Everyone knows that Paris is best explored on foot. There is nothing better than wandering around the city without worrying too much about having a specific destination. You can decide to go and take a look at La Défense, the most modern of the city's districts, or visit the old quarters, such as Saint-Germain-des-Prés in the 6th arrondissement. But about your journey, you'll be surprised by the number of bistros you'll see. Do you know the history of the bistros well ?
Have you noticed that Parisians love to sit in those outdoor seating areas called terrasses? They are small spaces set up on the pavements in front of bars, usually protected by an awning in case of rain or wind and often equipped with a patio heater. You won't believe it, but it's a pleasure to sit there chatting, drinking tea and watching people go by. They don't care about you, but you scrutinise them, commenting on their clothes, the little dog they walk on a leash, the latest Chanel or Louis Vuitton handbag that Parisian women carry with unrivalled grace. Terrasses are often enclosed spaces protected by glass or transparent plastic walls. This is generally the case for brasseries, restaurants and bistros.
For those who don't know, the word bistro, which is very common in France and even more so in Paris, seems to derive from the Russian word “bystro” (быстро), which means “quickly” or “in a hurry”.
It seems that during the Russian occupation of Paris (1814-1818), Russian soldiers, who were forbidden to drink alcohol, would go to a shop and ask for a glass of wine or brandy, fearing that some passing officer might discover them, and ask the innkeeper to serve them quickly: “bystro, bystro!”.
This is how the word became the name of those places where you can eat quickly: bistros!
