20 Fascinating Vintage Photos of the Café de Flore, One of the Oldest Cafés in Paris

Established in 1899, Café de Flore is one of the oldest cafés in Paris. Famous for it’s cozy interior, all red seating, rich mahogany tables and beautiful large mirrors, Café de Flore is the perfect little French bistro. It’s known to have hosted some of the major French intellectuals during the post war era. Over the years, this destination has grown to be one of the most successful cafés in all of Paris.

The name is taken from a sculpture of Flora, the goddess of flowers and the season of spring in Roman mythology, located on the opposite side of the boulevard. Authors Joris-Karl Huysmans and Remy de Gourmont were two of the first well-known regulars. In the late 19th century, Charles Maurras wrote his book Au signe de Flore on the café’s first floor, where in 1899 the Revue d’Action Française was also founded.

Located at the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Saint-Benoît, in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the 6th arrondissement, nowadays the Café de Flore is a popular tourist destination, but also the place in which every year the literary award Prix de Flore is awarded.