Best Things to Do:
- 1. 5 beautiful Belle Époque restaurants in Paris
- 2. Belle Époque Restaurants in Paris
- 3. 1) Beef Bar Paris
- 4. 2) Brasserie Julien
- 5. 3) Le Train Bleu
- 6. 4) Bouillon Chartier
- 7. 5) Maxim's
- 8. What was the Belle Époque?
- 9. To experience the Belle Époque:
- 10. Also read:
- 11. Discounts and gifts for paris-story.com readers
- 12. Sign up for the newsletter and receive news from paris-story.com
5 beautiful Belle Époque restaurants in Paris
Discover the century-old Belle Époque restaurants in Paris, featuring stunning Art Nouveau salons and traditional French cuisine.
By Karen Goldman, a Brazilian chef based in Paris
Belle Époque Restaurants in Paris
The Belle Époque restaurants in Paris rival in beauty, showcasing mosaics, stained glass, columns, and frescoes.
Below, we present our selection of five Parisian restaurants that maintain their original structures and transport us with their exuberant decorations.
1) Beef Bar Paris
A massive glass skylight, from 1898, fully covers the large dining room, with its spring colors making the space feel refreshing and pastoral.
On its walls, we admire five thousand tiles depicting countryside scenes, and a reproduction of Botticelli takes us back to the Italian Renaissance. You will be amazed!
Beefbar Paris is a restaurant specializing in meats.
Address: 5 rue Marbeuf | 75008
2) Brasserie Julien
In the early 20th century, Brasserie Julien was 'buzzing.' It was frequented by Édith Piaf and friends. If you close your eyes, you can imagine the uniformed waiters leaning over the beautiful mahogany bar taking orders. People smoking, leaning against the colossal restaurant columns.
We are easily seduced by the spirit of the place, by the elegance of its ornaments at the entrance, its sublime frames, mirrors, and tiled flooring.
The three windows immediately leave us speechless.
In the ceiling, if you look closely, it's easy to recognize peacocks and flowers, but it is primarily the women depicted in the stained glass by Louis Trezel that become the hallmark of the place: four nymphs with flowers, representing the four seasons, making the brasserie the most feminine in Paris, contrary to what the name suggests.
Address: 16 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis | 75010
3) Le Train Bleu
What is more romantic than a retro-chic train station ambiance?
Le Train Bleu is located upstairs in the lavish Gare de Lyon. You may take a moment to find the stairs that lead to the restaurant.
But soon you will notice the chandeliers, the gold accents, and the murals covering the walls depicting the different regions of France.
The location, built as part of the 1900 World's Fair by architect Mário Toudoire, was frequented by great stars like Brigitte Bardot, Jean Cocteau, Colette, and many filmmakers who shot scenes of their movies there.
Address: Gare de Lyon - Place Louis Armand | 75012
4) Bouillon Chartier
Opened in 1896, this is one of the oldest brasseries in Paris and one of the few remaining bouillons in the city.
Bouillon was the name given to restaurants that emerged in the late 19th century with the goal of offering a decent meal at modest prices.
With its immense ceiling height, large mirrors, closely set tables, and waiters dressed in traditional black vest and white apron, Chartier is an authentic brasserie from the late 19th century. Everything feels somewhat worn, somewhat decadent.
But that is exactly why people have been drawn to Chartier for over a century, without interruption.
Read more about Bouillon Chartier here.
No reservations accepted.
Address: 7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre | 75009
5) Maxim's
At the height of the Belle Époque, our compatriot Santos Dumont caused a stir in Paris by landing his airship in front of Maxim's to enjoy a glass of wine before continuing his journey.
In contrast to the Bouillons, this was the address frequented by the Parisian elite and celebrities from around the world.
Its facade, inaugurated in 1900 for the World's Fair, and its dining room are a symbol of Art Nouveau and joie de vivre in Paris.
Address: 3 rue Royale | 75008
What was the Belle Époque?
The French Belle Époque begins at the end of the 19th century (in 1871, the end of the Franco-Prussian War) and lasts until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
It was a time marked by an intellectual and artistic climate that brought about profound cultural transformations, resulting in new ways of thinking and living. It was considered the golden age of innovation and peace among European countries.
In Paris, the cultural scene was bubbling: cabarets and their cancan dancing, cinema, and art were taking new forms with Impressionism and Art Nouveau. The city was gradually transforming its appearance.
From this era come the famous cast-iron entrances of the metro, the Eiffel Tower, the Petit Palais, and the Grand Palais, the immense dome of the Galeries Lafayette...
To experience the Belle Époque:
Take a guided visit to the Musée d'Orsay, the largest Impressionist collection in the world, housed in an old train station built around the same time.
Take a guided visit to the Rodin Museum to see the works of the greatest sculptor of this period (and perhaps of all time).
Enjoy an authentic cancan show at the Paradis Latin cabaret, whose performance hall was designed by Gustave Eiffel.
Visit the Petit Palais, the Paris Museum of Fine Arts.
See a play at the Théatre des Champs-Élysées, one of the few Art Nouveau buildings in the city.
- Take a guided visit to the Musée d'Orsay, the largest Impressionist collection in the world, housed in an old train station built around the same time.
- Take a guided visit to the Rodin Museum to see the works of the greatest sculptor of this period (and perhaps of all time).
- Enjoy an authentic cancan show at the Paradis Latin cabaret, whose performance hall was designed by Gustave Eiffel.
- Visit the Petit Palais, the Paris Museum of Fine Arts.
- See a play at the Théatre des Champs-Élysées, one of the few Art Nouveau buildings in the city.
Also read:
- Restaurants with a view in Paris
- Oldest restaurants in Paris
- Great restaurants near the Eiffel Tower
- Great restaurants near the Louvre
- Great restaurants near Les Halles, central Paris
- 5 vegetarian restaurants in Paris
- Difference between café, brasserie, and bistro
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