They are always full and dress the city in its best clothes. His design It is regulated under strict regulations, and in its chairsfacing the street, sit without knowing it, the best spies of Paris. Las parisian terraces They are more than just four tables and eight chairs: they are history and community. They are a city made of custom and a way of life, where the public mixes with the intimate, and where morning coffee coexists with a glass of Chardonnay in the evening. A symbol that has resisted authentic social transformations, historical crises and even the recent pandemic.
The history of Parisian terraces dates back to 19th century, the arrival of architecture Haussmanthe creation of the boulevards with its wide sidewalks and the rise of cafés They made the hoteliers begin to take the chairs out onto the street so that their clients could enjoy long talks outdoors between neighbors, businessmen or intellectuals. The chairs were followed by tables, and later, organized terraces. A genuine gesture that quickly established itself as a meeting point for all social classes. With them the figure of the strollerthe walker-observer who walked through the city looking and letting himself be seen.
Although Paris did not invent the idea, its existence is already documented in ancient Greece and in the ottoman empireYes, it was the city that turned them into a symbol and a social scene. Little by little, other large European capitals began to imitate what has currently been called “the terraceo.” Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Colette or Hemingway They met in the Café de Flore to talk and debate for hours. It is said that that same terrace inspired many for their novels and essays.
Tables and chairs on a terrace of a Parisian bar. / LETICIA FUENTES
At the end of the 19th century and with the rise of terraces, the authorities decided to approve a normative that standardized the designs of chairs and tables, homogenizing what would become a hallmark of the capital.
Tradition and identity
The poet Léon-Paul Fargue He described them in his day as “sidewalk academies” and he was not wrong. Few things have changed as much as the streets of Paris, and at the same time, as little as its terraces. Although currently the city no longer dictates its design, hoteliers must follow an “aesthetic quality” regulation that regulates their furniture, avoiding sponsored chairs or elements that are not in accordance with the aesthetics of the city. Furthermore, many of these cafes now buy from catalogs “approved” by the Administration, maintaining a collective aesthetic and strong visual uniformity.
The emblematic braided chair has gone from being an everyday object to being a symbol of endurance in a society that finds it difficult to maintain tradition. Behind his discreet plaque Made in France there is a whole declaration of intentions; Beyond being a simple indication of origin, it is a cultural icon. A chair that represents the continuity of tradition and the powerful urban identity that Paris exudes.
Terraces for all tastes
The terraces in the French capital are already bordering 10.000according to the latest data from the Paris City Council. They have also been mutating from being a couple of tables occupying the sidewalk, to the so-called “terraces ephemera“. A new model that was born after the covid and that allows bars and restaurants to expand their terraces with the arrival of good weather, thanks to the installation of small wooden platforms in the space where vehicles usually park.
The terraces today occupy dozens of kilometers of public roads and neither the high temperatures nor the harsh Parisian cold empty them. They are always full of groups of friends, families, lovers or simply a shy reader accompanied by a glass of wine who enjoys a date alone with the city.
The terrace of the JaJa brasserie. / LETICIA FUENTES
Furthermore, Paris never discriminates and there are terraces for all tastes. For those who love history and cliché, the Café de Flore or Les Deux Margots They remain a mandatory stop, where you can have a hot chocolate or a good French wine while observing the majestic church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Those who prefer a quiet place, without much noise and with a lot of art, the cafe del Little Palace. This small oasis in the middle of Paris allows you to enjoy a good coffee surrounded by art and a hypnotic garden. And for lovers of heights, Terrass Hotel offers a spectacular view of the Torre Eiffel from his rooftop in Montmartre.
However, the real Parisian terrace is hidden along the street Oberkampf and for the Rue du Faubourg Saint Martin and its passages, where the terraces continue to function as a true meeting point.
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