La Favorite

On the rue Passy rests an unassuming little café that could easily go unnoticed by passers by – there’s no view, no celebrity clientèle, no historic relevance and no tree-lined terrace. In fact, there’s nothing at all remarkable about this little place.

What is does offer, however, is the ideal location to meet friends. Afterall, meeting friends at “the cafe” is an essential part of French culture and I can’t imagine spending time in this country without spending time in its cafés.

La Favorite is where I go to meet my good friend Isabelle. We started meeting here when we were students. She lived near the base of rue Passy and I live near the top of rue Passy. La Favorite half-way between our homes. Back then, we’d call each other and say, “let’s meet at the café…you know, our favorite one on rue Passy.” We never knew the name of the place!

We would linger at this café for hours, discussing everything from Spanish influences in Manet’s painting to whether it’s better to hang dry bath towels (à la francaise) or tumble them dry (à l’Américaine).

Charlie, Moi and Isabelle at La Favorite

Isabelle now lives in Dubai, but she keeps an apartment in Paris and returns frequently to visit family and friends. So, when she called me and said, “let’s meet at the café,” I was thrilled. Our trips to Paris had not coincided in a couple of years, but once we were together it was just like old times – sitting at the café, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. On this day, Isabelle’s sister Charlie (who also lives in Passy) happened to be walking by, she stopped and joined us for a drink.

There’s nothing like whiling away an afternoon with great friends.