Paris Bistros Ask for UNESCO World Heritage Status

For citizens and tourists alike, the city's sidewalk bistros and cafes are emblematic of Paris. Nicolasdecorte/Shutterstock

Typical Parisian bistros and cafes could join the UNESCO “intangible cultural heritage” list in 2020 after an association of owners, actors, and other individuals launched a campaign to grant these establishments “protected” status.

These sites have come to symbolize the strength, defiance, and joy of life of Parisians after the November 2015 attacks that left 130 people dead, several of which were gunned down at such bistros and cafes.