Cafe Sitting—an Acquired Taste

For my early adult years, cafe sitting was not a part of my social life. Cafe sitting is not the same as simply eating outside, like, for example, on a patio. No, cafe sitting requires being right there on the street next to people strolling by. It’s being part of the traffic and noise, yelled conversations, people searching frantically through pockets, hugged greetings, and corralling children. I had often sat outside at restaurants but never at a cafe. Cafes encourage lingering and conversation, socializing over consumption.

My first cafe experience was at a little place off Blvd. St. Germain, somewhere between Rue Bonaparte and Rue Mazarine. I ordered a “Highlander” (vanilla ice cream with scotch and something else). Since the name was English, I pronounced it as such and was promptly corrected by the somewhat peevish waiter. After that evening, we settled in at whatever establishment provided the best seat to follow the action.

At first, I didn’t see the point of lingering past the time it took to eat or sip a beverage. But gradually, I grew to enjoy watching the world pass by in all its noisy, messy color. Seeing these tables with bright red-orange umbrellas brought back those pleasant memories, even though this is more patio dining than cafe sitting. As I’ve  said, there is a difference.