Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Café Du Coin

I did this portrait of favorite café du coin Le Bosquet for some PB readers...
This was my café du coin, but I'm ashamed to admit I never set foot in it.
Maybe next week :O
I love taking pictures of café du coin till the cows come home...
I just don't like to sit down and lounge around in them...
What's wrong with me?
They sure do look like fun to hang out in...
And with the red checked napery/nappe à carreaux...
It seems like they're having a picnic in the street!
A Paris Café can become your studio or atelier like some people feel free to do. And why not if they'll let you nurse one coffee all day while you write your great novel..?
I am absolutely smitten with the hand-written graphics at Paris Cafés
Miam-miam!
It's so much more personal reading someone's scrawly handwriting than a printed menu isn't it?
Can you get any Frenchier than this?!
And have you noticed that Parisien café chairs...
Are always made by Maison J. Gatti? They all wear brass dogtags to let you know. Take a look next time before you sit down. Of course the patterns and colors differ from café to café...
I have frequented Le Comptoir des Archives a couple of times.
I went there exactly a year ago for dejeuner...
And I had their Salade Composée ocean with salmon...
This time when I ordered it they changed a few of the veggies but it tasted pretty much the same and the price was still 9 euros!
Pas mal non?
Do you think if you bought these decals at BHV and a couple of rattan chairs from J. Gatti you could re-create your own café at home? Hmmmm
Do you have a favorite café du coin and can you convince me to go there and actually sit down and shoot the breeze?
Try me!
Bonjour Mercredi!!!


19 comments:

  1. I just love subscribing to PB and getting my daily dose of life in Paris and your delightful work. Thank you!

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  2. I love the painting!
    As to signs: I much prefer the American light bulb arrow on two wheels with black plastic letters and the flourescent tubes visible underneath. That's charm!

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  3. Love this watercolor!!!! The dogs, the lighting in the restaurant, the stance of the waiter -- it's all wonderful!

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  4. French people love sitting at a café terrasse to have a drink and talk about everything.Now, with this sunny weather, it's even better! Les terrasses parisiennes are waiting for you next week....

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  5. Beautiful colors!
    Love the doggies.

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  6. Look at that gorgeous blue wash above the lighted cafe!!!! Just luscious. We ate at the Panne Pomodoro in Highland Park Sunday night after a ballet, and to my complete surprise they had woven cafes chairs!!! Not Paris but nice... I should have whipped the camera out of my purse. ;-)

    Pick any of them, sit...enjoy. Sigh... next week? yay!!!!!

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  7. Perfect this post!
    Just change café du coin (without S)
    Very interesting.....

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  8. Will you head to the Tuilleries this time, Carol? I'll bet in May it's really pretty...Love that watercolor! Exquisite. Maybe if you found a cafe with a great facade across the street, you could sit, drink your hot chocolate, and sketch away? Lovely post.

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  9. Your blog is so beautiful and inspiring, and me too I once had my café du coin in Montpellier.

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  10. Carol - You are moving all the time when in Paris. I don't think you can actually sit in a café for hours and hours....except when you meet me, you know where!!!

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  11. My "café du coin" is Le Nazir on the rue des Abbesses because for some reason I don't much like Le Chinon, even though it is closer. I know that it can be intimidating to find a seat and just SIT! But maybe because most of your photos are in the oh-so-chic 7th arrondissement, hmmm?? That is why the next time you find yourself in Paris, I invite you to mine which is much friendlier and homelier, being Montmartre.

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  12. Anonymous2:59 PM

    Bonjour-

    I recently discovered your blog and just LOVE it! Your photos and petites mots have put me back in touch with my inner French girl- to the point where I am now listening to French language cds dans ma voiture. Merci!

    Susan

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  13. Do you know Cafe George?
    Any painting of it??

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  14. I recently stumbled upon your blog and absolutely love it. I spent two months in Paris a year ago and miss it like crazy! My favorite cafe was on rue vivan just down from the gardens. Even if the cafe had not been there this may have been my favorite street in Paris. I'm not even sure what it was called although it may have just been cafe vavin and it was delightful!

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  15. Hello again and thank you again for transporting me daily. I dream of touching down on Frenchd soil and beholding the City of Lights. I just have a question about café du coin What does it mean?
    Thanks again Carol,
    Deb

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  16. sorry Deb
    coin = corner
    I should have said
    so corner cafe
    PB

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  17. I love this post. Enjoyed several of these sidewalk events during my visit to Paris.

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  18. Love love love your drawing! Thank you for the kind comments. You make me wish I was in Paris right now. I've only been once for exactly 24 hours. But I did manage to take 500 photos in a day, so it was a productive 24 hours! haha

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  19. Hey! Just got back from Paris and Le Bosquet was literally on the corner of our street!
    Sadly I had a terribly flu and didn't take as many photos as I wanted to.

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