Saint-Germain Place, Paris. A quick glance at the terrace…eventually one table is free inside the coffee shop. The Cafe de Flore, located in the St Germain district of Paris is basically never empty. Thousands of people coming from everywhere in the world or simply living in the district are having a break there, around a coffee, a glass of Perrier or a pie.
According to many documents, from its beginning most likely in 1887, the Cafe de Flore has seen the most famous intellectuals painters or other thinkers who came there to have a break and discuss freely. Many currents of thought were even born there (E.g the surrealism).
However, for most of the people, the ‘’garcons de cafe’’ (waiters) are the ones who created the special atmosphere so typical and world-famous of the coffee shop. Tradition above all.
The waiters of the Cafe de Flore have never left the place and vouched for an impeccable and elegant service. They have become expert in the skilfully handling of the chocolate pot and the boiling cups of tea with porcelain saucers. Every year, they are walking hundreds of kilometers at the double, with a legendary dexterity.
Since then, a good number of generations of waiters have followed one another and a good number of apprentices have started out on those tiles, at the angle between the Boulevard Saint-Germain and the Bonaparte street.
We would like to give them the floor here in that blog, so that they could tell us more about their experience and their passion for the Cafe de Flore.
Yann
Photo by Karen Corby
