Red Bistro Saucer

Around the turn of the century, during the Belle Epoque, cafés and bistros across France served drinks with the glass resting on top of a saucer, coupelle or sous-verre in French. The rim of each saucer was made with a colour or number painted on it, representing a different drink price. As the customer sat having a few drinks, the saucers would be piled up on the table. When the customer asked for the bill, the waiter would simply count up how many in the stack were of each colour, doing away with the need for keeping a tab. We can imagine many of the less-honourable clients tried hiding a few saucers in their pockets! These attractive porcelain replicas are a great way to experience this old bistro tradition. They also catch drips of precious absinthe.