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What s The Oldest Bar In Paris
rench people love drinking situated nearby- and later,
and eating out. Paris during the turbulent
overflows with bars, wine pre-Revolutionary mid-18th
bars, cafés, bistros and century, of Encylopaedists (such
restaurants. Tons of fun. But as Diderot and D’Alembert) and
which and where is the oldest other non-conformist thinkers,
one? who had - this was still during
the reign of Louis XV - to be
Let’s begin by wandering down rue careful with what they spouted in
Mazarine from the Odéon square. public.
Bingo? We almost immediately come
on Le Procope, where a plaque Voltaire recounts that one day,
affirms it is "the oldest café in he and a host of like-minded
the world". philosophers wanted to discuss a
very thorny issue around a cup of
It opened in 1686, mainly to coffee at Le Procope: does God
offer coffee. This beverage’s exist? They coded "God" into
fashion had been recently Monsieur Néant ("Mister Nothing)
imported from Austria - the and the wrangling went on for
Viennese got their caffeine zonks several hours. At a nearby table
from the Turks during a lull in sat a gentleman who had time to
the Ottoman siege of their city read his newspaper several times
ca. 1623. over. Then, out of patience, he
stood up and came over to the
Voltaire and... God philosophers.
The Café Procope was an early "Excuse me, Messieurs, you have
favorite rendez-vous of actors been discussing Monsieur Néant.
from the Comédie Française - the Could you please relieve my
national theatrical company, then curiosity and tell me who he is?"
According to Voltaire, the answer St-Louis-en-l’Isle. Our second
was shot back with no delay: find is Le Franc-Pinot, a
"Yes, of course! He is a police well-known jazz club located at
spy-DO YOU KNOW HIM?" No. 1 Quai de Bourbon.
There is a problem with the Le Both are indeed Procope
Procope’s claim, however. The contemporaries, and have been
owner, Mr. Procope, born in serving eats and drinks since
Palermo under the name Procoppio they were founded in the 17th
dei Cotelli, had already worked century.
as a waiter at another Parisian
café before launching his own! A thought nags the tavern
The "first in the world"? researcher, however: none before
Sorry... Unless we’re talking the 17th century??? Impossible!!
about the earliest still extant.
Fifteenth century poet François
But then there are other Villon did indeed dedicate "tout
candidates. aux tavernes et aux filles"
("everything to taverns and
Treasures of Paris islands girls."). And a listing of
taverners dating from 1457 A.D.
Another site to visit is Ile counts some 200 full-time
St-Louis, an island on the river professionals and another hundred
Seine, which was built basically occasionals.
between 1613 and 1700.
A famous tavern of the time was
Our first find is Les Anysetiers the Pomme de Pin (Pinecone), on
du Roy (The King’s aniseed Ile de la Cité (the second island
liqueur makers), a restaurant in the center of Paris). It
located at No. 61 rue survived until the mid-1800s when
Paris Prefect Haussmann razed it "What And Where Is The Oldest
to make more room for the Hôtel House in Paris?"(see:
Dieu hospital adjacent to Notre http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-new
Dame Cathedral (see: s.com/
http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-new paris-stories/paris-story-oldest-
s.com/paris-stories/paris- house.htm )
story-hotel-dieu-hospital-htm)
The Réserve de Quasimodo pretty
Remnants of the 19th Century much ignores (although not
scorning) the tourist hordes
Hmm... Ancient Ile de la Cité around nearby Notre Dame
looks a good place for more Cathedral. Noon and night it
fieldwork. serves scrumptious and affordable
traditional French fares,
Systematic research reveals that accompanied by vintner-supplied
today’s taverns around Notre Dame wines.
all date from the 19th century
period of Haussmann’s urban It offers regular evening supper
cleanup. shows enlivened by oral culture
("Old Paris Stories", "Tales from
Ah, but wait. Let’s take a look Brittany"), magicians, a "pocket
down an authentically quaint theater" group, etc. Prior to
sidestreet on Ile de la Cité, rue that, in 1950, it was bought by
de la Colombe (The Dove street). Austro-American illustrator
Ludwig Bemelmens, best known for
We come at No. 4 upon the Réserve his cartoons in The New Yorker
de Quasimodo, a and his Madeline children’s album
wineshop-cum-eatery located in series.
the old building already
described in my piece titled A photo from 1869 proves the
place was then a wine-bar and The gentleman‘s response:
wineshop.
"I’m an honest man, indeed an
A Foiled Suicide honorable man, and /sniff/ I owe
several people much money that
Skipping back a I’ll never be able to
century-and-a-half from then, reimburse...The only honorable
right around 1719, we come to a way out is to jump into the
legend about Cartouche, whose Seine."
hangout here was the St Nicolas
Tavern, a predecessor of today’s Cartouche: "Now, now, you just
Réserve de Quasimodo. Cartouche give me a list of your creditors
was the ring-leader of a and the sums due." The "gentleman
pickpocket gang - that’s bandit" invited said creditors to
documented, since he was executed the St Nicholas Tavern at No. 4
in 1721. rue de la Colombe, wined and
dined them abundantly, paid off
The legend: Cartouche and gang the suicide candidate’s debts
were "working" the popular and (obtaining receipts, of course)
crowded Pont-Neuf bridge one day and ordered more and more wine.
in 1719, when all of a sudden a Then he pulled out his pocket
well-dressed gentleman leapt up watch, said "Sorry, gentlemen,
onto the Bridge’s parapet. I’ve got an appointment", and
disappeared. More librations
"Hang on, there, Sir," Cartouche ensued among the creditors, only
is said to have shouted, pulling too pleased to celebrate their
the fellow back down from a clear unexpected windfall. When they
suicide attempt. "What’s this all staggered out onto rue de la
about?" Colombe, guess who was awaiting
them. Yes, indeed: Cartouche’s
gang, who quickly divested them
of the debt reimbursements. The statue of St. Nicholas was
torn down in 1792 during the
And The Winner Is.... French revolution. It used to be
affixed above the door of No. 4
The St. Nicholas Tavern itself rue de la Colombe.
pre-dates Le Procope by a wide
margin. The tavern itself is attested
here in... 1240.
The tavern got its name from the
patron saint to whom local We got our winner.
clergymen had erected a statue in
replacement of an earlier pagan (article written in collaboration
statue nicknamed (The Man with with Arthur Gillette)
Doves).
About the Author:
Paris-based Arthur Delves into this sort of historical fun by guiding personalized strolls to discover Paris. Phil Chavanne is the Senior Editor of Paris Eiffel Tower News, a guide offering scores of helpful tips on Paris hotels, restaurants, monuments,and much more. Prepare your next trip to Paris at http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com
Source: www.isnare.com |
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