Le Saint Germain: A Favorite Paris Café

If I could only ever go to one café in Paris for the rest of my life, I’d pick Le Saint Germain. It ticks all of the boxes – great location, strong coffee, friendly people, and it’s always open. I fell in love with this Left Bank spot on my first trip to Paris. Since then, I’ve become a regular.

Maybe you’ve seen Le Saint Germain in pictures before. It has a definite curb appeal from the red flower boxes in the summer to the festive holiday lights in the winter. Often times these “picture perfect” Paris cafés don’t live up to the hype, but Le Saint Germain is an exception.

summer at le saint germain paris print — **Shop Summer at Le Saint Germain Print**

I vividly remember stopping at Le Saint Germain and sitting on the terrasse on my first trip to Paris. At that time, I would’ve never imagined that almost ten years later I would live in Paris and Le Saint Germain would be one of my home bases.

When to Go

Go to Le Saint Germain for the drinks and the atmosphere. From the terrasse you can watch the world go by with views of Boulevard Saint-Germain, Boulevard Raspail, and Rue du Bac. I can sit for hours on any day at any time of year. When it’s either very cold or very hot outside I sit inside. Major tip – if you’re in Paris in the summer when it’s really hot, Le Saint Germain has air-conditioning.

When I first rediscovered Le Saint Germain it was my go-to neighborhood spot to have a solo dinner. It isn’t the most authentically Parisian and local café you’ll find, but as a solo traveler I liked that. I enjoyed being able to interact with other tourists. Just take a look at their Facebook page and you’ll see how kind they are with their customers.

I bring my laptop to Le Saint Germain to work a lot. Most cafés are okay with people bringing laptops. Just remember that during lunch and dinner service hours you should either have a meal or leave.

On Sunday mornings one of my favorite Parisian rituals is going to Le Saint Germain for a café au bar. That’s when you’ll find the other regulars.

My Le Saint Germain Order

My go-to orders on weekdays are a double espresso in the morning and a single espresso in the afternoon. On the weekends I mix it up – they have a seriously amazing cappuccino, ice-cold 1664 beer on tap, and a nice selection of wines by the glass.