A brief history of Paris's great restaurants: La Closerie des Lilas, a literary bastion

A legendary venue on the Left Bank, La Closerie des Lilas has been located on Boulevard du Montparnasse since the 19ᵉ century. This house steeped in history has seen major poets, painters, thinkers and writers of past centuries pass through its doors.

Today, with its lively brasserie, cosy bar and veranda restaurant, La Closerie des Lilas perpetuates the spirit of an artistic, bohemian and refined City of Light. An interlude in the Paris of yesterday and today, between imaginary lilacs and very real memories.

An origin rooted in XIXᵉ century Paris

Founded in 1847, just as Montparnasse was beginning to establish itself as an artists' district, La Closerie des Lilas was originally an open-air guinguette lined with lilac and chestnut trees. People came here on foot or by horse-drawn carriage from the center of Paris, to enjoy a drink away from the hustle and bustle of the capital's then-ring road. The address quickly attracted the intellectual figures of the day. Paul Verlaine, Stéphane Mallarmé, Émile Zola and André Gide met there over an absinthe or a fiery dinner. The place became a crossroads of ideas, at the confluence of poetry, politics and painting.

Hemingway, the piano bar and the great American hours

In the early 20ᵉ century, La Closerie enjoyed a second lease of life with the arrival of the artists of the"Lost Generation". Ernest Hemingway wrote part of Paris est une fête there, while Fitzgerald, Henry Miller and Man Ray made it their haunt. During this period, the piano bar became legendary for its debating, dancing and writing. Today, Hemingway's name is engraved on brass at his usual table in the bar. It's just one of the many details that place La Closerie des Lilas in the select circle of Parisian cafés that have become literary monuments.

• To be read
• A brief history of Paris's great restaurants: Au Chien Qui Fume, the memory of Les Halles
• A brief history of Paris's great restaurants: Les Deux Magots, artistic life in Saint-Germain
• A brief history of the great restaurants of Paris: Le Café de Flore, literature and elegance

Traditional cuisine in a timeless setting

La Closerie des Lilas is also a renowned gourmet address. The restaurant, housed under an elegant veranda, offers a classic French menu: pike quenelles, beef tartar, poached haddock, oysters, foie gras and a fine selection of wines. On the brasserie side, open continuously from midday to 12:30am, the cuisine is faithful to its Parisian roots. The decor blends Belle Époque spirit and discreet refinement: wood panelling, white tablecloths, subdued lighting and a hushed ambience that's both worldly and intimate.

A place of passage, memory and transmission

Over the decades, La Closerie des Lilas has retained its prestige without becoming staid. Contemporary artists, filmmakers and philosophers still rub shoulders with writers and ordinary food lovers. People come here as much to rediscover the atmosphere of a bygone Paris as to enjoy a French dish.