Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots — a 30-metre dash apart on Rue Saint-Benoît — were the rendezvous of Sartre, de Beauvoir, Camus, Hemingway and Picasso.
A café crème on a quiet terrace, an afternoon of bookshops and galleries, a long dinner steps from the Seine — it's the most romantic slow day in Paris.
“Mornings begin with a café crème on a quiet terrace, afternoons drift by browsing bookshops and boutiques, and evenings linger over long dinners just steps from the Seine.”
Sit at Café de Flore or Les Deux Magots once for the history, then explore Rue Bonaparte from the Seine down to the Luxembourg Gardens.
On a budget
The Jardin du Luxembourg on the southern edge is free; window-shop the galleries on Rue de Seine instead of buying a €-priced terrace coffee.
For photos
Karl Lagerfeld's 7L bookshop, the gallery windows of Rue de Seine, and the abbey of Saint-Germain itself give elegant, quiet frames away from the big monuments.
What people say
Straight from the reviews
“This Left Bank neighborhood is known for its intellectual history, iconic cafés, elegant streets, and effortlessly chic atmosphere.”