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Cafe Souflot
W.A. Dudley
Paris' cool cafés
by Julie Baker
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Thanks to a renewed emphasis on decor, service and music, café society is currently undergoing something of a renaissance.

Café Delmas 2 pl de la Contrescarpe, 5e, tel: 01 43 26 51 26, open daily. Almost single-handedly, this café has been responsible for the renaissance that has occurred in what was, until a few years ago, a shabby and neglected part of town. Although the terrace, overlooking the renovated square, is appealing, the interior, with its dark chocolate color scheme highlighted by neon piping, is hard to resist. Comfortable, horseshoe-shaped armchairs and exposed stone create an intimate, private space. During the 6-8pm “happy hour” cocktails are this lively enclave’s specialty, and those with appetites can try its world-influenced dishes, such as Japanese noodles with crispy vegetables. There are DJs at night.

Café de l’Alma 5 av Rapp, 7e, RER Alma-Marceau, tel: 01 45 51 56 74, open daily. Although once frequented by stars such as Alfred Hitchcock, this café’s previous incarnation was fusty and boring, vintage 1960. The recent makeover has added a note of sophisticated glamour, with a green and bronze exterior, oak floors, and an interior color scheme based on mocha and vanilla contrasts. Spacious, innovative seating, combining lounge-like areas and vast, low tables, make it the perfect place for an intimate date, and attracts a clientele of business people, media folk and distinctly upper-crust students. Order a glass of one of their international wines, or something from their well-chosen menu, such as the excellent souris d’agneau with prunes served as a tajine. The terrace, complete with cushioned banquettes, catches the late afternoon sun.

Le Soufflot 16 rue Soufflot, 5e, RER Luxembourg, tel: 01 43 26 57 56, open daily. Favored by writers and professors from the nearby Sorbonne, this large, attractive café boasts a broad terrace area — with views down to the Luxembourg Gardens and up to the Pantheon — that remains open even in the depths of winter thanks to a brace of blazing braziers. A caramel color scheme with black lacquered trims sets the tasteful tone. Reading is the theme here — there’s a cozy wood-paneled back room complete with bookcases and donnish clients smoking pipes. Skip the disappointing hot chocolate and tepid coffee and stick with cold drinks, such as the draft beer of the month. Light snacks are affordable and attract plenty of students, particularly during the day.

Le Dôme 4-6 rue de Rivoli, 4e, M° St-Paul, tel: 01 42 78 56 48, open daily. Once a creaking neighborhood watering hole for die-hard locals... However, a recent makeover has turned it into an attractive and dynamic café, reflecting the neighborhood’s new lease of life. A dramatic interior, with an unexpected deep thrust leads to an intimate lounge area hidden away at the back, complete with sofas and armchairs, perfect for that special date. Hot strawberry and myrtille tones blend well with the techno and occasional disco soundtrack. Stop by for a chat, over a glass of wine or beer and a plate of extra-salty popcorn, then order one of the well-priced salads.

Pick-Clops 16 rue Vieille du Temple, 4e, M° Hôtel-de-Ville, tel: 01 40 29 02 18, open daily. This Marais institution was popular long before the kitsch nostalgia of 1960s lollipop Paris was re-discovered by Amélie Poulain’s fans. The cheerful ambiance, with its fractured, candy-hued mosaic floor, swirling neon curves and yellow and pink façade, attracts students and both straight and gay couples with an eye for irony. Friendly staff and interacting clientele make the wait for a table worthwhile. Simplicity is best here: skip everything in favor of a humble demi or express.

Café de la Nouvelle Mairie 19-21 rue des Fossés St-Jacques, 5e, RER Luxenbourg, tel: 01 44 07 04 41, closed weekends. This attractive, pocket-sized bar makes a delightful watering spot thanks to the period detail of the exterior iron-work façade, which opens up completely in summer, and the little sidewalk terrace that looks out onto a tiny urban park. The pretty mosaic floor, genuine zinc bar and the spacious back room with its timeworn oak floors makes a relaxed setting for a glass of inexpensive wine. Although it’s right opposite the headquarters of Universal, you’re more likely to bump into snooty French product execs than actual stars, but the music selection is good.

Le Pré 4-6 rue du Four, 6e, M° Mabillon, tel: 01 40 46 93 22, open daily. The former incarnation of this newly-revamped establishment was symptomatic of all that was wrong with many Paris cafés: lousy coffee, flat beer, shoddy decor and grumpy, slow service. That dismal past has been turned completely on its head thanks to new management and a total makeover complete with a snappy decor that features lipstick-cherry bubbles, flushed purple and scarlet walls, and intimate white and crimson banquettes upstairs. Videos display fashion catwalks against music that alternates between “space-age bachelor pad” and techno. Cocktails are the thing to have here, served to a trend-conscious clientele by staff that has its aloof reserve down pat.

Café Atelier 95 bd du Montparnasse, 6e, M° Vavin, tel: 01 45 44 98 81, open daily. Okay, the art on the walls is less than you’d expect from the name, but that’s the only negative point against this favorite with students and media people. The large terrace is perfect for whiling away the afternoon in the sunshine, while checking out the dogs of La Coupole’s clientele across the street. The music is eclectic, the service friendly if sometimes a shade tardy, and the prices just right. At night, that terrace can become extremely crowded, particularly during the establishment’s 7-9pm happy hour, but you can always retreat into the blush-red interior and one of the ironically cozy booths for a serious tête-à-tête.

Le Sanz Sans 49 rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, 11e, M Bastille, tel: 01.44.75.78.78, open daily. The post-industrial façade with peeling walls and graffiti stains could be a tribute to the East Village, but the chocolate awnings with gold trim, red velvet walls and faux-impressionist paintings are a sly wink at the Belle Epoch. This “love it” or “hate it” hangout still attracts the people from the nearby Isabel Marant and Jean-Paul Gaultier boutiques — and the Nova crowd — in the daytime. But, at night the clientele is definitely a shade rowdier, and service slows to a crawl just as the customers start bopping to the DJs.
perfection. That’s something we as inspectors never forget, that consumers are spending their own money on this food, and would we want to do that too?”


Cafe Souflot
W.A. Dudley