Café de Flore

I finally got myself to Café de Flore yesterday.  In the heart of chic St. Germain des Prés , it's one of those must visit places, an essential for literary types and those wishing to see and be seen, as well as for tourists who won't cringe at the even high for Paris prices.  And yet after living in Paris for three plus years, not to mention several earlier visits, it never rose to the top of my list.  To be honest, it never made the list at all.

But when someone invites you for lunch, you'd better have a pretty good excuse not to go, even if it's explicit that you will be paying your own way.  Et pourquoi pas? Do I really want to return to DC and say I could have gone but I didn't? The short and obvious answer is: no.

I wouldn't recommend the place for the food, although I had a perfectly nice quiche and salad.  And the physical ambience is really nothing special.  But still it was fun to be there.  Our waiter was a hoot and extremely solicitous, not something I can say for all Paris waiters who wear the traditional black and white.  My only regret is that we had no idea who was dining around us, even though there were a couple of folks who were clearly somebody.  The three Parisiennes who were with me were no help at all, and you can't exactly Google, "older gentlemen, around 70ish, beige blazer, looks like he's had plastic surgery sitting with similarly surgically enhanced lady with frosted hair in black."  Can I get help anyone?