I was wondering what the protocol is on cafes. If you want to sit outdoors, do you wait to be seated or just sit down? Does a waiter come to you or do you go inside and order? Any other tips to offer?

In almost all of them, you would not wait to be seated by a waiter in an outdoor cafe. There are a few high-end ones where you might, though. Those tend to be closed off a little, so you can't really seat yourself without passing by the maitre d' (waiters don't seat you, usually). Closerie des Lilas is one I'm thinking of like that (and at certain times of day, they don't want you to just sit there with a drink in that one), but there aren't many.

You do not go inside to order, it's not a cafeteria or picnic or takeout place. It's a cafe with waiters. There are a very few places that are serve yourself and you buy at a line inside and then sit outside, but there are more like takeout places and not regular cafes (Ca Ira over near Bastille is one like that).

My main tip is these things should be pretty obvious. YOu can just look around you and see what others are doing. In places where you can't seat yourself, it will probably be set up so you have to bypass someone to get to the area, so it solves itself. Whatever you do, absolutely do NOT sit down at an outdoor table at a regular cafe and then go in and order something at the bar and try to take it out to your table. Drinks standing at the bar are cheaper, and the reason ios because you aren't getting "real estate", so you cannot try to save money by buying things at the bar and then using up a cafe table.

And drinks served outside are more expensive than sitting inside.

Thanks for the tips. About how much more for the ambience of the great outdoors?

Sidewalk tables, in general:

If they are nearly bare (except an ashtray...), take a seat. You can usually order just a beverage, or whatever you like.

If they are set, take a seat, but only if you plan to order food.

Many cafes will have tables on one side set, and not set on the other side.

For some reason, many places arrange the chairs all facing the street. Some prefer that you not move it all about - such as move a few tables together and circle a number of chairs all around.

There are exceptions. Sometimes, set sidewalk tables are actually reserved. Usually, you'll see a card indicating same, but you have to be careful to look and understand what it reads.

Hi jm,

>About how much more for the ambience of the great outdoors?<

You will see a price list posted in some (un)readily visible place that will give you the price differences.

It's not enough to make the casual tourist want to stand at the bar indoors.

An example is, about 0.4E extra for a cup of coffee.