First established by a Sicilian chef in 1686, Le Procope has claimed the title of the oldest restaurant in Paris (though it has not been operating continuously for the last three centuries). Over the course of that history, the café in the 6th arrondissement has hosted notable guests from Voltaire to Benjamin Franklin to Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, you can still see one of Napoleon’s iconic bicorne hats at the restaurant.
As the story goes, Napoleon was dining at the restaurant when he realized he could not pay his bill. He left his hat with the restaurant as collateral, but never returned to settle the bill and the restaurant still has his hat. The French leader’s headwear is displayed in a glass case at the front of the restauarant.
In addition to being able to see Napoleon’s hat, the restaurant also has incredible primary sources written by Maria Antoinette and Louis XVI. The restaurant has the final letters written by them while they were in present and before their executions. This restaurant is a treasure trove of French Revolution history.
