Cafe des Beaux Arts

This cafe not only has the honor of being the closest cafe to the Pont des Arts, Rive Gauche, it also can claim that it's been open for over a hundred years - since 1900 to be exact. Here you'll find housemade desserts and a lunch menu that offers items more substantial than just a snack such as a plat de jour of steak and fries. It's open every day until 2 a.m. and their day starts at 7 a.m. From the front sidewalk outdoor seating you gaze across the river at the Louvre and can sit for hours mesmerized watching the fashionistas, tourists, the bouquinistes and the cars pass by. The ambiance indoors is warm, friendly enough, and they even serve drinks for when you have that taste for a good, stiff whiskey.