Les Deux Magots
the historic literary café atmosphere (and its old-fashioned hot chocolate)
Legendary literary café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with a rich history of hosting famous writers and artists like Hemingway and Sartre. It's a classic Parisian experience, perfect for soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying a coffee or meal in a historic setting.
In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris. Easy to fold into a morning or a longer afternoon; there's usually something else worth a stop within a few minutes' walk.
Les Deux Magots has operated as a café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés since 1884 and became a hub for writers and intellectuals—Verlaine, Rimbaud, Hemingway, Sartre, Breton, Joyce, and Baldwin among them—and awards the Prix des Deux Magots, a French literary prize, annually since 1933. Contemporary reviews (Infatuation, History Hit, Tripadvisor) describe reliably good but pricey French brasserie classics—salads, croques, steak, grilled fish—and single out its old-fashioned hot chocolate as a signature. The famous wraparound terrace draws long lines and a see-and-be-seen, celebrity-spotting crowd; loyal regulars and attentive staff keep it from feeling like a pure tourist trap. It functions as a solid, atmospheric introduction to the neighborhood's literary past rather than a destination for cutting-edge food.