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Number 12 of 20 in Paris

Les Deux Magots

Half the literature of the twentieth century was written, argued over or avoided at these tables. The terrace faces the oldest church in Paris.

The terrace of Les Deux Magots on the Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, full of people under green awnings.
Cheng-en Cheng, CC BY-SA 2.0
What it is
Café
Opened
1884, as a café
Area
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Nearest museum
Louvre Museum, 800 m

Paris this week

    What Les Deux Magots is known for

    1. The two figures

      Two painted wooden statues of Chinese merchants sit high on the central pillar. They are the magots of the name, left from the shop that stood here before the café.

    2. The terrace

      It wraps round the corner of the square and the boulevard Saint-Germain, opposite the tower of the abbey church. Waiters in black waistcoats and long white aprons serve it as they always have.

    3. The writers

      Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Hemingway, Picasso, Camus and James Joyce were all regulars. The café has given its own literary prize every year since 1933.

    What to know

    • A café since 1884, in the same family since 1914
    • Named after two Chinese figures that still sit in the room
    • The Prix des Deux Magots has been awarded since 1933

    Where Les Deux Magots is

    Address

    6 place Saint-Germain-des-Prés
    75006 Paris, France

    Nearest station

    Saint-Germain-des-Prés, on line 4

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.

    From a draper's shop to the café of the existentialists

    The name belonged first to a fabric shop, which took it from a popular play of the day. The shop became a café in 1884 and kept the name and the two statues.

    In the 1930s and 1940s it was the unofficial office of the writers and painters of Saint-Germain. Auguste Boulay bought the business in 1914, and his descendants still run it. Most of the people on the terrace today are visitors, and it is still worth an hour.

    Les Deux Magots: common questions

    Where is Les Deux Magots?
    At 6 place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. The nearest station is Saint-Germain-des-Prés, on line 4.
    Which museums and sights are near Les Deux Magots?
    Louvre Museum is 800 m away, Musée d'Orsay is 800 m away, Sainte-Chapelle is 900 m away. Distances are in a straight line from the restaurant.
    What is Les Deux Magots known for?
    The two figures, The terrace, The writers. The café of Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Hemingway and Picasso, on the square of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The most famous terrace on the Left Bank.
    When did Les Deux Magots open?
    In 1884, as a café. A café since 1884, in the same family since 1914.

    What visitors say about Les Deux Magots

    Rating from Google

    4.2

    12,317 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 5 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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