Café and bistro chairs are one of the iconic items that make Paris Paris. For years I’ve been collecting my favorites on Instagram with the hashtag #Pariscafechairs (which is now contains far more photos than just my own). The colors, the patterns, the forms. Swoon. I thought it’d be fun to take it a step further, with a blog post to dig a little deeper.

There are at least three main houses that make the chairs, which are still made by hand until this day. There’s Maison Drucker (since 1885), Maison Gatti (since 1920), and Grock (who up until recently had a shop on Boulevard Beaumarchais). I always like to check the back of the chair to see which maison created each chair. I’ve become quite good at recognizing each style over time. It’s a fun guessing game.

Messy Nessy Chic captured how the chairs are made on her blog, and in this video she made:

Chairs are often custom made for a café. This one is at Café aux Deux Moulins aka the Amélie Cafe on Rue Lepic.

There’s a lot of room for variation on a single chair.

With matching tabouret stools, bien sûr!

For outdoor, or indoor use.

Unique forms…

Even folding versions.

Or a series of colors.

Or monochromatic.

Or more intricate patterns.

The chair below is the one that caught my eye in a shop window and I knew it had to be mine! It’s a Maison Gatti x Philippe Model Maison. 💙 You can check it out in more detail over on my business blog where it makes several cameos.

How fun is this hand embroidered Paris café chair pin from Macon & Lesquoy? I think it may just have to be the next edition for my collection.

Looking for a unique way to explore the city? Check out my Navigate Paris tours!