Last week I was supposed to see my dentist, but he texted to say he was running late by 30 minutes. With some time to kill, and needing a late afternoon caffeine fix, I meandered over to rue Montorgueil.
Au Rocher de Cancale on the rue Montorgueil, is the oldest cafe on the street, dating from 1804. Founded by Alexis Balaine, the restaurant was a meeting place for supper after theatre and cabaret performances ended. Filled with aristocrats and creatives including Honore De Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, and Theophile Gautier, it boasted a overwhelming menu of 60 main courses and 30 desserts. The restaurant went bankrupt with the next owner, and then moved to rue Richelieu and eventually back to rue Montorgueil but a different address. Frescoes are by Paul Garavani and it was declared a national historic monument in 1977.
I had my usual, café noisette, and watched the crowd. A very expressive woman who frequently used her hands to speak to her friend, was also balancing her toy dog on her lap. The rattan, cafe chairs outside had bright blue blankets for customers to keep warm. Inside, under the dark wood beams were old movie and jazz album covers.
78 rue Montorgueil, 75002
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