Le Procope is one of the famous restaurants in Paris
Open every day, a stone’s throw away from the Boulevard Saint-Germain, Le Procope is one of the city’s most famous restaurants. Founded in 1686 by Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, the restaurant, which has survived the centuries, was the haunt of numerous celebrities of the past such as Diderot, Franklin, Gambetta and today receives well-known contemporary figures, as well as those who just like authentic cooking.
It was in 1686 that Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, a gentleman from Palermo, set up his coffee house in the rue des Fossés Saint-Germain (present-day rue de l’Ancienne Comédie). The excellent quality of drinks and sorbets, the pleasant setting and the proximity of the Ancienne Comédie Française quickly made his establishment a meeting place for fine wits and intellectuals.
L’histoire du restaurantThe world’s first literary café was born and, for over two centuries, everyone with a name, or who hoped to have one, in the world of letters, arts and politics was a regular to the Café Le Procope. From La Fontaine to Voltaire, Rousseau, Beaumarchais, Balzac, Hugo, Verlaine to mention but a few, the list of Procope’s « regulars » varies little from that of the great names of French literature.
Le Procope, 13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comedie, 75006 Paris. Information: http://www.procope.com or +33-1-4046-7900.
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Le Procope founded in 1686 by the Sicilian Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli, is considered to be one of the oldest cafes in Paris, as well as a legendary meeting place for artists and intellectuals.