostly serve vegetarian food so I went for a avocado bagel sandwich and a hummus pita platter along with some fresh pressed fruit juice. And when you are at Shakespeare and Co., how can you resist the temptation of buying some books?

Le Verre Luisant Cafe– A local friend of mine took us to this cafe near Chatelet. The manager of the cafe was American and he was really happy to have Indians at the cafe. It was a quaint little cafe located at the corner of the street from where we witnessed a beautiful colourful sunset while enjoying our pasta and burger. The menu is all in French but the staff is extremely helpful with their suggestions and the ambience is all young and energetic.

There were a lot many cafes that I wanted to visit but couldn’t due to my limited stay but I am sure I will visit them again during my next trip. Lastly, every time I return from Paris, it has become a ritual to get different croissants so that I can relive the Parisian life for a few more days in Mumbai. I was lucky to find Du Pain Et Des Idees, a very popular and amazing bakery near my hotel so that I could pack fresh croissants right before my flight.