When my daughter spent a semester in Paris, she began to frequent the café Les Éditeurs (layz ed-ee-tur) in the Latin Quarter. She introduced me to it when I went to visit her and it’s become one of my favorite haunts while I’m in Paris. The name comes from the fact that the café is located in the heart of the neighborhood where various publishers have their offices. In French, un éditeur is a publisher, while an editor can be translated un rédacteur (newspaper), un correcteur (book), un monteur (film) OR un éditeur (of a person or an anthology).

The book-lined walls, red upholstery, and dark wood of Les Éditeurs create a warm, clubby atmosphere. Their business card is a bookmark, and they’ll gladly let you consult the books on the shelves around you. It’s a great place for a coffee, with or without a pastry, and their Sunday brunch is an indulgent treat. I’m usually parked on the banquette just to the right of the clock. I often have the sense that power deals are being brokered all around me by people with wild hair and funky glasses. Once, my daughter and I were reluctant witnesses to a spectacular break-up here. (The cad! We wanted to give him a piece of our minds.) It’s one of the places I miss most when I have to leave Paris. You’ll feel very French while you enjoy your grand crème and croissant. Just leave me my corner seat when you visit, OK?

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