Cafe Rey-Bastille

This cafe makes me like Paris. At first I wasn't so sure about this city. A lot of the cafes seemed intimidating, like I would be breaking dress code wearing sneakers, and insulting everyone with my Americanness and zero grasp of the French language. This place seemed eclectic and lighthearted.

It's on a bright, sunny corner by the Bastille. In the morning, one woman runs the place. She shouts out "Bonjour" to everyone who enters. And there is one man making crepes at the corner of the building for the cafe and for people on the street.

Like many cafes, the patio seats are arranged facing out towards the street, so that the cars and pedestrians are the players and the street is the stage.