Chapter 5: The 19th Century - Golden Age of Café Culture

If the 18th century café was about political revolution, the 19th century café concerned itself with artistic and social transformation. Following Napoleon's defeat and the Bourbon restoration, cafés evolved into specialized institutions catering to different segments of society.

The grand cafés of the Boulevard des Italiens—Café de Paris, Café Anglais, Café Riche—became temples of luxury where the newly wealthy bourgeoisie displayed their prosperity. These establishments introduced innovations like dedicated smoking rooms, billiard halls, and reading rooms stocked with international newspapers.

Meanwhile, on the Left Bank, a different café culture flourished. The Latin Quarter's cafés served impoverished students and struggling artists who nursed single coffees for hours while writing, sketching, or simply keeping warm. The tradition of the café as an extension of one's living space was born from necessity—many residents of chambres de bonne (maid's rooms) had no heat or running water.