The Café Procope in the Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie is a café in the 6th arrondissement of Paris (France). It was opened in 1686 by the Sicilian chef Procopio Cutò (also known by his Italian name Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli and his French name François Procope); it became a hub of the Parisian artistic and literary community in 18th and 19th centuries. It sometimes is called the oldest café of Paris in continuous operation.
A plaque at the establishment claims that it is the oldest continually-functioning café in the world:
Café Procope. Here founded Procopio dei Coltelli in 1686 the oldest coffeehouse of the world and the most famous center of the literary and philosophic life of the 18th and 19th centuries. It was frequented by La Fontaine, Voltaire and the Encyclopedistes: Benjamin Franklin, Danton, Marat, Robespierre, Napoleon Bonaparte, Balzac, Victor Hugo, Gambetta, Verlaine and Anatole France.
However, the original café closed in 1872 and did not reopen as a café until the 1920s, so the claim of “oldest café in continuous operation” is not entirely correct.
Napoleon was known to have frequented the restaurant.
Address: 13 Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris, France.
Working hours
Saturday 12 PM–12 AM
Sunday 12 PM–12 AM
Monday 12 PM–12 AM
Tuesday 12 PM–12 AM
Wednesday 12 PM–12 AM
Thursday 12 PM–12 AM
Friday 12 PM–12 AM.
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