Why is Cafe Les Deux Magots famous? A Literary Café In Paris

Last updated on November 7th, 2024 at 10:20 am

What is it about Les Deux Magots Café in Paris that makes it legendary?

I’ll tell you what, it’s legenday status as being a magnet for some of the most influential literary and artistic figures of the 20th century.

And who can resist a trip back in time to sit in the same place where the greats such as Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce spent their time?

Intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir made it their base, discussing existentialism and philosophy. The café became a meeting place for surrealists, existentialists, and avant-garde artists, making it a cornerstone of Paris’s cultural history.

The location helps too as it’s in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, one of the most historic neighbourhoods. The outdoor terrace is offers a perfect vantage point for people-watching and soaking in the Parisian atmosphere, and inside the decor just draws you into the world of the lost generation.

Is Cafe Les Deux Magots Worth Visiting?

Yes, Cafe Les Deux Magots is most definitely worth it. Especially, if you love the idea of old Paris, Art Deco and stepping into a place where the ghosts of the literary greats can still be felt. It’s one of the best places in Paris to enjoy a coffee.

For someone who spends their days writing, sitting in Les Deux Magots, eating breakfast, whilst scribbling notes for this article, was a dream come true. 

As I sat there taking it all in, I wasn’t in the 21st century instead, I was sitting in another era, a completely different time. 

I’d stepped back into the 1920s when Ernest Hemingway came here to write. A time when Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald partied in the Latin Quarter, and the literary world was full to the brim with talent, from Modigliani to Picasso.

In short, it was the time of the golden age of Paris.

But Les Deux Magots goes back much further than that, and it wasn’t always a haven for writers.

Les Deux Magots History

Les Deux Magots has existed since 1812, not as a cafe but as a silk drapery and novelty boutique of the same name. The name refers to two (deux) legendary statues (magots), which you can still see today on a pillar in the middle of the cafe.

Then, in 1884, it became a liquor cafe, somewhere to come and drink absinthe and liqueurs such as pastis.

It sat proudly in the middle of an elegant Parisian boulevard in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood.

It was at the turn of the century, when Théâtre du Vieux Colombier was built, that slowly but surely the area started to draw in creatives.

In 1914, Auguste Boulay, great grandfather of the current owners, turned Café Les Deux Magots into a hotspot where the who’s who of the literary world would gather to be seen. 

Painters, writers and artists from all different walks of life frequented the place. Arthur Rimbaud, Oscar Wilde and Alfred Jarry were regulars.

Foujita, Guillaume Apollinaire and Jean Moréas would hold spirited discussions here too.

The Surrealism and the Arts Movement in Paris

The 1920s at Les Deux Magots saw the likes of Paul Eluard, Max Ernst, and Pierre Brasseur come here to share ideas and their latest passions. It was the scene of many lively discussions and debates.

Can you imagine the scene and what it was like to be a party to it all? I get shivers just thinking about it. One of my favourite movies, Midnight in Paris, takes you back in time to this fabulous era.

Les Deux Magots, along with places like Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, were the places to be if you were part of the “Lost Generation” set.

And, of course, Ernest Hemingway, a foreign correspondent in Paris at the time, fell under the Saint-Germain-des-Prés spell during this period. His picture is on the wall, and his name is on the menu.

In the pre-war years, it was where Oscar Wilde came to drink after leaving England for Paris. There was a notable scene when an unknown beauty, Dora Maar, entranced Pablo Picasso by plunging a knife right between his fingers on a table. 

This cafe played host to literary and artistic royalty.

The Prix Des Deux Magot

In 1933, the first Prix Des Deux Magot, a literary prize for more offbeat and original style works, was awarded to Raymond Queneau Le Chiendent.

This prize is still in existence today, and one lucky recipient is awarded every year.

After the war, a new era of writers came onto the scene, and it became the haunt of Jean-Paul Sartre, usually accompanied by Simone de Beauvoir, and he would write there for hours on end.

The Cinema and Movie Connections

In the 40s and 50s, it was a meeting point for filmmakers and actors.  The French New Wave cinema marked this period, and directors like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut were known to frequent the café.

The café’s atmosphere and intellectual environment influenced the themes and styles of many French films. It became a symbolic location representing the Parisian artistic and philosophical scene.

Major authors have continued to flock to Les Deux Magots, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Mario Vargas Llosa and James Baldwin. It also became a favourite hang-out for the legendary Jim Morrison during his Paris exile.

To add to its legendary status, a star was born on the terrace of Les Deux Magots in the form of Anna Karina, whose real name was Hanne Karin Bayer. At the tender age of 17, she left Denmark to escape her mother and landed in Paris with just 10 Francs to her name. 

She was spotted by a talent scout on this very terrace and went on to be on the cover of Elle and do fashion shows for the likes of Coco Chanel.

And apparently, in 2015, a team of writers working on one of the Star Wars movies wrote an entire part of the script in this very cafe.

Today, it’s no longer just a cafe but a restaurant where you can go for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And that’s exactly what I did on my last trip to Paris.

Breakfast at Les Deux Magots

After a hectic three day trip to Paris with my daughter, I had a couple of hours to kill before my train home, and I just couldn’t resist.

We’d been staying at the Hotel Pont Grand, a wonderful hotel ten minutes down the road, and Le Deux Magots conveniently was next to the Metro station I needed to get to Montparnasse.

I’d clocked the restaurant when I arrived and had it in my head to go in, and breakfast on the day of my departure was the perfect opportunity.

I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I opted to sit inside, as I wanted to get a feel for the place where so many fantastic writers found inspiration.

From where I sat, I had a great view of the entire restaurant, including the two magots (statues) that gave the cafe its name.

As is common in so many Parisian restaurants, the waiters were dressed in black and white with long coattails, I was transported back in time to the age of ‘old Paris’.

I was tempted to go with the Ernest Hemingway breakfast, but in the end, I settled on Le Complet. I got to choose my pastries and opted for the chocolate cinnamon swirl along with a standard croissant.

It also included freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee, and it really was divine.

I have to say though, the service I received from my waiter wasn’t exactly friendly. It was almost as though he was doing me a favour by serving me. But luckily, the delicious pastries and setting made up for it.

Once I’d finished my breakfast, I ordered another coffee, pulled out my laptop and started to write.

For me, it was the stuff that dreams were made of, to be writing in the same place as Ernest Hemingway had done over a hundred years before me.

Watching the waiters perform their delicate dance between the tables whilst soaking up the atmosphere and being surrounded by Art Deco was the most wonderful experience and one I’ll never forget.

I was in my element, and it was worth the €21 I spent on my French breakfast.

FAQS: The famous Paris restaurant Les Deux Magots

Final thoughts about Ernest Hemingway’s Les Deux Magots

Whilst it’s definitely not the cheapest place to go in Paris, if you’re a literary fan like me, you’ll enjoy the experience of just being there.

The area with its bustling cafés, upscale boutiques, art galleries, and antique shops, perfectly encapsulates the essence of Parisian life.

And of course, it’s not far from some of the best English bookshops in Paris.

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