REMARKABLE HISTORY

In the 18th century, news of the world traveled by sea. Along with the local tavern, the coffee house was one of the first stops a ship captain would make after arriving in port, but the two establishments served very different functions, says Mr. Lingle. “Taverns now and then are places to escape the real world, whereas coffee houses are where people can engage in real world, real time issues.”

Unlike Merchants’, which was destroyed by fire in 1804 some of the world’s famous coffee houses are still operating today.

Le Procope is said to be one of the oldest restaurants in Paris and has a rich history of artistic expression and revolutionary ideas. Established as a coffee house in 1686, it attracted a lively theatrical crowd from the nearby Comedie Francaise as well as some of the 18th and 19th centuries most influential figures. Voltaire, Rousseau, George Sand and Benjamin Franklin were all regulars. Also, the leaders of what would become the French Revolution-Maximilien Robespierre, Jean-Paul Marat and Georges Danton--all used the café as a meeting place to discuss liberty, equality and fraternity. Le Procope is also supposed to be the birthplace of the first modern encyclopedia, and you can still savor its elegant ambience on the Left Bank.

Caffé Florian in Venice is another venerable coffee house (circa 1720) that is still serving its special blend of espresso today. Situated in the beautiful Piazzo San Marco, it is an icon of Italy’s most enchanting city. From royalty, merchants and ambassadors to adventurers, artists and lovers, Caffé Florian has welcomed many famous patrons. Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Marcel Proust, and Carlo Goldoni all enjoyed its distinctive indoor/outdoor milieu while infamous roué Casonova was a frequent visitor. This was probably because Caffe Florian was one of the few coffee houses at the time that welcomed women. It also houses the famous art exhibit Venice Biennale, which started in 1893.

In more recent times, coffeehouses in New York City’s Greenwich Village were synonymous with the “Beat Generation,” Bob Dylan and the folk music movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Café Reggio, founded in 1927, still looks very much like it did nearly eighty years ago. Known for bringing the first cappuccino machine to America, it is a Village institution that has served everyone from Jack Kerouac, Umberto Eco and Joseph Brodsky to Bob Dylan, Sylvester Stallone and Elvis Presley says manager Toby Buggiani. He adds that today’s customers range from “local students who like to come in, hang out together and have long conversations over a cappuccino to curious tourists and local artists who have been in Greenwich Village since the 1960s.”

Coffee is a delight for the senses and a time-honored social tradition. It is a passion shared by millions and celebrated throughout history. Perhaps the best part of coffee culture is the journey of discover inherent in the world’s famous coffee houses--past and present.

 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS A REGULAR AT LE PROCOPE DURING HIS TENURE AS AMBASSADOR TO THE COURT OF LOUIS XVI

 

A still photograph from the film “Next Stop, Greenwich Village” 1976

The film features Lenny Baker, Shelley Winters, Ellen Greene, Lois Smith, Christopher Walken and Cafe Reggio.