-----> Le Chat Noir, Past & Present
The Belle Époque and the Art Nouveau movement initiated the search of pleasure and beauty as a lifestyle.
It was a time of going against the traditional and towards the sensational.
The Chat Noir, was one of the first avant-garde cabarets to open its doors in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris in 1881 -
the first time a place mixed people from all social classes in their
common search of having a good time. It was a place where the
aristocracy and common people could eat, drink, talk, listen to
music and come and go as they wished. A place where all artistic
forms collaborated and a convivial setting where even the
well-known street performer could express himself. This was
a place where pleasure seekers discovered each other.
The anecdote goes that Rodolphe Salis, the owner of the cabaret,
found a black cat on the sidewalk in front of the cabaret during
its construction, and hence its name.
It is during this period of searching for a new aesthetic that
Art Nouveau appeared, banishing the distinction between fine
art and decorative art. Art Nouveau is the result of all art forms
comprised essentially from natural resources such as glass, iron,
rocks, and contains strong symbolic motifs inspired by nature.
Art Nouveau is best characterised by its uniqueness and
functionality.
Le Chat Noir Restaurant opened its door in 2005 in the Friendship
Heights neighborhood. Sam & Marie intended to share their
experience in the hospitality and restaurant business as well
as their love for Art Nouveau, offering delicious meals in a
bistrot-style environment and hoping to develop a charming
ambiance that could become a modern homage to the
joyful spirit of the Belle Époque.
Click here to see pictures.
