Parisians returning to cafe culture rediscover ‘the taste of freedom’
Paris gleefully tucked into a movable feast yesterday as cafes, bars and restaurants around France finally reopened – albeit with strict social distancing rules – after 10 weeks of solitary confinement.
President Emmanuel Macron hailed ‘‘the return to happy days’’ as eating and drinking outlets opened partially in the capital and fully in the rest of the country, though with at least one metre between tables, and no standing at bars for drinks.
With interiors in Paris still out of bounds due to contagion fears, all the action was on the outdoor terraces that spilt on to pavements as phase two of lockdown exit kicked in.
In one sure omen that the gods were smiling on the City of Lights, the rebirth of cafe culture fell on the hottest day of the year.
As the morning rays warmed the tables of l’Arbre Jaune in the 11th arrondissement, artist Juliette Andrea Elie, 35, sipped her cafe creme with partner Philippe Baden Powell, 42, a musician-composer, masks in hand.
‘‘This first coffee really feels like the taste of freedom,’’ said Andrea Elie.
‘‘Paris cafe culture is very strong. This is where people really talk to each other and I get the feeling that, given what we’ve been through, people are even keener to chat – I’m even happy to see the waiters!’’
In the capital, the mayor has controversially closed off several streets so that bars and restaurants can install more outdoor seating, allowing owners to spread out more on sidewalks and in parking spaces.
Up the hill from Menilmontant, Yves Billon, 73, a TV documentary director, closed his eyes on the terrace of brasserie-bar-cafe l’Entrepots. ‘‘This has the taste of forgetfulness.’’
‘‘And renewal,’’ said his friend Annette Montein, 65, a retired English teacher. ‘‘It’s very beautiful, and we’re enjoying every drop.’’
With 300,000 cafes, bars and restaurants reopening, finance minister Bruno Le Maire said that they would continue to benefit from handouts from a government solidarity fund until the end of the year to help cover fixed costs.
‘‘Even if it is hard to hear on a day when the sun is shining and the cafes are reopening, the hardest part is still ahead of us in social and economic terms,’’ he said, warning of an 11 per cent recession. – Telegraph Group