Les Deux Magots

This is the café Les Deux Magots, located across the street from the Saint Germain des Pres church, on the left bank of the Seine, not too far from Saint Sulpice and the Pantheon. Of all the famous café/restraunts in Paris, this is probably the one that has attained the prestige of being on a wall calendar more often than all the rest. And the feat is well meritted, seeing how it not only features outrageous prices and a romantic atmosphere (as measured in average number of wine glasses per table), but the café is also teaming with significant Parisian history which includes, as you might have guessed, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso. The café started off as a silk and drapery store way back in 1813, taking its name from a successful play at the time. It was later turned into a wine bibbery (possibly the coolest word in the entire blog) and later a café. Throughout the years all sorts of famous artists and authors have frequented the café, and since 1933 the prestigious "Les Deux Magots" award has been awarded to the year's most outstanding French novel (none of which I've ever heard of). The word Magot means "nest egg" according to my terrible internet French-to-English converter, but is really meant to reference a Chinese merchant who were for some reason called Magots back in the day. There is supposedly a pillar in the café which features two Magots etched in its stone, retaining the name of the restraunt. We didn't eat there, probably because we're not fond of French food, nor French prices. There are likely few tourists about because they all assume the title is interpreted as "The Two Maggots", which would be a much more interesting translation, though one prone to a much shorter history.