St-Germain-des-Prés

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After World War II, St-Germain-des-Prés became synonymous with intellectual life centered around bars and cafés. Philosophers, writers, actors and musicians mingled in the cellar nightspots and brasseries, where existentialist philosophy coexisted with American jazz. The area is now smarter than in the heyday of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, the haunting singer Juliette Greco and the New Wave filmmakers. The writers are still around, enjoying the pleasures of sitting in Les Deux Magots, Café de Flore and other haunts. The 17th-century buildings have survived, but signs of change are evident in the plethora of affluent shops specializing in antiques, books and fashion.

For a more in-depth witty analysis of St-Germain, read on...by Melinda Bergman Burgener.

"Rich in history and trendy as tomorrow, Paris doesn't get any smarter than St-Germain. Ever since Le Procope, the world's first café opened in 1686, intellectuals have clustered here, debating humanity's condition over bitter jolts of thought-enhancing brew. Coffee houses sprang up like beanstalks, each with its own giant: Sartre held forth at Café de Flore; Hemingway at Brasserie Lipp; Les Deux Magots, third in the famous trilogy, even set up its own literary prize in 1933. The café scene is just as lively today, although indigent young Picassos likely sit elbow-to-elbow with seriously rich fashion big-shots, whose intellectual stature may be limited to looking smart....

Eglise St-Germain-des-Prés is the oldest church in Paris. Parts of it date from around 1000. Across the street is a newer temple to consumerism, Emporio Armani. To the side of the church, in a small square, is Picasso's Hommage to Appolinaire, in memory of the poet. There is no reason why these conflicting tributes should work together, yet somehow they do. That's St-Germain's magic: a heady mixture of history, flash, and stones that talk (well, commemorative plaques that talk, anyway).

Keep your eyes up and read the signs ~ Americans have been coming to this quartier for centuries. John Paul Jones spent his last days here; Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams signed The Treaty of Paris, recognizing the independence of the US colonies; Gertrude Stein gathered the lost generation to her ample bosom; Henry Miller fell in love and wrote Tropic of Cancer; Sylvia Beach opened the original Shakespeare and Company; Richard Wright wrote, free of the racial prejudice back home, a Native Son of St-Germain. Wander around, find out for yourself what seduced them.

Don't miss the Musée Eugène Delacroix, the last home and studio of the great Romantic painter (1798-1863). Find it in the tiny Place de Furstenburg ~ containing only a globed lamppost and some paulownia trees ~ nothing much to recommend it but its postcard-perfect self, possibly the most charming square in Paris.

Dedicated to the sculptor, Aristide Maillol, and containing many of his works, the Musée Maillol-Fondation Dina Vierny, has significant works by others, including: Cézanne, Degas, Dufy, Foujita, Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, and Renoir. The collection is housed in a stylish 18th-century mansion.

Some may want to see the Cour du Commerce St-Andre where a certain Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin thought up a brand new “humane” device to relieve folks of their problems. Perfection was achieved by practicing on sheep in this courtyard.

Just a ten-minute hop away is my favorite shoe store. Mephisto has the best walking shoes on the planet, French-made and quite ugly. I swear by them. But will they go with a Sonia Rykiel creation? Her comfortable, costly ready-to-wear looks wonderfully bizarre in the traditional wood-paneled setting of her shop. (More bizarre is Woman, Rykiel's pleasure temple featuring, among other enticing sexy objets, cashmere lingerie. You can't miss it; it's just next door to her sweetly-innocent children's shop!) More influential in current fashion trends is Prada, without whose bags and such some women would sooner go bare. There is also a branch of Max Mara; many French women prefer this Italian line to their native designers ~ Quel scandale!

La Maison Ivre, on elegant rue Jacob (dense with interesting antique shops and bookstores), sells handmade Provençal pottery. Small yellow and green olive bowls make pretty gifts for friends back home. On the other hand, just down the street at Ladurée, you'll find instant gratification just for you, if you happen to crave excellent hot chocolate and macaroons that set the standard....or better yet, visit Pierre Hermes' boutique on rue Bonaparte, after all, the macaroon recipe is his!

But perhaps you crave books? When La Hune was a new discovery for us, my husband had to be forcibly removed from the great collection (mostly French) of art books and magazines on the second floor. But if you awake at 3am needing a reading fix, the Book Vending Machines recently installed outside Maxi-Livre stores, spit out books 24/7. For two euros—even if you don't read French—you can peruse cookbook pictures or memorize verb conjugations until ZZZZZ...

It is reputed that the President of France eats cheese from Barthélémy. No surprise, this tiny fresh-smelling shop, with its white-coated advisors has an outstanding and tempting selection. A little further away, ordinary folks used to purchase milk at the tiny dairy shop that has been adorably converted to La Crémerie Caves Miard, a new wine bar offering an assortment of unusual wines by the glass and perfect snacks for accompaniment.

The belly of St-Germain is the beautifully choreographed daily (except Monday) food market on Rue de Buci. Hawkers compete for your attention; artfully arranged stalls and out-of-this-world-smelling shops compete for your eye and appetite. (Supermarkets are in the jumble, too.) The cafés lining the street are good for plopping down, watching the show, and deciding what to do next.

Which brings us to restaurants. At Fish, La Boisonnerie, the English-speaking staff will bring you fresh fish and good wine. La Lozère, part of the regional tourist office next door, serves three-course meals like-mama used to make (if mama came from the Lozère).

La Palette is the authentic Parisian café for a rendez-vous with Mimi or Rudolfo. La Rôtisserie d'en Face, baby bistro of the elegant expensive Jacques Cagna across the way, has a trendy following. Allard feels nostalgic, even if you've never been, and the food is so good. Louis was proclaimed king in the luxurious Relais Louis XIII; this is where you should go to feel special, too. And then there is the current sensation, Le Comptoir de Relais, recently opened by acclaimed chef Yves Camdeborde, and already undergoing a renovation. This casual brasserie serves all day long. It's worth trying to snag a table.

And don't forget those cafés, the soul of the quartier. Have a seat, have a drink; you're at home."

Story and Photos by Melinda Bergman Burgener ©1998, 2006. Melinda Bergman Burgener lives in San Francisco and writes frequently about travel and food. She has lived and worked in Paris and often returns to write about her favorite city.

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