In 1686 when Louis XIV reigned over France from the palace of Versailles, in Paris the Cafe Procope opened its doors. Just 20 years after the introduction of coffee in the court of Louis XIV.
An named Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli opened an establishment near Saint-Germain-des-Prés where this infusion would be tested in society. The establishment was opened to sell coffees and ice cream, specialties that the Italians exported to the main European capitals
Three years later, the installation of the recent Comédie Française on the same street attracted the show's clientele.
Literary Café : Voltaire , Franklin
Characters such as Voltaire or Rousseau were regular customers in what was the first literary café. Diderot conceived between his walls (according to the legend of the Caf) his Encyclopédie and Anatole France summed up its situation in this way: Beaucoup de gloire, mais point d'argent (a lot of glory but no money). Benjamin Franklin, wrote the Constitution of the United States.
Revolutionary Café: Danton, Marat
The Club of the Cordeliers, who met here, with Danton and Marat as main figures. It was a revolutionary focus.
The Phrygian cap was exhibited in the Coffee shop Procope for the first time, and from here also left the slogan for the attack on the Tuileries on August 10, 1792.
The original Procope closed at the end of the 19th century and reopened as a café-restaurant in the 50s of the 20th century. The mention "since 1686" at the door is a half truth, although the decoration that refers to the times of the Revolution makes the restoration not noticeable
It remains in the Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie 13, in the sixth arrondissement of the city. The nearest subway station is Odéon. The current Procope kept the link with the letters of the old café and organizes literary prizes.
Specialty of the menu in Café Procope Oldest Coffee Shop in Paris: Coq au Vin.
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