Parisians returning to café culture rediscover the taste of freedom
Paris gleefully tucked into a movable feast yesterday as cafés, 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 café 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 café crème with partner Philippe Baden Powell, 42, a musician-composer, masks in hand.
“This first coffee really feels like the taste of freedom,” said Ms Andrea Elie.
“Paris café 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 pavements and in parking spaces.
Up the hill from Ménilmontant, Yves Billon, 73, a TV documentary director, closed his eyes on the terrace of brasserie-bar-café 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 cafés, 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 cafés are reopening, the hardest part is still ahead of us in social and economic terms,” he said, warning of an 11 per cent recession.
At the Brasserie de l’isle Saint Louis opposite Notre Dame cathedral, the owner was preparing to reopen after the longest closure since it was founded in 1883. “I only hope Parisians make up the shortfall because we rely a lot on tourists,” he said.
As lunchtime approached, social distancing looked increasingly tenuous as Parisians flocked to restaurants, many of which were serving limited menus on day one.
At La Palette near Odéon, waitress Alexandra Montis, 37, carried a purple disinfectant spray on a silver platter. “Normally this would be champagne but I have to clean tables with disposable wipes every time a customer leaves,” she said.
Adjusting her transparent visor, she said: “It’s horrible to work behind this. I’m sweating like mad and it’s hard to communicate. Nobody understands anything I say – all I hear is my screeching voice.”
When asked whether customers obeyed distancing rules, she said: “The French are not like the Anglo-saxons. They don’t like discipline. They are rebels. When I told a customer this morning to wear a mask inside, he got irritated. This is my first day and frankly I don’t feel reassured at all.”
Beside her, a group of four lawyers tucked into a croque madame with white wine.
“After being stuck in Paris with no garden or balcony, this is bliss,” said Diane Steinmetz, 40.
She disagreed with claims that the French may never regain their love of eating out in the wake of the epidemic.
“Paris has been through many dramas. We got through the war, we got through other epidemics. There is no reason for us to change now.”
‘Paris café culture is very strong. This is where people really talk to each other’