FOOD NEWS
The 2 Historic Paris Cafés That Were Admired By Picasso (And Other Famous People)
By Christine Barba
Some of Pablo Picasso’s paintings, like “Man and Woman In Cafe,” were inspired by his time spent in Parisian cafes where artists and creatives gathered during the early 1900s. If you’re simultaneously looking for a dose of historical art and food, then you may want to check out a few Paris cafés that were frequented by Picasso, famous writers, and other A-listers.
La Palette, located in the Saint-Germain district, was one of Picasso’s favorite destinations, and it has also been visited by Ernest Hemingway, Jim Morrison, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, and Anthony Bourdain. Historically, poor young writers and artists were sometimes allowed to pay their tab with their art, and today, the cafe offers salads, steaks, omelets, cocktails, and mocktails, with a quaint, artistic atmosphere.
Customers at Le Select could once bump into the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, Simone de Beauvoir, and Ernest Hemingway at its big outdoor seating area. Hemingway, who lived around the block from the café, referred to it as the “soul of Montparnasse,” and the cafe still maintains a 1920s interior, offering a variety of entrées, salads, and desserts.