The origin of the name “Bistrot”

The bistro is one of the great inseparable symbols of the city of Paris. Café-restaurant-bar, we have a drink, we nibble there, we eat small traditional French dishes, generally cooked with good franquette.

parisian café in the 1st district of paris

A popular and family atmosphere and prices, in most cases affordable, are the recipe for the success of the Parisian bistro. We often find the same starters and simple but tasty dishes, such as beef bourguignon, stew, tartiflette or veal blanquette. If the wines are not grands crus while remaining very pleasant, more and more bistros are now specializing in this beverage which the French adore and decorate their menus with good bottles.

Despite the success of this unpretentious place, the origin of its name remains a real mystery. But where can the word “bistro” come from? By digging a little, we find some hypotheses One hypothesis comes up more frequently and seems to be the favorite of historians … The etymology of the word “bistro” dates back to 1814, at the time of the occupation of Paris by the cavalry soldiers of Tsar Alexander I’s Russian army. , who used to shout “быстро, быстро” in Parisian bars to ask for a quick drink. “Быстро”, which means “quickly” in Russian, is pronounced in French “bystro” …


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