Les Deux Magots ( French pronunciation: [le dø maɡo] ) is a famous [1] café in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of Paris, France. It once had a reputation as the rendezvous of the literary and intellectual élite of the city. It is now a popular tourist destination. Its historical reputation is derived from the patronage of Surrealist artists, intellectuals such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre , and young writers, such as Ernest Hemingway . Other patrons included Albert Camus , Pablo Picasso , James Joyce , Bertolt Brecht , Julia Child , and the American writers, James Baldwin , Chester Himes , Charles Sutherland, and Richard Wright . [2] Origin of the name [ edit ] The name originally belonged to a fabric and novelty shop at nearby 23 Rue de Buci. The shop sold silk lingerie and took its name from a popular play of the moment (1800s) entitled Les Deux Ma...