LA COUPOLE / PARIS
La Coupole, founded in 1927 and decorated in the art deco-style that dominated the 1920s, is one of the most classic brasseries in Paris, forever interconnected with the city’s rich cultural history.
Boulevard du Montparnasse is a busy street, and the building’s façade is not the most attractive, but once inside, you will be amazed at the sleek style of the original design, still in place.
With 650 seats, the restaurant is vast (and was replicated on the Queen Mary 2, where the restaurant Britannia was based on La Coupole).
The restaurant has 13 famous pillars, painted by early customers.
Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld entertained here on a weekly basis, even though they avoided one another like the plague and sat at opposite ends of the restaurant.
François Mitterand had his last meal (lamb curry) here, and this is also where Albert Camus went to celebrate his Nobel Prize in literature.
Henry Miller, Pablo Picasso, Colette, Tamara de Lempicka, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir were all regulars.
It is true that La Coupole is not the trendiest restaurant in Paris.
Perhaps some might even say that it’s a bit outdated, and tourists flock to this famous destination to witness its unique cultural heritage.
Today’s mature incarnation, with retirees calmly enjoying three hour-lunches, is a far cry from its opening celebration, when the party became so wild that police had to be called.
Since 2018, La Coupole has new owners, who have wished to revive the former glory.
The American bar and the downstairs dancing area have both been fully restored. This is also what makes it worth a visit – sometimes the classics are to be preferred over places only relevant in the moment. La Coupole has lasted for almost one hundred years, proving that consistency has a value of its own.
A final note – most actually visit restaurants primarily to eat, and not for looking at the interiors or wondering which was Picasso’s favourite spot.
If that is the case, La Coupole is an excellent choice, well known (in particular) for its expertise in traditional French cuisine, notably everything related to fish.