Places and Spaces We Love: Artists Haunts

A Belle Epoque cocktail bar in Copenhagen, a Portuguese breakfast institution, a London pub mentioned in Orwell's 1984, a dark and cozy Tokyo restaurant with a killer cocktail

To sit in a far-off, full-of-character historic restaurant or café that has been a destination for generations is an act of pleasure; to sit in one that was long ago frequented by an artistic or literary figure you admire adds a level of devotion to the experience. Suddenly, the battered wooden table in front of you holds the possibility that Hemingway — or Orwell — or Pessoa — or Brecht — sat there one foggy March morning as well. Close your eyes and you can almost hear remnants of impassioned conversation coming to you from the far side of time. The following list of places have been seasoned by some of the world’s brightest luminaries and thrive today because their soulful energy continues to attract interesting people doing interesting things. I have omitted super-obvious icons like Les Deux Magots, Café Flore, and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in favor of ones that lie a level deeper and that I hope will be new to you; you can find a greatest hits list at the bottom in case you need a reminder.

Café Procope, Paris

By most accounts, the birth of the literary coffeehouse started right here in 1686 at Cafe Procope, the oldest café in Paris. Everyone from French Revolutionary figures like Danton, Marat, and Robespierre to writer titans like Voltaire, Balzac, Victor Hugo, George Sand and Colette have fed, watered, argued and masterminded here. Yes, it has undergone a few renovations in the ensuing centuries, but its most recent Old World incarnation is super charming and conjures up the opulence of days gone by.

Bronnum Cafe, Copenhagen

We say bypass the restaurant at Bronnum and head straight to the bar, a stunningly ornate confection of carved wood that had a former life in a Belle Epoque pharmacy. Though renovated, the space still preserves the soul of its original customers, Copenhagen’s artistic elite. Order a cocktail and imagine Hans Christian Anderson pondering the fate of the little mermaid here.

Bierstube Alt, Berlin

With past patrons like Berthold Brecht and David Bowie, it’s no wonder that when this dark rustic jewel box of a bar was slated for demolition, it was tenderly taken apart and reassembled piece by piece in order to preserve this rare piece of cultural history. Originally opened in 1893, it’s the oldest pub in Berlin.

Cervecería Alemana, Madrid, Spain

An absolute fixture in Madrid since 1904, Hemingway gave the Alemana an indelible imprimatur when he pronounced it “a good place to drink beer and coffee.” You can even sit at his favorite table —it’s in the near right-hand corner. Since then, this classic brewery has fed Iberian writers like Victor de la Serna, Ramon del Valle-Inclan and movie royalty like Ava Gardner (in her toreador phase). Order a cold beer and fried whitebait tapas or one of their famous marinated anchovy sandwiches.