This 140-year-old literary café facing the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a solid introduction to the neighborhood’s storied intellectual past. In its heyday, the family-owned spot hosted a who’s-who of writers, artists, and activists. That tradition has continued since the 1930s when it launched an annual literary prize, celebrating less academic works than France’s most iconic prize, the Goncourt. It’s that bookish energy (and old-fashioned hot chocolate made from whole chocolate squares) that locals, politicians, actors, and writers find when they come here today. Sure, you’ll have to wait in staggeringly long lines to see and be seen on the café’s wraparound terrace. But once you’re in, you’ll order from a brasserie menu full of reliably good (albeit pricey) options, from salads and croques to steak and grilled fish, and watch passersby ogle to see if they recognize anyone famous.