Mistinguett Bar Restaurant
THE GLAMOUR OF ANNÉES FOLLES IN PARIS
Pictures by DePasquale+Maffini
Embracing Legends in the Heart of Casino de Paris
Situated within the iconic Casino de Paris, the newly opened Mistinguett restaurant faces the challenge of living up to its prestigious surroundings. It not only occupies the grand dining room of Le Perroquet, where high society and famous artists mingled in the 1920s, but also pays homage to the legendary flamboyant singer-dancer Mistinguett, the official godmother of the historic brasserie and the most beloved French entertainer of her era. Fortunately, Mistinguett successfully embodies the mythical allure of its namesake through a combination of Roaring Twenties-inspired theatrical décor crafted by architects Hugo Vince and Adèle Nourry of Atelier Ha, Chef Etienne Daviau's exquisite bistro cuisine, extravagant cocktails served beneath a magnificent Art Nouveau stained-glass window, and an array of talented singers, musicians, comedians, DJs, and acrobats who infuse the dinner service with a festive atmosphere.
Mistinguett's Legacy and the Resurgence of Casino de Paris
Casino de Paris has been a landmark of Parisian nightlife for over 130 years, actually dating back to the 18th century. It’s here where Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois made her stage debut as Mistinguett in 1895 in the 1,500-seat venue going on to become the undisputed “Queen of the Music Hall” and at one time the highest-paid female entertainer in the world. Blessed with a magnetic, sensual allure, her risqué routines, joyous energy and outrageous costumes drowned in sparkles and ostrich feathers captivated audiences as did her larger-than-life personality and penchant for flouting convention. Sophisticated, liberated, audacious and stylish, and a true bon vivant, La Miss, as she was better known, was the inspiration behind entrepreneurs Magali (Malou) Faure and Benjamin Demay’s plan to revive Casino de Paris’ historic restaurant as “a place of history, of love, of celebration, of sharing, of good times”.
A Journey to the Années Folles
Vince and Nourry poured through archive photographs of Le Perroquet as well as Parisian brasseries from the 1920s, imbuing the 130-seat restaurant with an assuredly theatrical tone that conjures the ambience of the Années Folles. Centred on a monumental Art Nouveau-style stained-glass window installed in 1922 when Casino de Paris was rebuilt by architect Marcel Oudin, the barrel-vaulted space above the music hall is swathed in a predominantly red colour palette, plush fabrics and Belle Époque-era details.
Art Deco-inspired, custom-made banquettes, chairs and two-toned tables with lacquered legs are paired with antique finds from France, Italy and Belgium, including two stunning Murano glass feather chandeliers. A red and black leopard print carpet, a luminous arch, and a trompe l’oeil clouded sky that visual artist Matthias Kiss painted on the vaulted ceiling in order “to bring the outside-in” all add to the scheme’s glamour and theatricality as do gold-leaf details and red velvet curtains.
Classic French Cuisine with Aa Modern Twists
Chef Etienne Daviau’s seasonal menu celebrates classic French cuisine with modern twists. Bistro fare includes French classics such as smoked chestnut butternut soup, filet of turbot or John Dory, and côte de boeuf or pastry-wrapped veal tenderloin, carved tableside in a theatrical manner befitting the dining hall’s design. As theatrical is the traditional cheese trolley that rolls across the leopard-print carpet with a dozen varieties to choose from, the signature cocktails named after famous showgirls like Joséphine Baker and Zizi Jeanmaire who animated the Parisian music halls of the 20th century, and of course the jazz singers, dancers, acrobats, DJs, violinists, and other performers who remind the restaurant’s patrons that it’s all about having a good time every night.
