The historic cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés: the four we recommend
By Derby Eiffel Hotel ·
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The four historic cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés we recommend to our guests are Les Deux Magots (6, place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, open from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., founded in 1884), Café de Flore (172, boulevard Saint-Germain, which awards the Prix de Flore each year), Brasserie Lipp (151, boulevard Saint-Germain, continuous service from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. since 1880), and Le Procope (13, rue de l'Ancienne-Comédie, open from noon to midnight, in operation since 1686). Le Flore and Les Deux Magots face each other on the same intersection: take the terrace that has the sun.
A Parisian terrace at the end of the day. · Photo of Nico Knaack on Unsplash
We are often asked at the front desk which of the great Saint-Germain-des-Prés cafés is worth the detour. Our answer comes down to four addresses, all in the 6th, a stroll from us along boulevard Saint-Germain, which first crosses our arrondissement before reaching theirs.
A word of warning first, because it avoids disappointment: these are old establishments, very busy, and you do not come here for the price of a coffee. You come for a room, a terrace, and the fact that they have been serving more or less the same thing for a hundred years. Each has a good moment in the day, and that moment is not the same from one address to another. That is the whole point of this page.
For each, we give the exact address and the hours posted by the establishment itself, as well as the time slot we recommend. Menus change, and holiday hours do too: a phone call before crossing the Seine costs nothing.
Les Deux Magots
Hours: Daily, 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. Brunch on Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
A literary café established on the square since 1884, beneath the two Chinese wooden statues that give it its name and still hold the central pillar of the room. The house awards its own literary prize, the Prix des Deux Magots, now in its 93rd edition, and hosts poetry evenings. Our advice: come in the morning, before 9:30 a.m. The terrace overlooks the church, and this is the only time you will have it almost to yourself. The hot chocolate is what the regulars order, not the coffee.
Café de Flore
The direct neighbor of Les Deux Magots, a few meters away on the same intersection, and the starting point of a rivalry that both houses maintain in good spirits. Each autumn, Le Flore awards the Prix de Flore to a young author: Maria Pourchet in 2023, Joffrine Donnadieu in 2022, Abel Quentin in 2021. Our advice: do not choose based on reputation, choose based on exposure. The two terraces face each other, and depending on the hour, one is in the sun while the other is in the shade. Take the one that suits you and leave the debate to the regulars.
Brasserie Lipp
Hours: Daily, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., continuous service.
A brasserie, not a café: you come here for the Alsatian sauerkraut, the sole meunière, the pot-au-feu, served without interruption since 1880. This is our address for a late dinner, when you come out of a show and it is 11:30 p.m. Two things to know before pushing the door: proper attire is required and the management reserves the right of admission. Book, especially on weekends. Saint-Germain-des-Prés metro station right outside the door.
Le Procope
Hours: Daily, noon to midnight. Café salon Monday to Friday, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., no reservation.
The oldest establishment on the list: 1686, in the rooms where Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot are claimed as regulars, with 18th-century décor and a sheltered terrace on the Cour Saint-André side. The trap is going there for dinner, where you will pay for the décor. The right slot is the café salon on weekdays, between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.: no reservation, no complicated table service, and the room is quiet. The historic dishes the house highlights are coq au vin and braised beef cheek. Odéon metro, line 4.
