La Palette 43, rue de Seine, 6ème M° Odeon La Palette, located down a main artery of galleries in Saint Germain, is living proof that cafés are still at the heart of la vie parisienne. The walls are tiled and crammed with paintings, but it's the giant mosaic (installed in the '30s) in the main room that is most fun, featuring several of the extant and crankily efficient waiters. With a decent selection of wines by the glass and filling snacks—buttery pieces of pain Poilâne with dried ham or Gruyère—you can shore up indoors in winter under the amber-smoked ceilings. In summer, the crowd expands onto the terrace: the perfect spot to people-watch.

This café-bar is the choice of the very beau Beaux-Arts students who study at the venerable institution around the corner, and young couples who steal kisses in the wonderfully preserved art-deco back room decorated with illustrations. It ain't cheap - a glass of Chablis sets you back €6, a demi €4.50 - but you're paying for the prime location once frequented by such luminaries as Jim Morrison, Picasso and Ernest Hemingway. Grab a spot on the leafy terrace if you can - there's formidable competition for seats.