café les éditeurs

grâce à sharon i have discovered a wonderful new place to read, study french, and sip les cafés au lait. both of the books sharon gave us as bon voyage gifts (french or foe and the whimsical gourmet's guide to paris) have provided invaluable insights into french culture and how to break past the tourist-level life. the latter book is the one that led me to les éditeurs and if you could see it you’d know why it’s « so lisa ». the streetside, front row of café tables are backed by floor to ceiling windows which are today opened wide to the lovely early fall day. this bright, elegantly efficient exterior gives way to a warm, dare i say cozy, interior of red and soft mustard tones deepened by the dark wood floors and tables. the tables, set in couples, are three very neat rows deep, and run wide. unlike many cafés, which are often imposing in the chaos of tables, chairs, and cigarette-dangling hands, this café approaches symmetry… and comfort! several times i’ve thought to myself that spending hours in café chairs would be the end of my back. but here the chairs are a soft, cushioned red leather, and the back row is actually a long and very pleasing bench. this is where i’m seated now:

and for the coup de grâce…the walls of this café resemble a library! the wooden shelves are filled with books – everything from travel guides to history books to novels. i'm not going to lie, it feels a little like home. for DC-ers, it’s almost like busboys & poets - only better of course because instead of weird paper maché fish lamps there’s a grand chandelier; and instead of smelly 14th street it’s the carrefour de l’odéon, busy to be sure but tree-filled and, well, parisian.

update: since i first wrote this, i’ve taken chris to les éditeurs and he is equally smitten. he found an english book on stalingrad while i read a french guidebook on south africa.