The History of the Parisian Bistro and Paris Bistro Life Today

The Paris bistro is at its heart an unpretentious neighborhood gathering place serving traditional cuisine, having an active bar counter, and open beyond meal hours, with an ever-watchful owner on the premises. Yet use of the term has also evolved over the past 150 years. In this illustrated 1-hour lecture, Gary Lee Kraut examines the development and evolution of bistros in Paris since the late 19th century and tells of the place of old-fashion restaurant-bar bistros in the French capital today. Gary will also talk about various organizations devoted to defending and promoting traditional bistros, cafés and brasseries as essential vectors of sociability and art-de-vivre à la française.

Originally from Trenton, New Jersey, Gary Lee Kraut is an American and French dual citizen who has been inspiring and informing travelers for 35 years through travel writing, consulting, lecturing, and guiding. He is the author of five travel guides and of…