One of my favourite books is an ancient birthday gift called The French Café (Editions Thames & Hudson). I received it long before I moved here, but I can see from my desk right now. Paris, of course, is famous for its cafés. They are democratic salons where anyone can rest for a while, either alone or in a group. Cafés have a vital social function. They are also part of the Paris brand.
And they are dying, as I learned in the Journal du dimanche the other day. The article informed me that no less than 2000 cafés closed in Paris and the Île-de-France last year. Cafés are one of the reasons I live here. I would be distressed if they vanished.
And yet there is much they can do to survive. Wi-Fi, as I've said before, is essential. Lighting and seating needs to be returned to the glamour of former years. Service must improve: we no longer find the grumpy waiter quaint or charming. Customers can be lured with free snacks – something more imaginative than peanuts or olives. And quite frankly, the state of the toilets in most cafés leaves a great deal to be desired. Truly great cafés will always survive. But all the others need to clean up their act, or Paris will become a sea of Starbucks.
Let's start a Campaign to Save the Paris Café. Please feel free to email me the address of your favourite café!
