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Café de Flore

Café · Historic literary café$$$Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris

A Saint-Germain café dating from around 1887, famed as a haunt of Apollinaire, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir and home of the Prix de Flore.

At a glance

Type
Historic literary café
Area
Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, France
Price
$$$ · Upscale
Official site
cafedeflore.fr
Last checked
October 23, 2026

Good to know

  • Terrace
  • Upstairs room

Why we recommend it

Café de Flore is the Saint-Germain café of legend. Apollinaire held court here before the First World War, and during the Occupation Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre made it their base. The Art Deco interior of red banquettes, mahogany and mirrors has changed little, and the Prix de Flore literary prize was founded at one of its tables in 1994.

Prices reflect the address, so treat it as an occasion: a hot chocolate, an omelette or a glass of wine on the terrace while watching the boulevard. Mornings are calmer than afternoons. Head upstairs if the ground floor is crowded.

Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026

Café de Flore FAQs

Who were its famous regulars?

Apollinaire, and later Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir during the Occupation.

What is the Prix de Flore?

A literary prize founded at the café in 1994.

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