Café de la Paix

The Café de la Paix (French pronunciation: ​[kafe də la pɛ]) is a famous café located on the northwest corner of the intersection of the Boulevard des Capucines with the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Designed by the architect Alfred Armand^[], who also designed the InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel in which the café is located, the florid interior decor is only exceeded by that of Charles Garnier's Opéra (located across the plaza). It is said that if one sits at the café long enough, one is bound to run into a friend or acquaintance due to the café's popularity and reputation.

The Café de la Paix opened June 30, 1862, to serve the Grand-Hôtel de la Paix (named after the nearby rue de la Paix), whose name was later shortened to Grand-Hôtel. It serviced visitors of Expo exhibition in 1867. Its proximity to the Opéra attracted many famous clients, including Jules Massenet, Émile Zola, and Guy de Maupassant. The Café is also the setting for the poem "The Absinthe Drinkers" by the Canadian poet, Robert Service

During the Belle Époque, visitors to the Café included Sergei Diaghilev, and the Prince of Wales and future King of the United Kingdom, Edward VII.

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