Restaurant Drouant Paris overlooking the place Gaillon. Photo Matthieu Salvaing
If winter in Paris is looking particularly dreary to visitors this year, due to the ongoing labor striking making everything from taking the metro to attending a ballet nearly impossible, the inevitable slow down also invites one to be extra-choosy in deciding where to enjoy a meal.
Enter the newly renovated Drouant restaurant. The first thing you will notice, is the easy access and spectacular location. A stone’s throw from the Palais Garnier in the city center, its corner street facade looks like something out of a film set. Step inside and the next thing you will note is the space is bathed in a warm light; call it sunshine if you will, since Paris is so desperately lacking. “For me, Art Deco always represents light and wood,” says interior architect Fabrizio Casiraghi with a charming Italian accent. The two-floor restaurant, first established in 1880, is replete with both. However Casiraghi explains that the six-month renovation is an entirely new look, with only the sacred Prix Goncourt room on the second floor maintaining its original design along with the sweeping staircase. Upstairs, private lounges include the oval room where, since 1914, the jury members of the Prix Goncourt meet monthly to deliberate France’s most prestigious literary prize.
Fabrizio Casiraghi. Restaurant Drouant Paris, Photo Matthieu Salvaing
Restaurant Drouant Paris. Photo Matthieu Salvaing
If the restaurant was once “30s and 40s gray” today it is a beacon of true Art Deco style. The floor is in ceramic mosaic, made with resistant Travertine–a favorite of Casiraghi. While the ceiling features fish, a nod to Cocteau who would once remark that the restaurant’s ceiling was his favorite. “I love to offer a wink, but never do a total reconstruction of what has been done in the past,” says Casiraghi, resting a hand on the warm yellow chairs that work wonders on uplifting any mood.
Restaurant Drouant Paris Photo Matthieu Salvaing
At Drouant, where lunching businessmen and women rub shoulders with artists, Parisians, and tourists alike, dine on chef Emile Cotte’s “enlightened, classic cuisine” like snails fricassé from the Bourgogne region, veal rump, and caramelized carrots, or duck à l’orange. The deserts alone should be reserved pride of place, like the soft pineapple and coriander meringue, while waiting for the warmer months when the terrace will open and bustling, Parisian life will hopefully resume to normal. Drouant.com 18 place Gaillon, Paris
Restaurant Drouant Paris, Salon Goncourt. Photo Matthieu Salvaing
Restaurant Drouant Paris, Salon Proust. Photo Matthieu Salvaing
