Les Deux Magots has an esteemed cultural history as one of the top haunts for Paris’ elite philosophers, artists and intellectuals. Some of the most influential writers of the 20th Century have frequented its window seats at one time or another including Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Prévert and Ernest Hemingway.

Such a profound historical background has inevitably turned it into something of a tourist trap but many of the current crop of Parisian intellectuals residing around the 6th arrondissement still like to stop by for a little inspiration. The two large magot (Chinese salesmen) statues from which the café draws its name keep watch over the students debating over their PHD theses and the discerning sophistos who stop by to mull over the daily papers.

An espresso will set you back an eyebrow raising 3,80€ and most of the menu follows suit. Daily specials such as the grilled fillet of turbot or the roast veal liver with shallot preserve are sure to keep your hunger pangs at bay, however, whilst you take a deep breath, center your thoughts and wait for those creative juices to start flowing.