Paris - As Old As You Feel

In the left bank area of St Germain-Des-Pres is what claims to be the very first coffee shop in the world. Named after its Sicilian founder, Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli, it is known now as Le Procope. The cafe began life in 1686. Over the years it witnessed many changes in France and was used by the people who helped bring them about, such as Voltaire and the young Napoleon. Benjamin Franklin came from America to drink coffee here. In 1989 the restaurant was redesigned in the style of the eighteenth century. It has inside the feel of a spacious - and quite opulent - house, with several rooms set out for diners to use. The area around is lively and full of interest, with the Sorbonne university close by and numerous bookshops and publishing houses. It may be over three centuries old, but it's as full of life as ever.