What is the history of the Café Race?

Was the start given in Paris, London, or Berlin? More than a century later, it is difficult to trace with certainty the origins of the waiters' shopping. The only certainty: the ordeal took on its full extent from the Roaring Twenties in Paris.

On the big day, glasses and bottles placed on their trays, napkins in the fold of their arms, the waiters, in white jackets, black pants and bow ties, competed on the boulevards, to the cheers of the public.

The event celebrated the know-how and skill of waiters. In the capital, the service was then practiced “French style”. Whether you ordered a glass of wine or a pastis, to avoid any dispute, the waiter would bring the bottle, uncork it on his tray in front of you and fill your glass. The exercise is particularly physical and requires perfect technique.

The competition created emulation between competing cafés, those on Place de la Nation, Boulevard Saint-Germain and the Champs-Elysées. There are now waiter and waitress competitions all over the world. In Paris, the waiters' race was held regularly until 2000, then an edition was organized in 2011. She's making her comeback today.